how-to | Missouri Star Blog

April 4, 2017April 4, 2017

Alter Ego Tutorial Reboot Featuring Simple Simon and Co.

Revisited Quilting Tutorials from Missouri Star Quilt Co

Hello we are Elizabeth Evans and Elizabeth Evans… two girls who married brothers and ended up with the exact same name! We also are the same age, have the same number of children and, are both former school teachers. Together we blog over at Simple Simon and Company where we love to write about sewing, quilting, and the art of homemaking.

Today it’s me (liZ…short name, short hair) that gets the chance to share some thoughts about quilting with you. And the quilt I’m talking about is one that is a current work in progress that I started after being inspired by Jenny’s Alter Ego Quilt Tutorial.

There are two things that I really love about this quilt top tutorial:

#1. How the finished product looks complicated and time consuming when in actuality it is simple enough to be completed by even a novice quilter! (Over at Simple Simon and Company we love simple, beautiful projects….so this tutorial was right up my alley!)
And…

#2. How versatile this tutorial really is. Just by changing up fabric styles and combinations you could make this top countless times and have an entirely different looking quilt each and every time. (And because most of us who quilt are making quilts for others rather than ourselves I can see this fast becoming a go-to quilt top to make for gifts.)

So let’s get down to brass tacks…the making of this quilt top.

For this quilt I used 16 fat quarters from RJR’s “Everything But The Kitchen Sink” fat quarter bundle along with 2 yards of plain white fabric and a ½ yard of Riley Blake Design’s basic black and white Swiss Dot.

(I love this fabric. It has such a happy, vintage vibe and working with it is a pure delight. Yes, a pure delight…some fabric just is that fabulous.)
But before I made my first cut into this fantastic fabric I came up with a plan. Even when I am following a pattern or a tutorial I jot down notes or sketch out my plan in a notebook.

It’s not fancy but it helps me collect my thoughts and gives me a direction for what fabrics I would like to place where. And for this quilt I wanted to try something a little different.

The Alter Ego quilt top is made using alternating 4 Patch and Hourglass quilt blocks. Each of these blocks have 4 different areas or zones. And my idea was to start in the center of the quilt with solid patterns…no white…and slowly add white into the mix until the rows on each end were solid white.

So you can see in my plan where the middle two rows were constructed of solid patterns.

Then the next row on either side of the middle would have ¼ of each block be constructed out of white.

The rows after that would be constructed from blocks where ½ of the area would be made from white.

And finally the two rows on each end would be solid white.

That was my plan but when I got to here I stopped:

I’m not sure I feel like only ½ of the blocks done in white gives the quilt enough white space to transition into an all white row.
Which is where you come in…what do you think?
Here is the original plan:

Solid, ¼ white, ½ white, all white.

But here is what I am thinking I should do instead:

Solid, ¼ white, ½ white, ¾ white, all white.

So that would mean adding two more rows (one on each end of the quilt before the all white row.)

I think this would make the flow better…and I have exactly enough little squares already cut to make it happen.

But here is what it would do to my quilt size:

If I stick with my original plan the quilt will finish at roughly 72” x 72” (which I like…because I LOVE square quilts). However, if I add the two extra rows it will become about 72” wide and 90” long…kind of a strange size.

Which leads me to my question (and the reason my quilt top construction has come to a halt): Do I go with the better design and weird size or better size and a design that is not as strong?

I am leaning toward the stronger design….what do you think?

Here’s where I am at…and can go either way:

While you are thinking you can check out Jenny’s terrific tutorial for The Alter Ego quilt and then you can pop on over to Simple Simon and Company and read about a quilt making tip that saved my marriage when making this quilt top!

-liZ

(And when I decide which way to go I will be sure and share photos the finished quilt with you!)

Visit Simple Simon and Company: https://www.simplesimonandco.com/

Read more about this quilt from Simple Simon and Company: https://www.simplesimonandco.com/2017/04/alter-ego-quilt-tutorial-reboot-and-quilting-advice-that-could-save-your-marriage.html/

March 29, 2017

Quilt Snips Mini Tutorial – Phoebe’s Flower Box

Here at Missouri Star Quilt Co. we love finding fast and easy ways to make fun, gorgeous quilt blocks. Phoebe’s Flower Box represents just that. With a few 2.5″ strips and a bit of sashing you will get this adorable elongated four patch! Happy quilting!

Click HERE to watch the tutorial and gather your supplies!

