20 Years of KTQ BOM Block #10

Block #10 - Ten Plus

We're half way through our quilt commemorating 20 years of fabric design with Moda. The Ten Plus block arrives at the perfect time to celebrate the first ten years of KTQ. I remember feeling so grateful - and a little overwhelmed - that I had been doing what I love for a decade. The quilt, Kansas Troubles - 10 Years & Counting, was created to represent a milestone in my quilting/design career. It featured a block or applique design for each fabric collection to that date. The pieced border is a quarter of the Kansas Troubles block. It's still one of my all-time favorite quilts.

Kansas Troubles - 10 Years & Counting BOM

But I digress. This week's block is a simple 9-patch with double half square triangle corners. I made mine in two different colors - red/tan and black/tan - with a center accent fabric.

My tip for this block is to press carefully when adding the D setting triangles. The instructions say to press toward the D's, but I've had better luck pressing the seams open so the DB pieced triangle unit lays flatter. After pressing, I lay the large A triangle under the pressed DB unit to check for size/distortion, and repress, if needed, to match. This extra step will help make your double HST corner blocks square and the perfect size.

These fun and easy Ten Plus blocks should go together quickly so you can get back outside and enjoy this lovely early summer weather.

Here's what the Ten Plus block looks like in a two color quilt. Love it! If you're enrolled in KT's BOM program, you'll receive this 20 Plus pattern FREE. If you'd like to order it, find it HERE at ktquilts.com.

KT Winners

Congratulations to the winners of our KT giveaways!

The winner of (4) Sweet Holly Christmas patterns is...

 Judi Smith - My LQS always has a Christmas in July event! They have lots of new fabric lines, patterns, samples and little make and takes. It’s always so much fun that it gets me in the mood for Christmas sewing. But this year I think “Evergreen” is going to be top on my list! 

The winner of a Sweet Holly charm and mini charm pack is... 

Bonita - I am using from my stash and loving it. I would go to my local quilt store if in need of something. I am not ready to attend a retreat in the near future. I understand the Wisconsin Quilt Expo in September will be virtual this year so if they don't think we are ready for large crowds I am ok with that.
 

Judi and Bonita, please email me at lynne@ktquilts.com with your mailing address to claim your goodies. Robert will ship them out as soon as possible.

I hope you checked out all the Moda designers' videos posted on the Moda Cutting Table Blog from May 1-16th with the upcoming fabric lines arriving at stores in May and June. Mine was posted the 16th, introducing Sweet Holly. It's the first video Robert and I (along with our director, Aleece) have done ourselves. I hope to do more in the future, utilizing all we've learned.

What do you like to see in a video? A short overview or more explanation? I'd like to know your thoughts as we work on more virtual fabric introductions this year.  

I loved hearing from all of you that responded to my informal poll. I'm happy to hear you're utilizing your stashes, but please keep your local quilt shops in mind, too. Small businesses are struggling trying to make it through this financially uncertain time and your support is vital for their future success. If you want a quilt shop in your area to stay open, please check with them before ordering from a big box store online. 

Unfortunately, I think the health and safety forecast for this summer is still so uncertain that a large gathering of quilters is not a good idea. I'm glad to hear most of you are willing to make the sacrifice to stay home and stay safe. as well. We'll all get together and party even bigger next year!  

Watch my blog over the next few weeks for lots of Sweet Holly previews. See the fabric & projects and, of course, more giveaways. Anyone up for another quilt-a-long this summer?

Star Cluster Quilt-a-Long Week #6

Week #6 - Mini Churn Dash

How did you get along with the mini stars last week? They're a challenge, for sure, but now you're totally ready for the mini churn dash blocks! They're easier to piece and press, so the worst is over. Let's get started...

Half Square Triangles (HST) 

Technically, the half square triangles (HST) for the mini churn dash blocks are cut 1 5/8", but I usually add an 1/8" to the cutting dimensions to allow for trimming. I cut my HST squares 1 3/4" to have a little wiggle room to easily trim down to 1 1/4" for a 3/4" finished HST. The steps are the same, just on a smaller scale. Draw a chalk line diagonally on the wrong side of the darker square; layer right sides together with the tan square. Stitch on both sides of the drawn line. I line the right toe of my presser foot up with the line when stitching in both directions. When the stitched squares are cut in half on the line, I have a smaller seam allowance which works better for a small block.

