Indholdsfortegnelse for January - February 2020 i McCall's Quilting

Do you struggle to make time for your favorite hobby? Maybe you work full-time, or have a young family (or parent) that needs care. Or maybe you have plenty of time to quilt, however tops pile up because you love to piece, but don’t enjoy freemotion quilting. If your life is anything like mine, you are constantly struggling to make more time to quilt. Well, this issue is just the thing to get you motivated and inspired! Our pages are chock full of tips and projects that will spur you to get more quilting done in 2020. Whether it is using up your stash, finding ways for more comfortable and productive cutting, or ideas for quilting and binding your quilt, our contributors share their best tips. Look for sidebars and…

• your questions• our answers Annette Falvo Technical Editor I really like using the square 14¼” plastic project boxes. They stack, they’re see-through, and they travel well if I want to take the project to a group sew. In each box, I place the pattern, fabric, thread, etc, plus the original invoice(s) from the fabric purchase—that way I can easily identify the SKU’s if I need more fabric later on. I include a small notepad for jotting notes and ideas to be revisited later on. If I’m feeling really organized I label the box and all its components with some small circle stickers (the kind used for garage sales) with the quilt name. Anissa Arnold Managing Editor I use a plastic box for each project. I tape a color copy…

String-pieced fabric is fun to make and uses lots of scraps. Choose a variety of fabrics so you have lots of colors, many different print sizes, and a good mix of color values from light to dark. Strips can vary in width, they simply need to be long enough to cover the foundation. Cut a 7” square of paper to use as a foundation. Place a 2½"-wide strip of fabric right side up diagonally across the square of paper. Place another strip of fabric on top of the first strip, right sides facing, and stitch ¼" from the edge. Open, press, and add more strips in the same way until the paper foundation is covered. Press, trim to 6⅞" square and remove the paper.…

With Melissa’s quick and easy technique, you can finish your quilts on your domestic sewing machine. On each colored square, the quilting will be slightly different, However you are stitching continuous lines from one edge of the quilt to the other edge, so there will be no thread to bury except where your bobbin runs out. Isn’t that easy? Let’s dive in! 1. Layer and baste your quilt. 2. Begin quilting: Starting in the center of the quilt and working your way to each corner of the quilt on a diagonal, create crosshatching on the quilt by quilting straight lines that intersect the corners of each patch. In the same way, create diagonal lines in the opposite direction. 3. Create a template with a 5” x 5” piece of template…

Quilt Designed & Made by Jennifer Strauser Skill Level Easy Finished Size 60" x 72" Finished Blocks 270 Blocks 4" x 4" Planning Make a rainbow from your stash! Jennifer created a gradient effect, fading from yellow to green, blue, purple, red, orange, and finally back to yellow again. If you would like to recreate this beautiful quilt, study the photo carefully and notice how she blends the colors by creating some units that have two different colors. Use a design wall or the floor so you can plan the gradient effect as you work. Use an accurate ¼" seam allowance throughout to ensure all elements of the quilt fit together well. Fabric Requirements Fabric yardage assumes 42” usable width of fabric (WOF) unless otherwise noted. • Assorted prints 5⅛…

Stripe-tacular! Using striped fabric for your binding can create all kinds of fun effects. Cutting on the bias gives you a fun diagonal effect—or find fabric print on the diagonal and avoid bias binding! Add A Bit of Flange A small pop of a little extra color can bring a lot to a quilt design, giving it a touch more interest. A Serving of Scallops A scalloped edge can be sweet or elegant—just make sure you make bias binding to handle those curves! Prairie Point Revival! The prairie points in Abigail Dolinger’s Autumn on the Prairie (left) are a fun way to play with folded fabrics. Sue Harvey and Sandy Boobar created a squared-off variation (right) we call a “flippy” binding. Now That’s Some Texture Not your typical binding, this…

Quilt Designed & Made by Karen O’Connor Machine Quilted by Kristi Ryan Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 87" x 111 ½" Finished Blocks in Part 2 2 Block X 15" x 15" 2 Block Y 15" x 15" 2 Block Z 15" x 15" Planning Let’s keep going on our stellar journey with part 2 of our 3-part series quilt, and end up with an amazing sampler quilt that’s truly out of this world. Fabric yardage requirements are listed in part 1, but the cutting is given separately with each part of the series. Part 2 of this pattern includes the cutting instructions and construction for blocks X, Y, and Z, and sections for the piecing in border 1. Save all leftover navy and light aqua fabrics for the cutting…

