Granny's Garden Blocks 37 and 39

Granny's Garden Block 37

We are on the home straight for the Granny's Garden Bedrunner.  This week saw the completion of Blocks 37 and 39 - the former being very simple applique and the latter being a bit more work but made easier by reducing the layer.

Let us look at Block 37 first.  This flower block is very similar to Block 5 except it has two more leaves.  Nothing difficult here.

Remember Block 5 - way back in week 2?

Block 39 is not overly difficult either but it is a bit more work.  If you repeat the method used for Block 9 -you can reduce the layers.

Granny's Garden Block 39

It is also a bit of a tight squeeze fitting in the flowers and leaves into the inner circle.  But you can always trim them just a little if it helps.

Next week I will be making the last of the fourteen blocks needed for my bedrunner - Block 41.  So until then ......  

Granny's Garden Blocks 27 and 31

Granny's Garden Block 27

Block 27 is exactly the same as Block 9 except it has a wider scalloped ring.  So be sure to check out my blog for Block 9 as it shows how to reduce the layers to just one using the 6” circle template.

Granny's Garden Block 27

And Block 31 appears the same as Block 14 but beware as the inner scallop border (Sew Simple Shape I24) is different and you will not be able to use the same method as I used for Block 14.  

The inner scallop means you cannot take the shortcuts used for Block 14.

Instead I would recommend that you mark a 4” circle tracing onto the I24 scallop and the I25 Dresden tracings – making sure both are centered.  Then, once you have fused and cut out the Dresden and the scallop, you can cut out the inner 4" inner circle which will allow the white/cream background to show through.  

The 4" cut out of both the scallop inner border and the Dresden should match as close as possible.

You will need to lay the scallop donut so that it overlays the Dresden donut exactly so it is really important that your tracing and cutting are accurate.  It is a little tricky but it does work.  To save time however, you can create the Dresden using just four 5” squares as shown HERE for Block 11. 

That is another two blocks complete to make eleven blocks done – only three more to go (blocks 37, 39 and 41).  This bed runner could be ready in time for Christmas.

Granny's Garden Block 26

Granny's Garden Block 26

This week’s flower blocks is an easy one – and even easier because quick fuse applique.  The only fabric you need is one 6” x 5” rectangle for the flower and two 9” x 2” strips from two different fabrics.

All that is needed for Block 26

For the leaves you stitch the two 9” x 2” strips together along the 9” length and press the seam open.  

I call this method strip applique!

When you trace the leaves trace a line centrally from one leaf point to the other as shown before.  You can then line up the traced line with the seam of the leaves on the BACK of your patch before fusing the tracings in place.

Line up the traced center line with the stitched seam.

For the flower, Lori cuts three different shapes but there is no need when you are using quick fuse applique.  Firstly trace Sew Simple Shape I7 and then trace two Sew Simple Shape I11s on top, so that the tips of the I11 shapes are just touching centrally in the middle of the I7 shape and the curves of the I11 shapes are lying almost along the bottom of the I7 tracing. (It makes more sense when you see the tracing below).  

Three become one!

Fuse this onto the BACK of the 6” x 5” rectangle and cut along the outer outline to create a tulip head. 

Three simple pieces make such a pretty flower

You will need a 4½” length of stem (see HERE for how easily I cut my stems).   Fold the background circle in half to help when playing the flower, leaves and stems centrally.

You can just see the finger crease along the center of the white circle

Fuse, stitch and admire. 

Fused and ready for stitching

That is nine blocks done and only five more to go for my Granny’s Garden bed runner.  Woot!

Granny's Garden Bedrunner Blocks 20 and 24

My Granny's Garden bed runner is coming along nicely!

I am all caught up on the Granny’s Garden sew-along.  I only need fourteen blocks for my bed runner and week 5 saw me making Block 20 and week 6 saw me making Block 24. That is a total of eight blocks to date. 

Block 20 is a two-way Dresden block

Block 20 is another Dresden block and it is made in the same way that we made Block11.  I used four 5” squares, two from each fabric - see the tutorial on how.  I even had time to fussy cut the center.

