Whirl & Twirl Sew-Along: Quilt Finish

 

Can you believe we have reached the end of the Whirl & Twirl Sew-Along?! Where did March go? Today we’re going to talk about finishing our quilts.

Backing

Trim the selvedge edges from the two backing rectangle pieces. Sew the two 72” x WOF backing rectangles together along the selvedge side. Backing should measure 72” x 86” (approximately). I love a scrappy back so I used my leftover layer cake squares and border strips and sewed a pieced stripe in between the backing pieces.

Quilting

Layer your quilt top, batting & backing. Quilt as desired. I machine quilt my quilts on a computerized longarm. The first Whirl & Twirl quilt I custom quilted with dense quilting around the pinwheels which really made the pinwheels pop. But the quilt is quite stiff. So this time I quilted an all over floral pattern for a softer touch & drape. I love both!

Binding

Trim the selvedges from the ends of the 8 - 2 1/2” binding strips. Sew the binding strips end-to-end at a 45 degree angle. Fold the binding in half lengthwise and press. Attach binding using your favorite method. I attach my binding by machine sewing the binding to the front using a 3/8” seam. I fold the binding over & hand stitch the binding to the back using a small ladder stitch. There are some great You Tube videos on how to miter the corners of the binding & how to connect the ends of the binding for a continuous smooth binding. I am currently working on my binding & will share photos next week (when these 50 mph wind gusts predicted for the next few days hopefully settle down!)

Please share your finished quilt using the hashtag #whirlandtwirlsewalong on Facebook and Instagram and tag me so I can see your quilts! Can’t wait!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Whirl & Twirl Sew-Along: Quilt Assembly

WooHoo! We are on the downhill slide! Today I’m sharing the instructions to assemble your quilt top. Here we go…

Step 1:

Arrange four blocks into a square with the large pinwheels in the center and blades on the outside edge. Sew two blocks together to make a row, then sew two rows together to make a large block. Press seams open. Repeat for a total of 12 large blocks.

Step 2:

Sew three large blocks together in a row. Press seams open. Repeat for a total of four rows.

Step 3:

Sew the four rows together. Press seams open. Quilt center should measure 54.5” x 72.5”.

Step 4:
Trim selvedge ends from the seven 4.5” x WOF border strips. Sew the ends together into one long strip. From the strip, cut two 4.5” x 72.5” and two 4.5” x 62.5” strips.

Step 5:
Sew the 4.5” x 72.5” strips to the left and right sides of the quilt center. Press seams toward border. Sew the 4.5” x 62.5” strips to the top and bottom of the quilt center. Press seams toward border. Quilt top should measure 62.5” x 80.5”

Next week we'll complete our quilt!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

P.S. I've been bombarded with spam on this site so I have turned off comments for the time being. Contact me through Facebook, Instagram or email. Thanks for understanding!

Whirl & Twirl Sew-Along Block Construction

 

Ready to sew your blocks for the Whirl & Twirl Sew-Along? Here we go!

Blade: Draw a diagonal line on the back of a 2” light fabric square (blade pinwheel). With RST, layer the 2” square on top of the end of the 2” x 9.5” dark rectangle (blade) as shown. Sew on the line, trim seam allowance to ¼” and press toward pinwheel fabric.

Large Pinwheel Shadow: Draw a diagonal line on the back of a 3.5” medium solid fabric square (large pinwheel shadow). With RST, layer the square on top of the 3.5” x 9.5” background rectangle as shown. Sew on the line, trim seam allowance to ¼” and press toward pinwheel fabric.

Large Pinwheel: Draw a diagonal line on the back of a 3.5” medium print fabric square (large pinwheel). With RST, layer the square on top of the pinwheel shadow from the previous step as shown. Sew on the line, trim seam allowance to ¼” and press toward pinwheel fabric.  

Block Assembly: Sew blade section to the left side of a 5” x 9.5” background rectangle, with blade end at the top. Press seam toward background. Sew the large pinwheel section to the right side of the background rectangle with the pinwheel end at the bottom. Press seam toward background. Block should measure 9.5” x 9.5” unfinished (9” x 9” finished). Repeat to make a total of 48 blocks.