Quilt Designed by Leila Gardunia Made by Deb McDonald Machine Quilted by Kim Waite Skill Level Easy Finished Size 43" x 59 ⅛" Finished Blocks 88 Blocks 5 ⅜" x 5 ⅜" Planning Let’s go on a safari from the safety of our homes. There are lots of animals in this fabric to make our trip fun. This quilt uses an adorable animal print fabric that is fussy-cut to showcase the design. Use an accurate ¼" seam allowance throughout to ensure all elements of the quilt fit together well. NOTE: Fabrics in the quilt shown are from the Little Safari collection by Patricia Zapata from Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Batting provided by The Warm Company. Fabric Requirements Fabric yardage assumes 42” usable width of fabric (WOF) unless otherwise noted. • Animal…

• beautiful quilts• inspiring stories• great techniques Resolution: Organize! Make some fabric baskets to hold small items and organize your space. Bonus, they make your craft space beautiful! https://bit.ly/2mqtWue Resolution: Attack Your Scraps! These free quilt patterns are simply gorgeous! Download them today! https://bit.ly/2liHIyU Resolution: Make More Quilts! Lori Baker shares fun projects and techniques that will have you finishing up quick and easy quilts in no time! https://bit.ly/2mpigYx…

Quilt Designed & Made by Nancy Mahoney Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 84" x 84" Finished Blocks 16 Blocks 16" x 16" Planning Nancy Mahoney is back with a vision in red and white. To make her design visually interesting, Nancy used an assortment of fabrics. Easy Flying Geese units and oversized blocks make quick work of putting this design together. The strip of Flying Geese in the blocks are made using a foundation to ensure accuracy, but you can use your favorite method to make Flying Geese if you prefer. Use an accurate ¼" seam allowance throughout to ensure all elements of the quilt fit together well. Handle all bias edges carefully to avoid distortion. Fabric Requirements Fabric yardage assumes 42” usable width of fabric (WOF) unless otherwise noted.…

Center and pin border strips to sides, top, and bottom of quilt. Strips will extend beyond quilt top. Starting and stopping ¼" from quilt corners and backstitching to secure, sew strips to quilt top. Press seam allowances toward quilt center. Fold quilt on diagonal, right sides together. Align border strip raw edges and border seams at the ¼" backstitched point; pin together. Align ruler edge with fold, extending ruler completely across border. Draw line from the backstitched point to the border raw edges. Stitch on drawn line, backstitching at both ends. Press seam open. With quilt right side up, align 45° line of square ruler on seam line to check accuracy. If corner is flat and square, trim excess fabric to ¼" seam allowance. Repeat for all corners.…

Quilt Designed & Made by Lisa Pridgen Skill Level Easy Finished Size 61" x 72" Finished Blocks 32 Block Y 8" x 8" 31 Block Z 8" x 8" Planning Grab your scrap bin and get ready to have some fun! The beauty of this design is that it is meant to be meditative—just grab a fabric from the stack and don’t over think the placement. If you look carefully at the photo, you will notice that Lisa sometimes has the same fabric touch, so don’t get hung up if your fabrics do too. This is meant to be a scrapbuster! Use an accurate ¼" seam allowance throughout to ensure all elements of the quilt fit together well. Fabric Requirements Fabric yardage assumes 42” usable width of fabric (WOF) unless…

Pain-Free Quilting. Every new year I resolve to buy less fabric, and use up what I have in my stash. It doesn’t always (ever) work out, but it sure is fun to try! I am a true fabric hoarder—I keep even itty bitty scraps, even when I know it isn’t practical. My newest tool this year is an AccuQuilt Go! Cutter. It really is fantastic, and after years of wanting one, I’m so happy to have it in my arsenal. With this project I was able to go through my scrap bin and cut out all of the blocks for a quilt in just a few hours. I didn’t hurt my wrist with my rotary cutter, and I know that all of my pieces are cut accurately. It makes sewing…

