Strip Quilted Mat

There are challenges for every month in Desi Quilters. The rules will be given at the start of the month and we need to make a quilt according to the given rules. For the month of October the challenge was to make a strip quilt. Any quilt involving strips qualify for the submission. I saw the method of paper piecing a strip quilt blog at FITF blog. I used that method for the 8 blocks which form the centre of the mat. Both sides of the centre piece are strips of different colours matching the centre piece. The quilt is completed with batting, backing and binding. This is the first time I am using batting and I was nervous. Though the finished mat looks good, it needs some fine tuning. May be I will get the finishing works perfect in my next quilt.

The quilt measures 34" * 36" and I will be using it for meditation after yoga. The fabrics used are printed cotton. The backing used is also printed cotton and the batting is also cotton. I finished the quilt with a 3" wide binding.

Cut out strips of fabric. I used four printed and one solid white. For the blue strips, I used 1 1/2" strips and the yellow and orange strips measured 2". The white strip measured 1 1/2". Cut out 8 paper squares measuring 8" * 8 ".

In the centre of the paper, stick the white strip diagonally using gum stick.

Stitch the darker blue strip placing it right to right on the white strip.

Open the seam and iron it out.

Now place the lighter blue strip right side facing the darker strip and stitch.

Open the seam and iron.

Continue until you reach the corner of the paper.

Stitch the orange and yellow strips to the other side of the white strip.

Now turn the block and trim the fabric to the size of the paper square.

Your block looks like this.

Now remove the paper from the block. It will be easy to remove as the paper is perforated with the stitch.

Press the block and it is ready to be stitched.

To get an idea of the finished quilt, arrange the pieces on the floor. Now stitch all the pieces together.

Cut out batting and backing fabric to the size of the finished piece.

Pin all the sides and centre before stitching.

Stitch the sides and along the lines of the blocks.

Finish the quilt with the binding.

The backing fabric seen after folding over the quilt. 

Patch Work Ball 1

Being a part of the Desi Quilters group has a huge advantage. I learn new techniques every single day. This patch work ball is from one of the QALs(quilt along) organised in the group. Amalie who taught us this Pentagon patch work ball asked us to hand stitch the pieces rather than machine stitching them. It uses paper piecing .This is the first time I am hearing about paper piecing technique. I wanted to be through with the technique before I started the actual stitching. So I browsed through websites and landed at a lovely blog Sunshine's Creations where there was a step wise tutorial for the technique. 

Next came the selection of fabrics. I went for polka dotted fabrics. The ball needs 12 pentagons. The sides of the pentagon decides on the size of the ball. I made a small ball. The pentagons measured 2 1/2". You can make it according to your preference. First cut out a pentagon ( use your geometry knowledge) from a chart paper which acts a stencil for the fabrics.

Cut out 6 pieces from the white fabric and 6 pieces from the green fabric. Now you need to cut 12 pentagons measuring 2" at the sides.

Prepare all the pieces and stencils ready before you start.

Place the paper pentagon in the middle of a fabric pentagon.

Fold and secure one corner with thread.

Fold the next corner and secure it with the same thread.

Secure all corners and the final result will look like this.

One pentagon is ready.

Finish off all the pentagons.

Now arrange 6 pentagons as shown. You need to stitch all the sides of the white pentagon to the adjacent green pentagons.

Use a button hole stitch. Make it sure that you don't stitch along with the paper. Then it would be very difficult to remove the paper at last.

Two pentagons successfully joined.

All the five pentagons joined to the centre pentagon.

Now sew the sides of green pentagons adjacent to each other.

You will get a cup like shape.

Finish off the other half.

Now it is time to join the two parts. Place them as shown. and stitch.

Leave two sides with out stitching for turning.

Remove the paper pieces from each pentagon. It will be very easy to remove.

The ball with fabric after removing the papers.

Flip inside out.

Stuff the ball with synthetic cotton filling.

Use a zig zag stitch to join the sides.

Match corners perfectly while stitching.

Finish off with a knot.

The pentagon patch work ball is ready.