Scrappy Happy Summer Sew Along - My Design Boards Tutorial! ...

Over the weekend I made a few more of my

 design boards for our 

Scrappy Happy Summer Sew Along:)

YaY!!!

Because we are making my 

Scrappy Happy block in 4 sizes…

I thought I needed a few more boards:)

I've been going to make a really large one 

ever since I saw that Hobby Lobby now has

the foam core boards in extra

30" x 40" gia -bungo size!!!

I bought 2 of them and made one large one…

 and then cut the other one into;

2 - 20" squares

4 - 10" squares

Even though I already have 6 of the 10" size…

I was needing more because not only

 do I use them for small blocks…

I use them when cutting to keep my

 pieces separated and organized.

I also stack them on top of each other after they have

 the cut pieces on them to save counter space:)

So now I have a total of ten small ones…

I know they will come in sew handy 

and that I will use them every day!

Just to show you how large the biggest one really is…

I took a pic of my new boards next to my machine.

(i made the green rectangle one a few months ago:)

The large one fits there perfectly on my counter.

It's really going to come in handy when designing 

little quilts or the 24" Scrappy Happy blocks:)

The two 20" square ones are perfect when 

making the 12" or 18" Scrappy Happy blocks:)

And also…

because they are the same size,

I can sandwich my finished blocks between them 

for protection when traveling to Sew Day or retreat!

Of course I will use all of my design boards…

old and new together.

One can never have too many:)

You can see that the new boards are

 clean white and thread free…

that won't last for long! (hehe)

Each board size serves its own purpose …

depending on the project I am making.

I wanted to post about these for this weeks

Scrappy Happy Summer post…

to encourage you to make some 

for yourself if you haven't yet…

and to make more if you already have!

These design boards are so easy to make…

and useful in "sew" many ways.

I promise that once you have used them…

you will wonder what you ever did without them!

They are also a good way to use up some leftover 

batting and 2 1/2" strips in your stash:)

Click Here

 for my tutorial on how to make them

 and how and why I use them.

I also did a YouTube tutorial 

on them a long time ago.

Click Here

 if you want to see that as well.

If you haven't joined the 

Scrappy Happy Summer Sew Along yet…

Click Here

to add photos of your design boards…

we all want to see!

I'll be back next Monday with a new project

for the sew along!

Have a quilty kind of summer…

xx

Lori

P.S.For those of you who have already 

made my design boards…

I'd love to hear what you think of them!

It just might help those who haven't yet 

made one realize how helpful they are!:)

Why I Couldn't Stop at Just One...(Mini Design Board)...

Okay...this is the post where I tell you how I use 6 mini boards all at once!

(you can find out how to make them HERE)

Well the explanation is pretty easy

and straight forward.

It's because I don't like to waste time!

I love making sampler quilts but let's face it...they take a while because each block is cut differently and consists of different fabric combinations.

So what I do to save time is to choose the fabrics for 6 blocks at a time.

This way...my fabric piles are already out on my counter...and I can choose several different color combos for a nice variety.

I really like the choosing fabric part of making and planning a quilt and doing it for several blocks at once is a way that I can really enjoy the process! 

After the fabrics are chosen...I cut them into thier individual blocks...and lay each of them out on a design board along with the pattern or page number, name of block or notes etc.

Like this...

After they are all arranged on the design boards...I stack the boards on top of each other so that all of the block pieces and instructions are nice and protected!

I set them next to my machine so that they are all ready to go when I have time to stitch them together...

(this way, they also become portable and easy to take on a sew day with friends).

And if you're like me...you are definitely working on more than one project at a time and this way...you can set these aside and work on something else if you are sew inclined:)

But I digress...

Anyhoo...when sewing, I start with the block on the top design board and when that first one is complete,

I go to the next one...and tada!!!...it's all set up just how I left it and waiting patiently to become another FWQAL block!

There is something very satisfying about getting 6 sampler blocks complete in an afternoon...or even just one at a time when I only have a few minutes to an hour to sew:)

When all 6 blocks are complete...

