Calico Garden Sew Along - Week One!!

"CONEFLOWER BLOCKS"

Welcome to week one of the 

"CALICO GARDEN"

Sew Along!

Join me here each week 

when I will be doing tutorials

 on the blocks for the quilt.

Of course because we are all sewing 

from all around the world  

we all have different time zones...

But I will be posting each Monday 

right here on my blog 

and you can follow my tutorials 

any time each week that 

 is convenient for you.

We are making the 

Calico Garden Quilt

90" x 90"

 

I've been prepping like crazy

so that I will be all ready

when it's time to begin...

and now that time is here!!

The quilt is made with my latest fabric

 collection called Calico...

I hope that you all have all 

received your 

fabric kits by now...

 and that we are all ready to begin!!

If you still need one ...

just do a quick google search for 

"Calico Garden Quilt Kit"

to find shops who still have some left.

We are also using the

Calico Garden

Sew Simple Shapes

I have already posted the

"BEE PREPARED"

 post which details all of the supplies

 for the sew along and how it works.

I have also given the link there 

for the free PDF Download 

of the Sew Along Guide

CLICK HERE

to download the sew along guide

if you have not downloaded yet.

As per the sew along guide 

cutting instructions

 you should have everything for your

  Coneflower Blocks 

 all cut and ready to go!

*A note about fabric prep before cutting:

Of course this is all personal preference

 but I often get asked the same 

two questions

 so I thought I would answer them

 here again for you.

1. Do you pre-wash your fabrics?

Answer - No...I don't.

I used to years ago 

(I have been sewing for a long time lol)

but these days we have such 

good quality fabrics available to us 

that I don't find it necessary

 to pre-wash and I've never had any

 problems by not doing so.

2. How do you starch your fabric?

Answer - I lightly starch my fabrics

before I cut them for 

piecing or for applique.

I use Mary Ellens Best Press

and mix it with a little water in my 

spray bottle and spray my fabric 

right before I iron it flat to cut it. 

So in other words all of my starching

 takes place during my ironing process

 right before cutting.

And yes...

I always use vintage irons.

If you would like to know why and

 how I find them and use them...

CLICK HERE

to watch my YouTube Video

where I tell you all about it!

As per usual for week one in my 

Sew Simple Shape Sew Alongs

 the FIRST week tutorial is a video.

Because I now have my own  

YouTube Channel

 I have posted the 

 Blue Coneflower Block

Tutorial there.

CLICK HERE

to visit my channel and watch the 

tutorial and I hope that you love it!

Pretty please leave me a comment

over there and let me know:)

If you like what you see 

and my other videos there...

click on subscribe and click on the bell

 to be notified whenever

 I post another tutorial:)

Here's my Blue Coneflower Block 

that I showed you 

how to make in my video:)

It's all ready for applique!!!

The Purple Coneflower Block 

is almost identical to the Blue 

and so I'll show you how I made mine

 and give the necessary particulars!

Here is my Purple Coneflower Kit

 Everything is all cut...

all traced and ready to go!

Here is a list of the

  Calico Garden 

Sew Simple Shapes 

needed for this block:

1 - O-44

2 - O-58

2 - O-64

1 - O-85

1 - O-86

You will also need to cut

and prepare 1/4"

straight bias strip for the stem: 

1 - 5" long 

Cut your background  

10" x 10"

as it says in the guide

and press it in half for 

centering the flower and stem 

when pinning and glue basting:)

*Take note that on shape O-85

 that this mound will be the short one

 so that it fits on the block...

so just trace the top curve of the shape

 down to the line and then across

 like I showed you with the pot shape 

in the video for the Blue Coneflower.

All of the shapes were sewn...

trimmed...turned and shaped

just like I showed in my video.

Don't forget to clip the cleavage areas

 in the flower before turning.

Okay!

Now I'll show you all of the 

measurements for this block 

after I glue basted and pinned it:)

7 1/4" - 7 1/2" tall

Large leaves are 7 1/2" wide...

And small leaves are 5" wide.

 

Purple Coneflower Block 

all ready for applique:)

Afterwards I will 

press from the back and then 

I will use my 8 1/2" Trim-It Ruler

to trim down the block before 

I sew it into the quilt.

I just love these rulers!

One reason is that I love to use 

during layout to make sure 

everything is centered:)

A few days ago I posted the tutorial

on how to make the

CALICO STAR FLOWER BLOCK

CLICK HERE

to read my blog post 

for those instructions:)
 

Thanks so much for sewing with me today

 and for joining me 

 for the very first week of 

Calico Garden

 

Congratulations on 

making your first blocks:)

YaY You!

I'll meet you right back here

on my blog next week for the 

Morning Glory Block tutorial...

xx

Lori

Other Places to find me:

@Beelori1 Instagram

Lori Holt/YouTube

Bee in my Bonnet Company

Calico Garden Sew Along - Calico Star Flower Block Tutorial!!

Hello quilty friends:)

I'm sew happy that the 

Calico Garden Sew Along 

will begin on Monday!

If you need all the info

on this sew along

CLICK HERE

to read my Bee Prepared Blog Post:)

I've been prepping like crazy 

and have been cutting cutting cutting

 and working a few weeks ahead of you.

I have sewn 13 of the 

Calico Star Flower Blocks so far...

and I thought that I would surprise 

you all and post the tutorial 

for these blocks five days early!

There are 23 total of the 

Calico Star Flower Blocks 

and they all go in the border 

of the quilt along with a few 

appliquéd flower blocks in-between.

