Friday, September 12, 2014

SQUARE ROOT mini-tutorial

Square Root!






SQUARE  ROOT
mini-tutorial









Start with half of a layer cake.  
Take a brown paper grocery bag and mix the layer cake up in it.  Reach in & Randomly (I know it is hard, but truly be random and do not overthink it) select 20 layer cake squares.  Using a 1/4" seam, stitch rows of 4 squares together.  Press seams open.  Create 5 rows of 4 squares.  Stitch rows together, pressing seams open; forming a 4x5 grid.    


20   10x10 squares  (add 5 more if you want a little bit of sass on the back)

12    5x5 squares

1 2/3 yds for backing & binding (1 1/2 if you add the sass)

batting 45x53


 Now, to form the the 4 Patches:  
You will need 12 charms or 12  5x5 scrap squares.  Stitch 2 squares (with value differences) RST on the right side, turn the charms 180 degrees and stitch the new right side, using 1/4" seams.  Pick 2 more value varied charms and repeat.

Cut the stitched charms in half, at the 2 1/2" mark, parallel to the stitching lines.

Press seams open.

Now take 2 HRS (half Rectangle squares) and place RST with the center seams aligned.  Stitch the sides perpendicular to the center seam.  Right side, then flip and stitch the 'new' right side.

Cut, at 2 1/2", the stitched together HRSs, parallel to the last stitches.  

Press seams open.  
And voila, from four charms you have four 4 patches!


Use a water soluble Glue Stick to glue the four patches at the intersections of 4 layer cake squares.  Stitch 1/4" away from the edge of your 4 patch.


Make a quilt sandwich and quilt it!  I have recently converted to a 3" binding... I know, you are thinking what?????  3"?????

Yes, I like have a more substantial binding (which I carefully select so that it will show well on the quilt) for looks as well as ease of attaching via machine.

Pre-washed raw edges.


This is the softened raw edges after just one washing.
 
For this Square Root quilt:
Lily & Will II layer cake (could make 2 from 1 layer cake.)
Little Gatherings charm pack for the 4 Patches.





No comments: