42 McCall’s Quick Quilts November 2003 Gi elf O ours y e v the gift of a new skill! Tannenbaum! Designed by Brenda Groelz Plan! Finished Quilt Size 20˝ x 23˝ Number of Blocks and Finished Size 19 Log Cabin Blocks 3˝ x 3˝ 2 Half-Log Cabin Blocks, 1½˝ x 3˝ You Need: Cream mottle Red solid Green mottle (tree) Green check (inner border, corner blocks) Green/black stripe (border, corner blocks, binding) 8 assorted prints & mottles (packages) Backing and batting ½ yd. 5˝ x 8˝ piece ⅜ yd. ¼ yd. ¾ yd. 6˝ x 6˝ piece each 26˝ x 29˝ piece each Foundation paper Colored pencils Rotary cutter and ruler with ¼˝ line Sewing thread Machine quilting thread 9 gold ⅝˝ star buttons 1 red 2˝ star button 4 assorted ⅛˝ & ¼˝ wide ribbons (2˝ piece each) 5 assorted 1˝ ribbon bows www.quickquilts.com Note: See page 44 for foundation masters. Masters are printed reversed and are meant to be traced or photocopied. Make the number of copies called for on each foundation master. Brenda introduces you to the world of foundation piecing (also known as paper piecing) with this cheerful Christmas tree quilt. It’s small enough that you can finish it in time for the holidays. Before starting, be sure to read through Piece by Piece on pages 40-41. Three important things to remember: 1. The foundations are printed in reverse (because your fabric will be sewn on the unprinted side), 2. You must follow the number order when sewing, and 3. There are no seam allowances on the paper foundation. Allow at least ¼˝ of fabric beyond the perimeter of the block and do not trim along the paper’s edge. Prepare! When stitching log cabin-type designs, it’s easiest to work with pre-cut straight-of-grain strips. Traditional piecing calls for cutting strips ½˝ wider than your finished width, but in foundation piecing, it’s nice to have some extra width as ”insurance“. Strips can slip slightly under the foundations when you’re sewing, and a generous width keeps you happy. For this design, cut strips at least 1˝ wide for the narrow pieces and at least 1½˝ wide for the wider ones from your fabrics, as indicated in the cutting instructions. Cut strips to length (at least ¾˝ longer than the finished piece) as you go. For the packages, (made from 8 assorted prints and mottles), follow the foundation coloring guide to determine the width and length of your strips. You’ll enjoy choosing your own colors. Cut! Note: Start by cutting the number of strips indicated below, but don’t be alarmed if you need more. Our yardage requirements provide for shrinkage and a variety of piecing approaches, so you’ll have plenty of fabric to work with. Cream mottle 4 strips 1˝ x width of fabric (WOF) 5 strips 1½˝ x WOF Red solid 17 squares 1˝ x 1˝ Green mottle 7 strips 1˝ x WOF 3 strips 1½˝ x WOF 8 assorted prints & mottles (see Prepare!) Green check *2 strips 1¼˝ x width of fabric (WOF), cut in half to make 4 half-WOF strips 3 strips 1˝ x WOF 2 strips 1½˝ x WOF Green/black stripe *4 strips 3½˝ x 23˝, cut on lengthwise grain 2 strips 1½˝ x WOF *Cut first. McCall’s Quick Quilts November 2003 43 A A A A Sew! 쐃 Photocopy or trace foundations in quantities indicated on master onto a foundation paper. There are many types available, which we’ll explore in a future issue, but standard white 20 lb. copy paper works just fine. Cut out each foundation along outside line. Do not leave any extra paper beyond the printed lines. See Piece by Piece Part 1 on our website quickquilts.com for instructions to foundation piece 23 A blocks, 1 B block, and 1 C block. Refer to Coloring Guide, and using colored pencils, mark each foundation for fabric placement. Remember to allow at least ¼˝ fabric beyond the perimeter of each paper foundation, and trim excess fabric ¼˝ away from the edge of the paper. Do not remove the paper until the entire quilt top is pieced. C A B A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A Coloring Guide Shown from printed side of foundation Foundation Masters Reader has permission to photocopy these foundations for personal use. A Note: no seam allowance is included in foundations. B 8 Make 23 Make 1 C Make 1 7 4 4 4 9 8 5 Red 1 1 3 7 1 3 5 1 6 6 8 10 November 2003 2 3 2 5 6 McCall’s Quick Quilts 9 11 2 44 7 9 � Change sewing machine stitch length back to normal piecing length (10-12 stitches per inch). See Diagram 1 and arrange and sew together foundation pieced blocks in rows as indicated. Watch orientation of blocks. Sew rows together. Leave papers in blocks. � Stitch green check 1¼˝ x halfWOF strips to sides, trim even with top and bottom. Sew remaining green check strips to top/bottom; trim even with sides (see Assembly Diagram). � Measure exact width of quilt center (from raw edge to raw edge). Trim 2 green/black stripe 3½˝ x 23˝ strips to this measurement and sew Border Corner Blocks to ends (watch orientation). Stitch remaining green/ black stripe strips to sides; trim even with top and bottom. Sew pieced strips to top/bottom. Remove papers. � Layer and baste quilt top for quilting method of your choice. Brenda machine quilted a garland design on the tree, a meander throughout the background, and ditch quilted the packages. She Diagram I Shown from fabric side of foundations chose a repetitive wavy design to fill the border. After quilting, sew ribbons and bows on packages and stitch the button stars to the tree. Bind quilt with green/black stripe fabric (see Quiltmaking Fundamentals). Visit Our Site! From our web site, www.quickquilts.com, you’ll find bonus blocks and patterns; come check us out! Further Information Assembly Diagram www.quickquilts.com More of Brenda’s patterns can be found at www.quiltswithstyle.com by searching for her name. You can get information about Dream World's Sew Steady Portable Tables (to fit any machine) by calling 800-837-3261 or going to www.dreamworld-inc.com. The Brooklyn Revolver is available from Come Quilt With Me by calling 718-377-3652 or visiting www.comequiltwithme.com. McCall’s Quick Quilts November 2003 45