I finger press the center seam open, and press with my iron. Then I spray with sizing and press again to set the seam. 

Now, it's time to trim. Line up the 45degree diagonal line on your square ruler with the seam line, allowing excess fabric on both sides of the 1 1/4" square lines. Trim the right side and top, turn the block 180degrees, and trim again for a perfect 1 1/4" HST.

Assembly is a breeze - it's just a little 9-patch. Press toward the C-tan rectangles for opposing seams. Here are a few of my mini churn dash blocks using the new Sweet Holly fabric plus a couple other tans.

Over the long weekend, I laid out the center of the quilt and am ready for the HST filler blocks for next week. This is a chance for me to use some of the larger Christmas prints that will shine in bigger pieces.

We're on the home stretch now. After next week's filler blocks, we'll talk about the HST border and assembly. See you next Tuesday!

Remember, the KT Quilt Shop is reopening next Tuesday, June 2nd by appointment. Please wear a mask and adhere to social distancing practices. We're eager to welcome quilters back to the store safely. Call 785-488-2120 to let Robert know you're coming.

How is your quilt coming along? My Quilter's Select square rulers in several different sizes have been such a great help trimming all the HST in this quilt. Comment here to win a Quilter's Select 3 1/2" square ruler. I'll post the winner next Tuesday.

KT Winner, KT Reopening & a Poll

KT Winner

The winner of my A Few Little Extras pattern is...

 Beth -You've spread a lot of happiness in twenty years, and been a part of many quilters's stories. That is quite a legacy.

Thanks, Beth! And thanks to everyone who commented. I loved reading each one. Your support and encouragement at this time means more than ever. I'm able to sew more because I can't travel and teach or hold retreats, but I really miss the feedback at a trunk show or workshop. Your comments help me know if I'm on the right track or need to change course in the future, whether designing fabric or quilts. Please don't hesitate to comment anytime, or email me directly at lynne@ktquilts.com if you have a question. We love hearing from you. 

The Poll

In fact, I have a couple questions for you:

If you're at home now, sewing more than ever, are you using your stash? Or buying fabric online?

When do you plan to venture out to a quilt shop? In the next couple weeks, or later?

Would you feel comfortable going to a quilting retreat with a large group in August if conditions improve? Or do you plan to stay home through the summer?

Comment on these questions and have a chance to win a new Sweet Holly Charm and mini charm. 

 

KT Quilt Shop to Reopen by Appt. June 2nd

Beginning Tuesday, June 2nd, Robert and Joy will be available by appointment at the KT Quilt Shop. Hours are Tuesday thru Friday 10-5, and Saturday 10-3. We're starting with a "slow" opening to ensure everyone's health and safety and make sure our precautions are working. 

Here are a few guidelines if you wish to come visit the KT Quilt Shop:

1. Please call ahead 785-488-2120. 

2. Please wear a mask.

3. Please follow social distancing guidelines while in the store. We are limiting our shoppers to 6 in the store at a time.

We will have hand sanitizer available, and will clean surfaces between customers. 

We hope to see you all soon! If you can't come to the store, check out everything KTQ at ktquilts.com. Follow me on Instagram at @lynnektq.

Star Cluster Quilt-a-Long #5

Block #5 - Mini Stars

We're well over halfway to completing our Star Cluster blocks! This week and next, we'll be piecing mini stars and churn dash blocks that measure 3" square and finish 2 1/2" square. I don't usually work with blocks this small, but I've enjoyed challenging myself and have learned a couple of tricks along the way.

As with any star point units, large or small, follow these simple rules.

Step #1 - When making connecting corners (CC) for star points, lay a square on the end of a rectangle, right sides together. For a perfectly straight stitching line, mark a line diagonally from corner to corner with a chalk marker (or your favorite marking tool) on the wrong side of the dark star point square. Follow the line to stitch. Or line up the outer corner with the "0" line on your sewing machine tray, as shown below, and stitch toward the corner. Use the method you're most comfortable with that delivers the best results for you. My tip is: Always begin stitching from the inside corner, not the outside corner. If you begin stitching on the outside corner, there is more chance your fabric will bunch as it's pushed by your presser foot and not stitch as smoothly. 

