Just a little update...

Yesterday, my friend Brenda joined me at the 'quilt' house to sew. It was GREAT to see her!!! We were joined by 2 of the gals from my little local guild...Virginia and Ruth. Brenda got her challenge blocks done, and I got one of mine finished. I also finished some friendship blocks that I had started on Saturday, but had to frog-stitch about 4 of them, due to sewing them wrong! GRRR!!!

We all went to Ruby-Jean's diner (cute little place here in Ponder) for lunch. She has the BEST burgers!!! YUM!

We also talked to Debi...and will see her and some other quilty friends on Saturday, March 14th, for the Dallas Quilt show! We will pass off our challenge blocks to Debi at that time...she'll then put them into a quilt for donation to Project Linus. :>)

Also...Brenda, Debi and I are members of a new quilting forum online. It's called the 'quilting bee' on Delphi...there's a link in my sidebar. http://forums.delphiforums.com/QuiltPox I know it says quiltpox...but it's been renamed, yet the link can't be changed...at this time, anyway. Come on by...it's free to join, and we chat about quilting, our lives, comfort projects, our own sewing/quilting, our families, animals, friends, etc etc. It's a wonderful group of gals (and a guy or two)...many of which I've met in person...others I never will, but they are still great friends!

So...off for another adventure into town and appts. Have a great day!

This is a little (well...) tutorial about making the criss-cross coasters with 2 colors. In a previous post, I added a link to a GREAT tutorial that was done with 6...and it was done that way so you could easily see the process. So...this may be harder to understand, but I hope I can talk you through it. I made over 60 sets of 4 for the holidays in 2008!!!
This is what you'll start with. For one coaster, you need three (3) 4.5 inch squares of each of the 2 colors, and one (1) 3 7/8 piece of fusible interfacing. (You can cut it at 4 in, but I like to not have to worry about catching it in the seams.) I like the kind with a little bit of loft, so that is what I used the most. In this picture, there are 12 squares of each color, and 4 squares of the fusible interfacing...enough for 4 completed coasters.

For one (1) coaster, press 2 of each color (so 2 of each) in half. Above shows enough for 2 coasters.

For each coaster, you'll need 4 pressed rectangles, (2) 4.5 inch squares, one of each color, and a piece of the fusible interfacing.

Place the fusible interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric. You only do this once per coaster, so above shows enough for 4. Turn these over...making sure that the fusible side is on the wrong side of the fabric...or you'll fuse it to the ironing cover!!! Once you have them turned over, press per the fusible instructions. The one I used, I had to 'set' it for 15 seconds...so took 30 seconds at least for each square.

Now, you are ready to build each coaster. Remember, the pressed edge is to the middle...or raw edges to raw edges.

I know this will sound backwards, but trust me. To start building, choose the fabric square that will be the inside piece...put that, wrong side up, on your table.

Then, take the piece that will be the bottom and has the fusible interfacing on it...place it wrong side down onto the first square. So, wrong sides together.

Then...I start with the first rectangle at the top. I put the next rectangle on the left side. This ensures that when sewing the coaster together, you aren't sewing against the rectangle. Believe me, you don't want to do that!!! Then, put the next rectangle at the bottom, then the last on the right side, slipping one end under the top piece.

Pin in place for sewing. This helps to keep it from shifting while stitching.

Here, you can see me sewing the coasters. Use a 1/4 in seam. You can do them by chain piecing, just like any block. See how the seam in the red piece is facing toward me? Makes it easy for the presser foot to sew over. If it is facing the other way, it's easily distorted and a pain to work with!!!

Here are 4 completed coasters, before trimming and turning.

Here is one that I've trimmed the corners. You can do it closer, but I like having that extra stitching, so hopefully, it won't come apart! From here, you turn it inside out, poke out the corners (use a tool for that, or a crochet hook, phillips head screwdriver...just nothing that would poke through the fabric!!!)

Here are 4 coasters finished!!! As you can see, I've used different fabrics on the bottom.