March 23, 2017March 23, 2017

Cascade Quilt

If you ever visit my grandmother’s house, don’t get too excited about the butter cookie tin on the counter. It’s secretly full of thimbles, embroidery scissors, and an assortment of thread – not cookies. (Granny isn’t trying to trick you, she just likes to squeeze every ounce of usefulness out of even the simplest of objects. Waste not, want not, right?)

In today’s new tutorial, you’ll learn how to use your binding tool as a template to create a stunning Cascade Quilt. Hooray for multitasking tools! Click HERE to watch!

Click the diagram above for a free downloadable PDF!

February 16, 2017February 16, 2017

Sweet Treats Tutorial

I’m an excellent cook – as long as the recipe is easy to follow! Break it down into easy-to-follow steps, and I’m sure I could conquer even those most intricate of dishes. (But leave me to my own devices, and we might have to call in pizza for dinner!)

Today we’re working on a brand new kind of “recipe,” Cake Mix Recipes by Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co for Moda. These pattern pages sit on top of your 10 inch squares to guide you every step of the way.
Click HERE to see how easy it is to whip up a Sweet Treats Quilt, one stitch at a time!

February 6, 2017

Summer in the Park Tutorial Reboot Featuring Lee Ann Perry!

Hi! My name is Lee Ann. I’m a wife and mother of four. When I was expecting my third child, I saw some rag quilts on Etsy and thought they were adorable—but expensive. I mean, $65 for a little baby blanket?

So I bought my first sewing machine and a set of fat quarters by Kaffe Fassett. I learned how to make my first rag quilt by watching a tutorial by Vanessa Vargas Wilson on YouTube. I was pretty happy with the result but my husband teased me a bit. ”Why spend $65 on a blanket when you can make it yourself for $300?”

But, I fell in love with sewing! Putting colors together. Feeling the fabric run through my fingers. And the finished project was an item that was both USEFUL and beautiful. I made several rag quilts before getting bored and wanting to learn more. That’s when I found the free video tutorials online by MSQC.

One of the first “real” quilts I made was from a pattern called Summer in the Park using a jelly roll, a line by Tula Pink, the Birds and the Bees.

Watching the videos made it easy for me to follow along—or watch a half dozen times if necessary, and sometimes it was! The finished quilt was so worth it.

But, like many quilters, I don’t ever make the same thing twice! You’ve got to change it up a bit.

Recently I came back to this pattern and changed only two things.

In the tutorial, Natalie uses a brightly colored jelly roll and combines it with a jelly roll of white strips. When sewing them together, she sews two strip sets, 1) white, print, white, and 2) print, white, print.

So to change it up, I chose a jelly roll of Carolyn Friedlander’s Carkai. Instead of white, I used a darker CHAMBRAY fabric. I also changed how I sewed my strips together. ALL of my 3 strip sets were sewed as: print, chambray, print.

The 3-strip-sets are then sewed to each other, right sides facing, into a “tube.”

Now comes the really fun part—cutting the tubes into squares. You lay your tube down and cut triangles—when you open it up, they will be perfect squares!

The best ruler for this is the Triangle Square Up Ruler, 9 1/2” by Quilt in a Day. I don’t happen to have that ruler (mine only goes up to 6 1/2”), so I had to make do with my big square up ruler for squares. I put the point of my ruler right up to the seam but did not cross it. Then, I made sure both of the 8” marks touched the bottom seam before making a cut.

Continue cutting the tube, swiveling the ruler around the opposite way to maximize the number of cuts you can make. I was able to get five finished 8” squares from each “tube.”

When sewing the squares together, I made sure to nest the seams to make perfect points.

I sent this quilt off to MSQC for machine quilting. My local lady is great but she will not back anything with fleece. MSQC does — Cuddle/minky too! This is my first quilt backed with fleece and it’s pretty much the best thing EVER.

After it came back, I had to choose binding fabric. I always “audition” a few colors first.

After letting this quilt and the different options sit on my table for a few days, I ended up going with the same chambray I used in the quilt blocks.

My favorite binding tutorial is The Ultimate Quilt Binding Tutorial by MSQC. No binding tool required! I used to have one but I don’t use it anymore. This method is the easiest! But, I must confess, I had to watch this video EVERY SINGLE TIME a quilt needed finishing for at least the first ten quilts I made.

Here’s the finished result of my “reboot”.

And now that I’ve spent a few years piecing quilts…I’ve decided a $65 rag quilt is more than fair! A bargain, really! But, I wouldn’t trade learning a new hobby for ANYTHING. Quilting has become my quiet place and saving grace in my busy life.

Thank you, MSQC for asking me to write this blog post and for teaching me how to quilt in the first place!

You can follow my quilty adventures on Instagram at leeannjperry.