Block 24 complete with fussy cut middle.

Block 24 is a lovely flower block.  It was a simple put together leaving me with plenty of time again to fussy cut the middle from one of Lori’s Granny Chic fabrics.

Can you see a pattern here?  I am creating my bedrunner from seven flower blocks and seven Dresden blocks.  Next up is Block 26 another flower block and I have a shortcut for cutting and stitching that flower.  But more on that next time ....

Granny's Garden Bedrunner Blocks 14 and 16

Granny's Garden Block 16

I have been without internet for a little while so it is time to catch up and I am starting with week 4 for my Granny’s Garden bedrunner - which means two blocks - Block 14 and Block 16.  

For Block 14 I wanted to reduce the layers as I am using the quick-fuse method and it is a little fiddly.  Here is how I did it.....

Trace Sew Simple Shape I25 and mark the lines across the middle.  Make a mark along each middle line 1¼” in from the outer edge of the Dresden like so:

Make a mark 1.25" in from the outer edge

on each line.

Then join the marks together with straight lines to create an eight-sided middle.  

Join the dots to create an octagon middle

To make sure this will work lay Shape I27 over the tracing and the eight-sided tracing should be covered completely by Shape I27.  

Don't cut out anything until you know the scallops will cover your eight-sided tracing!

Once you are happy, cut ¼” outside of the outer tracing of I25 and cut ¼” inside the middle tracing as shown.

A Dresden Donut!

Next you need to trace Shape I27 and trace a 4” circle centrally in the middle of the tracing.  Yet again cut ¼” outside of the outer traced line and ¼” inside the 4” inner tracing as shown, to create a scalloped ring.

A Scalloped Donut!

Create the Dresden patch as per Lori's tutorial.  Then fuse Shape I25 to the back of the Dresden matching up the traced lines with the seams.  

Match the lines to the seams as best you can.

Cut out accurately around the outer and inner traced lines as shown to create a Dresden donut.

A very pretty Dresden donut.

Fuse Shape I27 to the wrong side of the green scallop fabric before cutting out accurately around the outer and inner traced lines to create a scallop donut..  

Pop the middle circle of fabric into your scrap box for later.

Once this is done – and it is quite a bit of tracing and cutting – you can then layer the Dresden centrally onto the background cream circle and position the green scallop donut over the top to cover the cut inner edge of the Dresden donut.   

Fuse centrally onto your background.

Stitch around the outer edges of the Dresden and the outer and inner edges of the scallop donut.   

It is a lot of stitching - thank goodness my machine LOVES blanket-stitch.

Finally position and stitch the four petal shapes before fusing and stitching a small circle on top. 

I fussy cut the middle circle for a little extra prettiness.

Phew – quite a bit of work but well worth it – such a pretty block. 

Granny's Garden Block 14.

After that Block 16 is a breeze.  Cut your fabric pieces and lay them out so that the leaves just touch each other centrally,.  

Then lay a strip of stem over the top of the leaves and tuck it under the middle flower petal.  Simple. 

Stitch the flower top and stem in place first - it will keep the petals and leaves in position until you stitch them down.

So there you have it – another two blocks done.  I have completed a further three blocks to bring me bang up to date but more about that next week.  Until then ......

Granny's Garden Bedrunner Block 11

Granny's Garden Block 11

Block 11 of Granny’s Garden Sew-along is a Dresden style block created using half-square triangles (HSTs).

Lori creates the half-square triangles using eight 4½” squares.  It is a very clever method – click on the picture below to visit her blog.

However, as I was short of time and I am using quick-fuse applique I created the pinwheel for the Dresden using just four 5” blocks – two pink and two red. 

I marked a line diagonally on the back of both pink 5” squares and then placed them, right sides together, onto the red squares.  Next I stitched a scant ¼” either side of the marked line.

Mark a diagonal and stitch either side

Then it was simple a case of cutting along the marked lines and pressing open to create four half-square triangles.  I trimmed my blocks slightly so they measured 4½” square.  