This is a small view of working with triangles, instead of rectangles. Same general idea, just more labor intensive because it takes more pinning to keep them where they need to be!

Here's the stuff for one coaster (fusible interfacing is used here too, just like in the others. Just didn't have a picture with it).

For these, place the rectangle at the top, to the right.

Then, add the next triangle, to the top and left.
Continue as before...

Pin well...these shift really easily!!!

Sew with 1/4 inch seam.

Trim and turn, as in the rectangle coasters. Poke out the corners as best you can (they don't have to be perfect...no quilt police here!).

These are great to use with any glass or mug. You can even use them with stemmed glasses, like wine glasses. You can open the middle, put the base of the stemmed glass in the coaster, and then it 'travels' with the glass! :>) Since there is a fabric lining inside, you don't have to worry about it being on the interfacing directly.

One thing that I found, which will save you alot of time, is to get fabric that you don't have to fussy cut! The more compact the pattern, the better for these coasters. You can use a busy print for one, and a contrasting solid or tone on tone for the other.

If you do use a fabric that you might have to manipulate a bit, remember, when pressing the rectangles, be sure that the image you want once sewn and turned, is on the underside, next to the solid fabric piece, when building. This usually means it needs to be in the upper left corner when face down, and you bring the bottom up to press. I did it backwards, and had to frog-stitch 4 coasters, and build them the opposite way...which is a hassle to sew over.

Here is a picture of a pile of completed coaster sets, all ribboned (takes about a yard of ribbon to wrap 4 coasters). This is just a few of what I made. I still have lots of fabric squares cut and ready to make more. I figure, I'll work on them during the year, and I'll have more ready for this year!!!

I hope this makes some sense!!! I think between looking at both blogs, it'll make perfect sense!!! If you are only making a few, these are easy and fun. Since I made so many, I actually started cutting fabric in late October...did a little at a time. Then, I'd stack them in sets. Then, I'd take a day and press rectangles and interfacing. Another day, I'd assemble the coasters, getting them all pinned and ready to sew. Since I did all that preparation, once I got to the sewing machine, they went pretty fast.

I think it would be fun to have some for every holiday! That would make a fun gift for anyone.

I'll now have to go to my stash, and look for other holiday fabric. I KNOW I have shamrocks, Halloween stuff, hearts, Easter fabrics, etc. Hmm...just what I need...another project! LOL!

ENJOY!!!

I'm sure most of your have heard or read about the devastating wildfires in Australia. So much destruction and loss of life, and to think some may have been intentionally set. I was lucky to have spent about 10 days back in about '82 or there abouts outside of Sydney for a wedding. What a lovely country and people.

On the about.com quilting forum, someone posted a link to a group that is asking for 12.5 inch (unfinished) star blocks to be made into quilts for those that have lost so much. There is now another group posting there, but I've decided to make blocks for the first group mentioned. This same group has also been mentioned on the Quilting Passion forum. I think it's a great cause, and a small thing I can do to help from so far away.

Here's a link...I hope...

http://www.flickr.com/groups/bushfirequiltproject/

They have permisson from Bonnie from http://www.quiltville.com/ to use her Maverick stars pattern

http://quiltville.com/maverickstars.shtml

I believe the pattern is 6 in finished, but the blocks for this drive are 12 in finished (12.5 unfinished).

They will take any star pattern blocks, if you are so inclined to make one, two or more. Check out Marcia's site...

http://www.quilterscache.com/

She has lots of stars!!! I don't do 'wonky', so I've decided to make some friendship star blocks...I like what that represents, and am pretty good at making them. :>) I have a sew day tomorrow, and one on Wednesday, so hoping to make some as leaders/enders with another project I'm finishing.

They have a 'button' on their site to add to our blogs, but I don't know how to do that. I hope the link will help.

I know I still have that tutorial to put on my blog. All in time. And yes, Debi, I'll be working on my blocks for you!!!