 Step #2 - After trimming the excess tan and dark triangles 1/8" away from your stitching line, press the seam open, beginning in the center, not on the corner. At this point, you're pressing across bias edges. This helps prevent stretching and distortion of the star point connecting corner and the background rectangle. I open the seam and finger press it open first, then follow up with just a touch of spray of sizing and press again for a nice, crisp finish.

Step #3 - Layered Trimming - After sewing the corners onto the star point units, trim the seam of the corner squares ONLY to 1/8". I left the star point unit seam at 1/4" so both edges weren't at the same place. Much like layering a haircut, this offers less bulk and a smoother transition when joining seams. I like to press toward the corners and toward the center square for opposing seams. It was surprising how much less bulk there was when pinning/stitching across the intersections.

  

More Layered Trimming - After sewing the three rows of the block together, trim one seam to 1/8" seam, leaving the remaining seam at 1/4". This is the block before pressing the final seams.

Mini Star Block 3" x 3" - Here's the unvarnished truth - my block is pretty darn close, but not perfect. I can adjust in the seam allowance, if needed, but I have a true 1/4" beyond the star points, so it's all good. It's funny how noticeable a thread's width on these mini blocks is, where it would be almost insignificant on a 6" block. Do your best, breathe... and enjoy the process.

I'll see you next week for the final block, Mini Churn Dash. The last week of the quilt-a-long, we'll make the spacer blocks and half square triangles for the borders and put it all together. I can't wait!

Sweet Holly Preview/Video

Merry Christmas! 

In the quilting world's calendar, the months of June and July mean holiday fabrics are arriving at a quilt shop near you. We all want plenty of time to make quilts for our homes and for gifts, so summertime is full of Christmas fun. My collection this year is Sweet Holly. You can see a short video on Moda's Cutting Table Blog HERE. More than a dozen fellow Moda designers have also been posting videos there for the past two weeks. So great to see their shining faces!

I kept my video brief, so here's a bit more about the Sweet Holly Collection.

Sweet Holly Fabric

If you follow along on my blog, you know we've expanded the KT Quilt Shop by removing my office by the front door. As the grankids were helping move all of my stuff upstairs last summer, the bottom of a box fell open and the contents slid down about 20 steps. There were a few gasps at first, but nothing was broken and no one was hurt. What was discovered in the mess were a set of paint-by-number stencils from the 1950's created locally in Salina, Kansas by Olive Tullis.

My inspiration stencil for Sweet Holly is the candy cane with holly leaves, ribbon and berries in the upper left corner. To me, this print sings "Have the sweetest holiday ever!". You can see how beautifully Moda captured it in fabric below. I also used the large holly motif next to it for the scattered holly print. 

You can see the entire Sweet Holly collection at ktquilts.com HERE. Download the swatch chart HERE for easy reference when shopping at your favorite store.

Sweet Holly Projects

I love to design a quilt around Moda's precuts. For Sweet Holly, we have Jelly Rolls and Honey Buns, Layer Cakes, Charms and Mini Charms. Here are the projects I made using precuts.

Cabin Sweet Cabin

A charm pack plus two fabrics and a little "sweet" applique is all you need for this fun charm quilt, Cabin Sweet Cabin (charm pattern HERE). Traditional piecing and easy fusible applique create a delightful small quilt for your wall or table top. Kits available for preorder now.


Christmas Cabin uses a Honey Bun for quick log cabin strips framing the feature candy cane print for the center square (pattern HERE). I love it for the outer border, too. In addition to the lap size quilt pictured here, there are options for three additional block settings in the pattern.

Christmas Cabin

Shine Bright was so much fun to piece in Christmas fabrics. I can't wait to finish my version in red, tan and blue (included in pattern HERE). Jelly Roll strips provide everything you need to complete this strippy charmer.

Shine Bright

Evergreen is a trio of projects to make for your home to set a holiday mood, but will last into the new year (booklet HERE). A medallion style quilt features traditionally pieced trees surrounding friendship stars for this 68" square lap quilt. Add the coordinating runner (22" x 52") and pillow for a warm and cozy look.

Evergreen

When do you start your holiday stitching? Comment to win a set of all four new project patterns!