I start the choosing fabric and cutting process all over again and stack 6 more ready to go for the next time!

This is how I piece and plan all of my quilts and I make design boards to go along with what ever block size I am making for that particular quilt.

I usually make them about 4-6 inches larger than the size of the finished block.

For example...

if the block finishes at

8"...I make them 12"...

If the block finishes at

12"...I make them 18"...

and so on.

When I finish the edges of the larger boards with fabric...

I simply sew 2 1/2" strips together to make them long enough to fit around the board. I stitch them together on the diagonal and it is a really cute scrappy look.

Also, it's a great way to use up leftover

 2 1/2" strips:)

I have been making these for so many years now that I have several sizes made already so I really don't have to make new ones for each and every new project....

although they do get old and worn out looking after alot of use so when that happens...I throw them out and replace them with new.

Another thing I do is have an extra one on hand that I can use for

"a lid"

to place on top of the 

"prepared for sewing" stack if I take them with me on retreat... or on a sew day...or camping.

After all...I don't want the wind to blow away my block pieces that are on the top!

I also tie a ribbon around all of them when transporting so that they stay stacked and secure:)

Well...I know this has been alot of explanation about my design boards.

Especially for such a simple thing ...but I love them.

They help me to be more efficient with my sewing time and they also help me to enjoy each step of making a quilt!

I will be showing my FWQAL blocks as I make progress and I have also started to post them on my new flickr account...feel free to check them out and all of the other

FWQAL blocks on the flickr page.

The above is what the button looks like and you will find it on my right side bar so that you can click on it anytime to see all of the blocks being posted there.

Until next time...have a quilty day my friends!

xx

Lori

Mini Design Board Tutorial...

I'm excited to show you how 

I make my design boards 

that I told you about in my

last post!

I made 6 of them that

 measure 10" x 10" to use 

when making my 6" blocks...

of course you can make 

as many as you want and 

in any size according 

to the projects that

 you are currently working on.

 I have several sizes that 

I use all the time...

including ones that are as large 

as the foam board that I use 

to make them with.

You can get foam core board at any office supply store and usually most department, grocery and drug stores sell them too. They are with the poster board.

I got these at Walmart....Elmers brand...2 in a package that each measure 20" x 30".

They are about 1/4" thick which is great for the mini boards.

I can get six 10" x 10" mini boards out of one foam board....10 x 10 is the perfect size for the 6" blocks used in the Farmers Wife quilt.

I use my rotary cutter and ruler to cut them to size....but this is the important part so listen up!...

I use my OLD DULL BLADE that I have saved

just for this reason.

I would suggest that you never use a new rotary blade because it will certainly be an old one by the time you finish!...LOL

I simply measure and cut just like I do with a piece of fabric...but then I turn it over and make a cut on the other side in the same place as well.

After cutting from both sides...it easily snaps apart:)

Continue cutting your board into the sizes desired.

I use my paper scissors to trim off any foam that sticks out from the edge.

This is also a good way to use up small pieces of leftover batting.

I use thin batting made of 100% cotton or a blend of 80% cotton/20% poly.

Either would work for this project.

Lay your foam board down on your batting to use as a guide and cut your batting about 1" bigger than your board all the way around.

Using a hot glue gun, begin on one side and place a line of glue on the board ...

and glue the batting down.

The extra batting should hang over the edge.

Place your glue close to the edge but not right on it so that when you

press the batting down...

 the hot glue doesn't run down the sides:)

Glue all the way to the corners of one side...and then glue the batting down on the opposite side, pulling the batting as you go to make sure it fits smoothly.

It will look like this with 2 sides glued down. Now continue and glue the batting to the remaining edges of the foam board.

I only glue batting on one side of the foam board. The other side remains as is:)

After all four edges are glued down and the glue is completely cool...I use my Gingars and trim the batting even with the edges.

Easy-peasy don't ya think?!...I think a design board is a very useful tool besides being inexpensive and sew simple to make:)....I love them!

You can use the design boards just like this or you can make them fun and cute by covering the edges with fabric.

My motto is...if it's worth making...it's worth making it cute!!