Quilt Designed by JoAnn Lamb Made by Sandy Buczynski Machine Quilted by Tony Buczynski of Digital Quilt Works Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 69" x 88 ½" Finished Blocks 48 Blocks 9 ¾" x 9 ¾" Planning Sandy had just returned from Greece and inspired by the island of Santorini, she chose the fabrics for this quilt. She selected a turquoise ombré fabric for the center of the block. Study the photo carefully if you want to achieve the same look. Depending upon how you cut your strips, you may need more yardage to get all the strips you need. If you prefer to use individual colors, purchase 1¼ yards of light blue, 1 yard of medium blue, and ¾ yard of dark blue for the blocks. The narrow strips…

Curved seams are easiest when you pin and prepare before stitching the seam. A stiletto is helpful for keeping the raw edges aligned as you sew. Fold both concave and convex patches in half, intersecting the curve, and lightly finger press to mark the center on each patch. Align center folds, with concave patch on top, and pin. Align raw edges at both ends of seam and pin. Manipulate fabric to align raw edges and pin at approximately 1" intervals until all raw edges are aligned and pinned in place. Stitch slowly, removing pins as the presser foot reaches them. To make seams extra secure, backstitch at beginning and end of seams. Sew all curved seams in this manner, making sure that the concave patch is always on top of…

Quilt Designed & Made by Jane Vaughan Machine Quilted by Anne Alessi Skill Level Easy Finished Size 62" x 73" Finished Blocks 5 Block U 10" x 10" 5 Block V 10" x 10" 5 Block W 10" x 10" 5 Block X 10" x 10" 5 Block Y 10" x 10" 5 Block Z 10" x 10" Planning Why not enjoy a lovely garden of flowers all year? This delightful quilt is perfect for using up those large-scale print fat quarters you have collected in your stash. Each block uses 1 matching set of 1A and 1F from an assorted large-scale print and 1 matching set of 2 C’s from an assorted small-scale print. Use an accurate ¼" seam allowance throughout to ensure all elements of the quilt fit…

Getting Started About our Patterns We recommend that you read all of the instructions before starting a project and that you cut and sew one block before cutting all of your fabric. Using a rotary cutter, mat and an acrylic ruler, cut the shape to the size indicated in the cutting list. Our patterns list finished block sizes, which are typically ½" smaller than unfinished block sizes because they do not include seam allowances. Basic Quilting Supplies • Rotary cutter and mat• Acrylic ruler: Many shapes and sizes are available; a good one to start with is 6" x 24" with ¼" and ⅛" markings• Scissors: A separate pair for paper and fabric• Sewing machine• ¼" foot• Walking foot• Darning foot• Pins• Ironing board & iron• Marking pencils/markers/ etc.• Needles•…

Quilt Designed & Made by Abigail Dolinger Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 72" x 91" Finished Blocks 12 Blocks 16" x 16" Planning Abigail string-pieced 7” squares then cut them in half on the diagonal and trimmed them to make the half-square triangles. She used a 2½” strip for the center strip in each square. Read Making String-pieced Fabric on the next page before beginning. For the rest of the strips to piece the square, you can use varied strip widths. If you have lots of scraps, make the strips narrower (1”-1½”) to use more fabric; if you have a limited amount of scraps, cut most of them at 2” to 2½”. Remember that more strips make more seams which may be a challenge when quilting, especially for the hand…

Quilt Designed & Made by Melissa Marginet Skill Level Easy Finished Size 65" x 65" Planning Sometimes a simple pattern offers room to stretch your quilting skills. Such is the case with this quilt by designer Melissa Marginet. Make this delightful quilt and then learn Melissa’s technique for quilting on a domestic sewing machine for spectacular results. Fabric Requirements Fabric yardage assumes 42” usable width of fabric (WOF) unless otherwise noted. • Gray solid 2⅝ yds. for patches and binding • Yellow solid 1¾ yds. for patches • Red solid ¾ yd. for patches • Backing 4⅜ yds. • Batting 73" x 73" NOTE: Fabrics in the quilt shown are Kona Solids for Robert Kaufman. Cutting Instructions Patches are lettered in order of use. Measurements include ¼" seam allowances. •…