20 Years of KTQ BOM Block #9

Block #9 - Wildflower Basket

May is the perfect time to stitch up my Wildflower Basket block. Traditional half square triangles and a pretty floral print background create a basket overflowing with blooms.

Make sure to follow the order of cutting for the Green fat eighth as stated in the cutting instructions. Fuse a 3/4" strip of fusible web to the green fabric on the diagonal (45 degree angle). Cut the 1/2" bias strip for the basket handle first, then cut the squares for the basket from the remaining fabric. The strip needs to be cut on the bias so it will curve.

On page 4 of the instructions is the template for positioning the basket handle. Copy or trace this page, cut off the green handle and place the half circle template on the floral fabric triangle. I pinned along the selvedge edge to hold the template in place. Position the green bias strip around the template beginning in the seam allowance on one side. Carefully hold (I used the end of my seam ripper) and fuse the strip in place as you work your way around the half circle template. Be sure to leave at least 1/4" seam allowance on the triangle background around the edges of the handle.

You can topstitch 1/8" from the fused edges of the handle with matching green cotton thread (Aurifil #5013), or have your quilter stitch it when quilting the quilt.

*Does not show seam allowances.

 Here is Kathy's Wildflower Basket finished block with sashings.

Please note any corrections we've found to date are located HERE, on our website under Tips & Techniques. If you find an error, please let us know so we can pass it along to everyone. Keep in mind if you miscut, you have plenty of fabric to replace it. Make this quilt your own!

I love this block. I want to make a second block to create a pillow topper to coordinate with my quilt. Oh, wait.  I already did! I was inspired by a some of the blocks to make A Few Little Extras. Three projects, one pattern, so fun! This a bonus pattern as part of the BOM. If you're receiving shipments from KTQ, it will be included in one of your upcoming packages. 

If you'd like a little taste of the 20 Years of KTQ BOM, comment below to win A Few Little Extras. Giveaway ends Monday, May 18th.

Star Cluster Quilt-a-Long Week #4

Week #4 - Medium Stars

Sorry for the late post today. The days seem to be running together - and running faster!

Are you on track making your blocks for Star Cluster? This week, the 5 1/2" stars are easy to make, if you're careful when piecing the star point units. Here are a couple of tips from Week #2 when we added the star points to the 5 1/2" churn dash blocks.

Step #1 - When making connecting corners (CC) for star points, lay a square on the end of a rectangle, right sides together. For a perfectly straight stitching line, mark a line diagonally from corner to corner with a chalk marker (or your favorite marking tool) on the wrong side of the dark star point square. Follow the line to stitch. Or line up the outer corner with the "0" line on your sewing machine tray, as shown below, and stitch toward the corner. Use the method you're most comfortable with that delivers the best results for you. My tip is: Always begin stitching from the inside corner, not the outside corner. If you begin stitching on the outside corner, there is more chance your fabric will bunch as it's pushed by your presser foot and not stitch as smoothly.     

Step #2 - After trimming the excess tan and dark triangles 1/4" away from your stitching line, press the seam open, beginning in the center, not on the corner. At this point, you're pressing across bias edges. This helps prevent stretching and distortion of the star point connecting corner and the background rectangle. I use the point of my iron to open the seam and dry press, then follow up with a spray of sizing and press again for a nice, crisp finish. 

Here's the back of a star block to show the pressing...

And four of the blocks I have finished. Five more to go!

See you next Tuesday for Mini Stars - so fun!

Kit To Quilt Mystery Club

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Very well, thank you. Especially when it's easily pieced with fabric! I love this bright, spring runner with it's fused applique watering cans. I kinda have a thing for vintage watering cans and have several as yard art. When your garden has bare spots (lack of green thumb), my theory is to fill in with yard art. Those who can, grow. Those who can't, add stuff.

How Does Your Garden Grow is the fifth quilt in our Kit To Quilt Mystery series. Six times a year, we'll send you all the makings for a small quilted project for only $30 + Free Shipping (retail value $40+). That's a savings of $18-20 or more including shipping. What a great deal! Sometimes, we'll include matching Aurifil thread, a bonus pattern, or backing. You never know what will be in your Kit To Quilt package. How fun to have a surprise show up in your mailbox!

How Does Your Garden Grow is available now as a KT pattern ($9.95), or kit for $40 (including pattern). Shipping is not included. Find it HERE. Download and print the digital PDF HERE.