Tomorrow I will show you how to cover the edges....so get your boards finished today so that you will be ready to roll!

Just so you know...you will need a

2 1/2" x  Width of Fabric strip for each

 10 x 10 mini design board.

You can see how I finish my design board edges with the fabric strip by clicking

HERE.

So I'll type at ya tomorrow....in the meantime...have fun making your boards and be careful not to burn your fingers!

xx

Lori

Easy 6" Churn Dash quilt block Tutorial!!!...

Don't you just love the churn dash block?

It's been around forever and I've seen many made by my great grandma, my grandma and great aunts make them using templates.

But as you know…

I like to rotary cut!

I thought you might be interested to see how I make my churn dash block!

I cut the center square 2 1/2".

(Also cut 4 corner squares and 4 background squares for the half square triangles in the corners at 2 1/2")

The rectangles are cut 1 1/2" x 2 1/2".

After I cut all of the pieces...I lay them out on my mini design board to "audition" them and make sure that I'm happy with each fabric and the placement.

When piecing half square triangles....

I use the same piecing method that I have taught for years and the same method that I use in my pattern instructions...

which is the easy corner triangle method.

I'm sure most of you have heard of this method...

it's been around for years too.

(just like me...ha!)

Basically that means whenever possible...

I cut squares instead of triangles and stitch them from corner to corner and then trim the seam allowance off...

and press the triangles open to

 reveal a half square triangle!

As you know when cutting triangles it's a little more difficult to stitch them accuratly because they are prone to stretching because of the bias cut...

but this way they are stitched across the bias first and then trimmed...

therefore...

no stretching and complete accuracy!

Of course I still cut triangles when I can't use my easy corner triangle method.

I clothesline stitched all of the squares together from corner to corner.

I use the Angler 2 to help keep

my stitching accurate.

 My Bernina is built into the countertop in my studio so it's easy to keep the Angler 2 on it all of the time.

I keep my cut pieces on my design board right next to my machine when I'm piecing...that way...I know exactly how the pieces go together and which piece to sew to what side and all that!

  I came up with the idea to make mini portable design boards in 1999 when I started teaching a series of

8 week beginning pieces classes.

I found that most of the time that my students made a piecing mistake was when the pieces were getting accidentally turned around in between cutting, pressing, sewing, and back over to pressing again.

I thought if they could just put thier cut blocks on a design board...and keep them on there between each step...it would be so much easier and there would be alot less

"un-sewing" going on.

So that's what I did and they worked out very well and I have been making them and using them in my teaching ever since!

By the way...in most of my patterns I have given directions on how to make them.

I clothesline sew everything that I can and then place the pieces back onto my design board.

And pick up the board to take over to my iron all at the same time.

I clip them apart...

and give the half square triangles a quick press to set the seams before I trim off the excess.

When I trim...I don't measure,

 I just eyeball a 1/4" seam allowance.

 No worries...it doesn't have to be accurate because it has already been stitched!

Then I press open my half square triangles ...usually with the seam allowance towards the darkest fabric....and place them back into the proper place on my design board...this is done with a quick glance at the block pattern to make sure all of the pieces are going the right way!

It also helps to have all of the pieces laid out in front of you on the design board so that you can decide the best direction to press your seam allowance's for less bulk within the finished block.

After each segment is pressed...

they go right back onto the design board....

and back over to the machine for more clotheslining...

or chain piecing...

whatever you want to call it:)

And again...from the machine, right back on to the design board....

And back on over to the iron....

And sew on...

and sew on...

And sew on:)

And we have a finished block!....

no pieces turned the wrong direction....

which means no un-sewing...

Which also means no stretching or distorting of pieces....

Which means an accurate block that will fit perfectly into the quilt!...and after all....that's what we all want right?

The mini design boards really do make a difference and I hear from my students all the time about how much they love them and how helpful they are.

So...if you think this looks like fun...and if you are so inclined to try something new in the way that you piece your blocks....and you wanna try it...

CLICK HERE

And I'll show you how to make your very own

 mini design board:)

xx

Lori