Use it up! Currently I am the block-of-the-month coordinator as well as the show chairman for my guild, the NW Quilters. At our meetings, we have the “free table” where members put their unwanted fabrics. I find myself always leaving with a bag full of treasure. Most of the fabrics used in this quilt came from there, as well as my “ugly” fabric bin. I used 10-inch squares and different lengths of 2 ½" strips for more of a variety. I am calling this quilt “Fiesta” because it’s an easy, fun and quick quilt to make, plus it looks festive. Half-square triangles and Four-Patches are possibly the most versatile blocks to mix and match together. I would say to others, dig into your scraps and don’t be afraid to mix…

Quilt Designed & Made by Heidi Pridemore Machine Quilted by Bnea Pulve Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 67" x 67" Finished Blocks 1 Center Block 18" x 18" 4 Block Y 10" x 10" 8 Block Z 10" x 10" Planning Choose a cheerful fabric collection, you get a cheerful quilt. Heidi Pridemore designed this fun, summery quilt using a festive collection from Maywood fabrics, but this medallion style quilt would be nice using solids as well. Use an accurate ¼" seam allowance throughout to ensure all elements of the quilt fit together well. Handle all bias edges carefully to avoid distortion. Fabric Requirements Fabric yardage assumes 42” usable width of fabric (WOF) unless otherwise noted. • White solid 1¼ yds. for blocks and border 1 • Yellow cherry print…

Quilt Designed & Made by Elaine Theriault Skill Level Easy Finished Size 63" x 72" Finished Blocks 56 Blocks 9" x 9" Planning Wrap your family in warmth with this quick, easy quilt. Choose fun batiks like Elaine did, or use prints to make this design you. This quilt pattern is begging to be made in school colors to keep you warm at the game or as a gift for the new graduate heading off to college. Use an accurate ¼" seam allowance throughout to ensure all elements of the quilt fit together well. Fabric Requirements Fabric yardage assumes 42” usable width of fabric (WOF) unless otherwise noted. • Dark pink batik 1⅛ yds. for blocks • Medium pink batik 2¾ yds. for blocks and binding • White batik 1⅝…

Quilt Designed & Made by Diane Harris Skill Level Intermediate Finished Size 24" x 24" Finished Blocks 9 Blocks 6" x 6" Planning Diane’s scrappy quilt has very planned fabric placement. Notice the border fabrics are in the same color family as the adjoining block. Study the photo to see where Diane placed her colors but feel free to change it up a bit if you want. We recommend using a design wall to aid with color placement. For each block, you will need 2 matching A’s and 2 maching units to make the Bowtie. Diane made most of her units with matching A’s and B’s but there are a few “rogues” so if you don’t have enough for a set or two, cut out of something that doesn’t match…

Quilt Designed & Made by Ramona Sorensen Skill Level Easy Finished Size 74" x 85" Finished Blocks 42 Blocks 9" x 9" Planning Grab your favorite collection of fat quarters for this x-ceptional and x-tra easy design. Use an accurate ¼" seam allowance throughout to ensure all elements of the quilt fit together well. Handle all bias edges carefully to avoid distortion. Fabric Requirements Fabric yardage assumes 42” usable width of fabric (WOF) unless otherwise noted. • Assorted prints in pinks, mauves, teals, blues, and grays 21 fat quarters* for blocks • Cream tone-on-tone 3⅝ yds. for blocks, sashes, and border 1 • Dark blue print 1⅛ yd. for border 2 • Dark blue tone-on-tone ¾ yd. for binding • Backing 5⅝ yds. • Batting 82" x 92" *fat quarter…

• free pattern• staff faves• blog fun I have always fostered a fondness for vintage appliqué quilts. Especially those with simple yet graceful shapes, whose edges soften over time. When I saw Moon and Stars by Harriet Ellen Cox (McCall’s Quilting Vintage Quilts, Spring 2006) I knew I had to make a go of it and finally attempt to make a large appliqué quilt. The simplicity of this two-colored design is what initially drew me in, along with the complementary hand-quilted finish. After mulling over the design’s potential, I decided to modify my assembly process by using reverse appliqué to modernize this design. For this technique, I have decided to use a variety of Art Gallery Fabrics, including their solid knits and a Winter Wheat bundle from their Color Master…