HRT With A Twist ~ Block Tutorial

Half Rectangle Triangle With A Twist Block 

I've been having lots of fun making this block using my hand dyed scraps.  There are HRT's and a couple of partial seams involved, but don't let that scare you away!  It's super easy!

The block will be 8 1/2" square unfinished and 8" square finished.

HRT WITH A TWIST
8" x 8" FINISHED BLOCK

You will need 4 HRT's and one 2 1/2" square for each block.  Another method of making HRT's is by Latifah Saafir for The Modern Guild. 

  

I began by cutting half triangles.  I lined up the center line on the edge and the bottom of the template on the bottom of the fabric, and cut. 

Because I want my rectangle orientation to be the same, this method will ensure that I get exactly what I need.  

Pair two pieces together being mindful that the orientation of each set is the same.  I like to pin mine before I sew just to make sure!

Stitch using 1/4" seam.  Press seams.  I usually press my seams toward the outside (in this case the grey fabric).

Trimming the blocks.  I line up the 30 degree line from my ruler with the seam and trim the long edges.  Trim your HRT's to 5 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Perfectly rectangle!

On one side of the 2 1/2" square you will want to mark 1/4" from both edges.  This will be your partial seam guide.  You really only need one dot marked, but I find it easier to have two dots ensuring that I place the square correctly. 

Line up both edges with your square and HRT, right sides together and pin.  Start by placing your needle in the down position right on the little dot where my finger is pointing to.  Back stitch and continue sewing to the edge.  Press. 

This is what you get.  A 1/4" that is not sewn down.

Place another HRT on the left edge, sew from top to bottom, press.

Repeat with the third HRT and press.  This what we have so far.  Now the tricky part, which isn't all that tricky!  Maybe the way I explain it will be!!

Pin the final HRT.  Here is a great tutorial for partial seams by Faith at Fresh Lemons.    

The pin is placed through the dot on the square.  This makes it easy to know where to stop. Start at the edge and sew towards the center.  Backstitch when you get to the dot. Press.  

It will look like this, meeting up at the dot.

The final seam!!  Flip your final rectangle so the edges meet (right sides together). Sew along the edge, press and viola!  you are finished. 

I've made a few different sizes with my hand dyed scraps.  Soon they will become something! See the small block on the bottom?  The HRT orientation is going the 'other' way.  

Looking for different sizes? 
16" Square:  4 ~ 10 1/2" HRT's, 1 ~ 4 1/2" Square
12" Square:  4 ~ 8" x 5" HRT's, 1 ~ 3 1/2" Square
7"   Square:  4 ~ 5" x 3" HRT's, 1 ~ 2 1/2" Square
5 1/4" Sq:     4 ~ 4" x 2 1/4" HRT's, 1 ~ 2 1/4" Square 

There are always options...

Thank you for stopping by!  If by chance you try this block, let me know how it turned out. I'm still learning the fine points of pattern writing, I try and make every effort to be as accurate as I can!

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Making A Banner

At the risk of portraying myself as an accident prone person, I had another accident!  I know what your thinking.  This girl is a total klutz!  I've had a streak of unfortunate mishaps lately, I'm sure it won't last...at least that's what I'm telling myself!

While I was trying to be a helpful and good mom to my daughter, I had a run in with the utility knife!  Yep!  Me and blades are at war!  I ended up getting stitches and a tetanus shot.

After the first day, I had to get back to something.  A banner was sorely needed.  Britt who is my daughter, is a soap maker.  She has an Etsy Shop called Hello Soap.  I love all of her products from the soap to lip balm to lotion bars.

HELLO SOAP on Etsy

She also sets up a booth a couple times a year at a local market.  Porter Flea is putting on their Summer Market today.

Her brand is very clean and simple (in a good way).  The main design incorporates graph paper.  I couldn't very well let her throw together a banner at the last minute just for the sake of having one, so I offered to 'whip' up a banner for her.  I was sure this big old thumb would not get in the way!

Kona White for the back ground was the obvious choice.  I marked  2" lines, horizontally and vertically.  The stitch length was longer than usual sewing, so it made this step very quick!
  

She uses a specific font for her brand and I knew I could enlarge it enough to make the banner a perfect fit.