Then cut along the marked line

Next I stitched the four units together to create a pinwheel block.  This will make up the Dresden section of Block 11.  

Do not worry if your center seams do not match as they will be covered by further applique shapes.

Once you have traced Sew Simple Shape I25 onto the paper side of the fusible webbing, mark lines across the tracing from one side to the other as shown.  

Marking the lines across Shape I25 will help when fusing the cutout.

Position the fusible webbing tracing onto the WRONG side of your pinwheel patch, matching the seams with the marked lines as best as you can.  Fuse in place.

Line up the marked lines with the seam lines as best you can.

When cutting out the Dresden flower I found it easier to start at the middle of each Dresden section and cut down towards the intersection.  That way, if any of my seams didn't match exactly I was able to adjust it so that the intersection met at the seam. 

Once you have your Dresden it is a simple case of placing it centrally on the white circle before fusing and stitching it in place.  I did this before adding pieces I23 and I21.  

Block 11 - A pretty Dresden Flower

You can use the 5” double-HST method for blocks 20, 30, and 31 but it will not work for next week’s Block 14 – you will need eight different 4½” squares for that block.  But more on that later.......

Granny's Garden Bedrunner Block 9

Granny's Garden Block 9

Week 3 of the Granny’s Garden Quilt sew-along brings the first two-block week for my Granny’s Garden Bedrunner.  This week I am making Blocks 9 and 11. 

If you are using Lori's interfacing-applique method then just pop over to Lori’s post and see how it is done.  

But, if like me, you are using quick-fuse applique then here is a tip to reduce the number of layers you need to sew through.

After tracing Sew Simple Shape I28 position your 6” circular template centrally onto the tracing and trace around it.  

Center the 6" circle within the I28 flower shape

Cut out roughly around the inner tracing (the 6” circle tracing) - do not cut out accurately at this stage.  

You can use the inner cutout of fusible webbing for your hearts and ovals as we did for Block 1.

Next fuse the flower ring onto the wrong side of your chosen fabric (in my case TealGranny Kisses) before cutting out accurately along the traced lines to create a flower ring.  Fuse this centrally onto the white/cream circle. 

Place the flower ring onto the white/cream circle..

Then stitch the flower ring into position before placing the center applique shapes. 

When positioning the pink hearts and ovals place the hearts first at 90° to each other.   Then place the yellow ovals leaving a little gap between the hearts and ovals.  If you find the ovals are touching the hearts move the hearts away from the center a little until there is a gap between the shapes.  

Stitch the hearts and ovals into position before fusing the center circle.

Stitch the hearts and ovals into position before fusing and stitching the center circle in place to complete Block 9.  Taa-daa!

Block 9 looking oh sew pretty.

I will crack on with Block 11 using Lori’s excellent shortcut to create the Dresden donut.  Until then ......

Granny's Garden Bedrunner - Block 5

Granny's Garden Block 5

It is week 2 on the Granny’s Garden sew-along and this week is another one-block week for my bedrunner – Block 5.  (I listed the fourteen Granny's Garden blocks I am using HERE).

Block 5 is a flower block very similar to Block 1 which I made last week.  

Granny's Garden is blooming lovely!

So nothing new to report here except Lori created the leaves using two fabrics – a method I call “strip applique” and one I use often in my mug rug patterns.

The teacup uses a simple strip-applique.Full details can be found in this lovely little pattern.

However, I just adore the Green Granny Roses fabric so my leaves have not been stripped!

I tucked the leaves under the stem everso slightly.

A very quick tip: when placing your white circles on the background fabric try to center them as best you can.  I fold the background squares in quarters and lightly press so I know where the center is.  

Lightly finger press the background squares to help when centering your applique.

But don’t worry if your circles aren’t perfectly centered as the background squares are cut bigger than needed and you can trim them to size later on. 

Next week I shall be creating two blocks – Block 9 and Block 11 – neither of which are flower blocks.  Be sure to come back and see how I create Block 9 whilst keeping the number of layers of applique to a minimum.  Until then .....