The 23 Calico Star Flower Blocks

 are all rotary cut and machine pieced

 with the addition of an 

applique circle in the center.

I have been enjoying each step 

of the preparation and I am

 sew loving each print of 

 CALICO 

while preparing each of the blocks:)

A big thank you for all

of your kind words

and excitement about this collection...

you certainly know how to make

my designing heart happy!

Of course you will find the cutting

 for these blocks inside the

 Calico Garden Sew Along Guide

CLICK HERE

if you still need to download

I had made 6 of these blocks 

back in November so that I could

 show you during the filming of my 

Virtual Fall Quilt Market 

and so that left 17 more 

blocks for me to make.

Here they are...when they were

 all cut and ready to sew.

I also cut and traced 

17 more circles for the centers 

using the O-6 Sew Simple Shape

from the Calico Garden Set.

I used the red number stickers 

from my Sew Handy Stickers set to

 keep track of which blocks I have cut.

Just so that you know 

how I numbered the blocks...

I started with number 1 on the 

top row left (green block) 

and going clockwise...

I continued all around the quilt 

ending on the top of the left side border

 with that gray block being number 23.

This is Calico Star Flower Block 15 

and you can see in the quilt photo 

that it's place in the bottom border 

exactly in the center.

Each block measures 

8 1/2" x 8 1/2"(UNFINISHED) 

and all are sewn the same way.

 I'm going to take you step by step

while I make this block

so that you can see how I do it!

Here are all the fabric cuts for 

Block 15 on my design board.

All cutting is in the guide but 

I'll break it down for ONE block here:

From Background -

(A) Cut 12 - 2" x 2"

(B) Cut 8 - 1 1/2" x 1 1/2"

(C) Cut 1 - 2 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Top Print -

Cut 4 - 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Bottom Print -

Cut 4 - 2" x 3 1/2"

Cut 4 - 2" x 2"

Start with the four 2" squares and

 4 of the (A) background squares.

Sew them together like this.

Make sure that you are using an 

accurate 1/4" seam allowance 

throughout sewing this entire block.

 Press your seams open.

Now add the rectangles 

from the same print 

onto the right side like this.

Make sure that the background square

 in your previously sewn segments

 are on the bottom...

Like this:)

Press these seam allowances

 towards the rectangle.

Now it's time to add the 

Easy Corner Triangles

using the remaining

 (A) 2" background squares.

Place onto the right side corner 

(lining everything up evenly) like this

 and sew from corner to corner.

Use the center line on the 

Seams Sew Easy Guide 

or mark a line from corner to corner.

Now do the exact same thing

 on the opposite side...

So it looks like this.

Trim off the excess leaving 

an approximate 1/4" seam allowance.

Press toward the Easy Corner Triangles

 that you have just added.

Your four segments should look like this

 and should each measure 

3 1/2" x 3 1/2"

Now you are going to add 

Easy Corner Triangles onto the top

 of these remaining 4 rectangles using the

 (B) 1 1/2" background squares.

Sew one side first...

 trim away excess...

And press towards the 

Easy Corner Triangles.

Now you will be able to sew

 the second Easy Corner Triangle

 onto the other side...

Like this.

Press these in the same way.

Now all of the segments are complete...

you can lay your block out onto your

 Design Board for sewing together.

Sew together like you would

 sew together a 9 Patch...

which is first into 3 horizontal rows.

 

Press these seams open like this.

And now sew these three rows together.

I like to use my 

Double Pretty Pins 

like this... to match the seams

 that need to line up.

Press these two seams open as well.

The seam roller and clappers both

 really help to get your seams open flat...

like this:)

I think it's really important to have 

any pieced block lie as flat as possible...

not only for accuracy but also especially

 when you are going to applique 

on top like you will be on these.

Now it's time to 

glue baste the center circle...

but first let me show you

 how I sewed the circles

and we will get back to this:)

I simply place each traced circle 

onto a fabric square...both with 

right sides up and sew directly 

onto my traced circle line...

Trim leaving an approximate 

1/4" seam allowance...

cut an "X" in the interfacing...

turn...shape and press.

If you have never done my 

Sew Simple Shapes Applique

 method before now...

save this part until you watch my

 week one video in a few days:)

All of my circles are now ready to go!!

Okay...back to this:)

Your block needs to be on a Design Board

 as you will be pinning directly into it.

Place a few dots of Sue Glue

 onto the back of your circle.

Use a ruler to center your circle onto

 the block and pin it into place....

Like this:)

After it dries for a few minutes...

remove the pins and place an 

8 1/2" Trim-It Ruler onto your block.

This accomplishes two things:

One is to make sure that 

the circle is centered...and if not

 you can gently pull it off...

adjust it and re-glue.

Two is to make sure that your

 pieced block measures 8 1/2" square 

and if it's not ...trim it to 8 1/2" 

And here you go!!

It's so cute!!!

Just hand applique or machine applique

with matching thread before

sewing your blocks into the quilt.

I kept sewing mine until I had 10 left...

I'll work on these here and there

 over the next few weeks

 and get them all sewn!

Here's my 13 blocks again...I love them!

I hope that you do too 

and that you can relax and have fun

while cutting and  sewing your 

Calico Star Flower Blocks together.

Remember that it's not a race

 and this sew along will last 19 weeks! 

Hopefully that will give you time 

to get them all sewn by the end:)

 

I will meet you right back here on 

Monday, January 30th

for Week One of the

Calico Garden Sew Along!

xx

Lori