Next week we will assemble the quilt top!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

Whirl & Twirl Sew-Along: Sewing Prep

This week, we will be sewing our blocks. Yay!!! But before we start with actual sewing, I thought I'd share some sewing prep information. To help organize the sewing process, I used a chart to identify the placement of the background, blade & large pinwheel fabrics to insure that:

1. Each group of four blocks had a single block using each of the four background fabrics.

2. Each group of four blades that meet to create a small pinwheel used the same fabrics for the blades.

3. Each group of large pinwheels used the same fabric for the pinwheels.

I labeled the placement of each fabric on the chart as follows:

1. Background: A, B, C, D

2. Blades: B1 - B12

3. Pinwheels: P1 - P12

Here is the link for the guide: Whirl & Twirl Fabric Placement Guide.

I lay each group of fabrics out on foam core design boards & then stick a pin through a paper label & fabric to hold it all in place. Of course, for a totally scrappy look, you can just randomly pull fabrics & not worry about following a placement guide.

I sew in groups of four blocks - Block 1 & 2 in the first row & Block 1 & 2 in the second row make a group (the large pinwheel will become the center of the group). Note: I make the blocks in sets of four but do not sew the four blocks together.

There is only one block to make in this quilt. The blocks are rotated to create the design.

I'll share the sewing directions in the next post, so stay tuned!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla

 

Whirl & Twirl Sew-Along: Fabric Cutting

Surprise! I'm posting the fabric cutting instructions a day early since I have a conflict tomorrow and won't be able to post. So here you go.....

Layer Cake Fabric Cutting

Let's start with the layer cake! Yum, I love cake! Especially anything chocolate - and Moda! What's your favorite cake? 

Separate your layer cake squares into the following:

• 12 dark-valued squares

• 12 medium-valued squares

• 2 light-valued squares. They should contrast with the background fabrics.

The remaining squares can be used on the back for a pieced backing, for coordinating pillows or for another project.

From each of the 12 dark-valued squares, cut:

-4 - 2” x 9.5” rectangles for blades for a total of 48

From each of the 12 medium-valued squares, cut:

-4 - 3.5” x 3.5” squares for large pinwheels for a total of 48

From each of the 2 light-valued squares, cut:

-24 - 2” x 2” squares for blade pinwheels for a total of 48

Background Fabric Cutting

From each 7/8 yard of background fabric, cut:

-3 - 9.5” x WOF strips for a total of 12 strips

From each set of 3 strips, subcut:

-12 - 5” x 9.5” rectangles for a total of 48

-12 - 3.5” x 9.5” rectangles for a total of 48

Notes:

-WOF = Width of Fabric

-For even scrappier backgrounds, select the leftover light-valued low-volume print squares from the layer cake for some of the background. From each square, cut: 

 -1 - 5” x 9.5” rectangle

 -1 - 3.5” x 9.5” rectangle

Pinwheel Shadows, Border, Binding & Backing Cutting

From the 1/2 yard of medium fabric for large pinwheel shadows, cut: 

-4 - 3.5” x WOF strips

From the 4 strips, subcut:

-48 - 3.5” x 3.5” squares

From the 1 yard of border fabric, cut:

-7 - 4.5” x WOF strips

 From the 2/3 yard of binding fabric, cut: 

-8 - 2.5” x WOF strips

From the 4 yards of backing fabric, cut:

-2 - 72” x WOF pieces

That's it for cutting! Let's meet back here next week for the block construction instructions. Boy, that's a tongue twister! Say that three times fast!

Happy Quilting

~Sharla 

 

 

 

 

 

Whirl & Twirl Sew Along: Fabric Selection

Today is the day! We're kicking off the Whirl & Twirl Sew-Along with fabric selection. So hit your stash or hit the store to find your favorite layer cake and coordinating fabrics. Because I live in a rural area and I know how hard it can be to get fabric in a timely matter, I'm allowing everyone a week for this first step.

You will need:

• 1 layer cake
• 7/8 yard each of 4 low volume prints for background
• 1/2 yard medium solid (or reads as a solid) fabric for large pinwheels
• 1 yard fabric for border
• 2/3 yard fabric for binding
• 4 yards fabric for backing

When selecting a layer cake, choose one that has at least 12 dark-valued squares and 12 medium-valued squares. You'll have some leftover squares that can be used in the backing if you like (I love a pieced backing!).

This quilt is a nice throw-size at 62" x 80". Next week I'll share cutting instructions. Can't wait to see what fabric everyone uses!

Happy Quilting!

~Sharla