I first printed out the letters on to paper and cut each one out.

Steam-A-Seam seemed like the logical choice to use for this banner.  I have used it many times before for other little projects, so I was comfortable with the choice.

There are different ways to do this part, I decided to trace the letters on to the top of the Steam-A-Seam sheets and then cut each letter out.  I think I cut the letters out too many times!  First the paper, then the Steam-A-Seam and lastly from the fabric. 

The good news is I got to use up some scraps for the letters!

Once the fabric letters were cut out, I placed them on the background fabric and ironed them in place.

I love it!  I'm proud of it!  My daughter is happy!  It looks great!  It does the job at hand too!

The happy little lady!

And the reveal....beautiful!  

Lip balm and soap for days!

This was my little nod to all the accidents I've been having!!

You can find Hello Soap on Instagram where Britt debuts new products and shares her process through pictures.  

I'm super proud of her latest soap adventure and how she has made it a success.  She is one of the most determined, focused and talented people I know!

I'm a big, huge patchouli fan in soap.  Do you have a favorite soap scent?  Maybe we should invent a quilter's scent and have her make a limited batch for us!

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Black + White = Illusion

Black & White quilts are becoming pretty popular lately, or are they just a fantastic classic combination that will never go away?  I've toyed with the idea of making one for years, yet never quite got there.  In order to make an impact just the right design was needed.

OPTICAL ILLUSION
55" x 72"

Back in January I started the search after seeing Christa Watson's (Christa Quilts) Illusion Quilt ~ Cafe Walls, I was so impressed and mesmerized!  I was inspired!  Now I was on a mission.

I hunted for hours which became a week easily.  Cross-eyed from all the crazy optical illusions, I eventually found the right design.

Once I figured out all the measurements and details, the process began.  I made a lot of practice blocks, took a lot of notes (which have disappeared now) and eventually came up with a formula and plan.  

The intense piecing began!  Black & white.  White & black.  Tiny squares, rectangles and eventually strips and blocks.  Some black, some white. Some white, some black.  

It doesn't like much right now, but it's getting there.  I took my time wanting to make sure each little piece was square and the pieces would fit together. 

And for the most part they did.  Each of the small squares are 1 1/2" unfinished.

The center took the most time, of course!  After the first phase of the center squares were pieces, they had to have a border.  In order for the design to translate in to an optical illusion, I added a 1" border.  Black for the black squares and white for the white squares.  

After finishing the center, I was really looking forward to the easy part of cutting the solid squares.  Charm square pre-cuts would have been a great idea and a time saver had I been making my squares 5" x 5".  In this case, each finished square is 4 1/4".  I was afraid if I went big, the illusion wouldn't come through.  Not sure that would be the case, but I didn't want to take a chance!

This photo of the top was taken in March after a beautiful white carpet of snow fell!  I couldn't pass up this photo op!!  Plus, I needed a good picture of the top for the long arm quilter!  

I found Andrea on Instagram after seeing her mad quilting skills.  You can find her here at The Champ Life.  We went over many different quilting ideas and in the end I decided not to get crazy with it and loose it's impact.  I decided this would be appropriate!    

I was super excited to see how it would look and I certainly was not disappointed!  I think the design and the white thread was totally the right call! 

The backing could have been anything!  I went back & forth and figured the unexpected was where I would go!  Eventually I decided on this gorgeous Art Gallery fabric: Cuneiform Script designed by Katrina Roccella.  I nabbed it from Hawthorne Threads.   

A beautiful sunny spring day and the chance to take some nature photos!

You know when you have an idea that brews & stews in your mind for years?  Never really knowing when or if you will get to it.  Then eventually it just happens.  You have the time, the design, the fabric and all of the sudden ~ BOOM done!  Wait, what, already?!  This one, I feel like that.  Blink and missed the entire experience!  (but we all know better than that!!) Now I guess I will have to make another one...

Inspiration:  Akiyoshi KITAOKA 

Illusionary Motion:  Is an optical illusion in which a static image appears to be moving due to the cognitive effects of interaction color contrasts and shape position.  (Wikipedia)  

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WIP Wednesday

Needle & Thread Thursday

Can I get A Whoop Whoop