To join the Kit To Quilt Mystery Club, call the KT Quilt Shop at 785-488-2120 to sign up for auto-ship. Don't miss a single shipment. Our June Mystery Kit is a classic summer quilt you're sure to love.

Star Cluster Quilt-a-Long Week #3

Week #3 - Framed Churn Dash Stars

Hello, fellow quilt-a-long-ers! Is that a real thing? Oh well, welcome to week #3 of the Star Cluster quilt-a-long. If you made last week's (7) 10 1/2" square churn dash star blocks, you're ready to move forward. We're framing three of the seven blocks with a churn dash border, so it's an easy sewing week.

The large 15 1/2" blocks are (3) of the previous week's churn dash star blocks framed by 3" border strips with half square triangles (HST) in each corner. We'll cut the border strips from the (3) fat 1/8's added to your kit - green, red & blue. Use the matching fat 1/8 from your bundle to cut the HST. I'm piecing my quilt with my new Sweet Holly Christmas fabric, so I'm substituting black for the blue border. The tan half of the HSTs are from the assorted tans. Grab your (3) churn dash star blocks, (3) fat quarters, (3) coordinating tans, and we're ready to cut.

I like to cut my squares for HST oversized to have more space to trim. Place the dark square over the tan square, right sides together, and draw a diagonal line with a chalk marker. Since I have white chalk, I'm marking on the wrong side of the dark square so it shows up better.

Next, I'll stitch a scant 1/4" on both sides of the drawn line. It works for me to line the right toe of my presser foot up with the chalk line when I stitch in both directions.

Cut on the drawn line to yield a total of (4) HST; press the seams open. I use the point of my iron to open the seam and dry press, then spray with sizing and hard press the seams for a crisp finish that's easier to trim.

Trim the HST to the desired size - 3" sq. each.

Now, we're ready to add the churn dash border. Sew a 3" x 10 1/2" strip on each side of the completed churn dash star block; press toward the borders. Add a HST to each end of the remaining two border strips, making sure the tan triangle is toward the inside of the block, as shown; press toward the border strip. Add the border strip with HST to the top and bottom of the churn dash block; press toward border.

Here are the three completed framed churn dash star blocks that measure 15 1/2" square each.

It was a stormy, gloomy day here so the pictures are a bit dark. I'm glad I got some yard work done yesterday when the weather was beautiful, although really windy. How's the weather in your neck of the woods? Is it springtime yet?

I'll see you next Tuesday for some more fun blocks. Be safe, stay home as much as you can, be healthy. Thanks for quilting along.

KT May Special

We're loving our new Through the Years Layer Cake. It's stacked with 40 different KT prints in my classic KT colors. Find the swatch chart HERE. It shows a little swatch of each of the fabrics with the sku number and color number for easy ordering.

This month, for our KT May Special, we're offering a a bundle of sweet options - 

a Through the Years Layer Cake + 3 Layer Cake Patterns for only $50 + Free Shipping. 

That's a value of over $84! ($75.85 + $8.95shipping = $84.80)

 We hear from our customers who love to buy precuts, "But what do I make with it?" "How do I get started?"  Let us help! We're offering three options for Layer Cake patterns with traditional piecing in this package.

Cobblestone Stars is one of our new patterns that features Through the Years fabric. It starts with a Layer Cake to add scrappiness to a cobblestone border surrounding happy stars. It only requires an additional 2 1/4 yds. to complete the 45" sq. wall quilt. (see below)

Meadowlark's Song is perfect for spring with it's green garden paths surrounding checked herb gardens and starry intersections. (Ok, that might be a stretch, but I see it, don't you?) Additional yardage is needed to complete the 72" square quilt. (see below)

Chasing Stars (61" x 73") features a dozen tan Layer Cake squares surrounded by flying geese and stars. Add a lovely floral border for a fresh, spring look. Add our KT Favorites III fabrics to complete the quilt. (see below)

So here's the deal -
     1. Order the KT May Special.
     2. Pick your favorite Layer Cake project from the 3 patterns included.
     3. Call the KT Quilt Shop to order the remaining yardage for the kit. 785-488-2120

Easy and fun! I can't wait to see what you'll choose to make.