KT Stitch With Me - Week #2

KT Winners

We have 2 big winners this week from my two blog posts last week. The winner of the new
Crazy for Minis book is:

Lewcrese Shields -This is going to be so much fun. I already have the first block done and am ready for the next. What a way to make you look forward to Mondays!!! Thanks a bunch, Lynne.

You are so welcome, Lewcrese! I'm having a blast sharing my layered patchwork secrets with all of you.

And, the winner of the Moda All-Stars All in a Row book is:

Beth J. Beal -I just love how you always manage to stay true to yourself! The Drunkard's Path was also a favorite of mine.

If you haven't checked out the rest of the designer's rows in this book, you still have time. A Beauty of  a Contest is just beginning, now thru March 15th. Grab a book and piece my row, then enter it in A Beauty of a Contest marked #KTacorns and post it on the FB page #AllinARowQuiltAlong. I'll randomly select from those entering my row for another chance to win an All in a Row book! 

Happy Stitching and Good luck!

KT Stitch With Me - Week #2

I love that so many of you are following along for my first KT Stitch With Me series. Last week, we made a Floating Star using KT's Layered Patchwork technique. No chance of chopped off star points here! This week, we're going to frame our star with a scrappy checkerboard border. Usually, that would involve lots and lots of tiny squares pieced together, one by one. That's not how we roll here at KTQ! We're going to begin by layering a MC square in the center of a 4 1/2" background square. Here we go!

If you haven't assembled your fabrics yet, this is the supply list once more.
Supplies for MC Sampler Quilt:
    2 KT Mini Charm Packs
     tan - 7/8 yd.
     navy - fat 1/8
     red - fat 1/8
     green - outer border/binding

Checkerboard Border

Cutting:  From the tan, cut (9) 4 1/2" sq.  background

                                           (4) 2 1/4" sq.  corners

                                           (8) 1 1/2" x 2 1/4" spacer/background

Select (13) assorted dark MC squares. 

Layer (9) MC on top of a tan 4 1/2" square, right sides up. Center MC on tan square with 1" left exposed on all sides. Use a standard ruler and measure 1" on each side to center the MC. 

Dot glue on all 4 corners of MC to hold in place. I love my Sewline glue pen!

OR, use our KT Spare Change ruler to position 2 sides of the tan square at once. We'll be using the 1/4" line, as shown, to have 1" around all sides of the MC (the outer edge of the Spare Change ruler is used with a 5" charm square). Position your Spare Change ruler in lower left corner on the 1" line, then flip the ruler over and measure in the upper right corner for a perfectly centered MC.

Use our KT Spare Change ruler for easy centering of MC.

Topstitch 1/8" from the pinked edges of the MC with coordinating cotton thread. Aurifil #5013 is a great green/gray that blends with all dark KT fabrics so you don't have to keep switching thread. 

Start stitching in the middle of one side of the MC so the thread ends are in the seam allowance after we cut the blocks into fourths. Note the placement of my 1/4" foot with the points of the pinked edge just under the 1/8" notch in the foot.

Topstitch 1/8" from inside point of pinked edges.

Make (9) layered, stitched blocks.

Cut the 4 1/2" layered blocks into (4) 2 1/4" squares, as shown.

Cut (9) layered blocks into fourths.

Cut a 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" rectangle from each of the remaining (4) MC squares. Layer each on one end of a 1 1/2" x 2 1/4" tan with 1 1/2" ends even. Topstitch 1/8" from pinked edge. Add another tan 1 1/2" x 2 1/4" rectangle to the layered end, as shown; press toward plain tan strip. Make 4 Unit A.

Make (4) Unit A

Sew the layered blocks together in pairs, as shown below, for Unit B. Sew the layered blocks together in pairs, as shown below, for Unit B. (TIP: I like to lay out all my blocks around the center star before sewing the units together - see picture below.)

Make (12) Unit B

Make 4 sections - 3B + 1A

 With the remaining 4 layered blocks, add a plain tan square to one side, as shown above; press toward tan. Sew this pair to a Unit B to make a Unit C for corners. Make (4) Unit C.

Make (4) Unit C for corners

I like to lay out all the blocks around my center star first for even color placement.

 Pin and sew 2 side sections to opposite sides of Floating Star block; press toward star. Add Unit C corners to each end of remaining side sections; press toward corners. Add to top and bottom of star. Quilt center measures13 3/4" square. (I know the sizes are little funky, but it will all make sense when we get to next week's blocks. Promise :)

Cut (4) 2 1/8" x 22" strips from red fat 1/8th. Trim (2) red strips for side borders: 2 1/8" x 13 3/4". Pin and sew to opposite sides of quilt center; press toward red. Trim (2) strips for top/bottom of quilt: 2 1/8" x 17". Pin and sew to top/bottom of quilt center. Quilt measures 17" square. So fun!

I can't wait to show you the super easy pieced border for next week - you'll LOVE it!

With the techniques we've learned so far, these two projects in Crazy for Minis are a breeze!

Fair & Square

Autumn Sky

Comment here to win an assortment of 4 KT Mini Charm packs. What a great start to all the cool projects in Crazy for Minis!

Please let me know if you have questions. You can email me directly at lynnedesigner@ktquilts.com for a private chat, if you prefer.