Pin and stitch one of the 53in (134.6cm) lengths of sashing to each of two lengths of border strip (Fig 23). Press the seams into the sashing.
Fig 23
4 Pin and stitch these to each side of the quilt (Fig 24). Press seams into the sashing.
Fig 24
5 In the same way pin and stitch the remaining sashing to the border strips with the cornerstones (Fig 25).
Fig 25
6 Stitch these to the top and bottom of the quilt, matching the ‘crossroads’ of sashing strips at the cornerstones carefully (Fig 26).
Fig 26
QUILTING
I machine quilted very closely to the sashing strips throughout the quilt in matching thread. I used thick per1é thread to hand quilt in a larger stitch in the centre block of each of the pieced blocks and also to create the nine-patch design on the plain squares (Fig 27). The final binding is in the same fabric used to sash between the blocks.
Fig 27
French Connection
Shirley Prescott made this design into a single bed quilt by making two sets of blocks in different red fabrics with white sashing and seventeen blocks with white as the main fabric and red strips for the sashing – a total of thirty-five blocks.
“I made this quilt for my step-granddaughter, Katy, for her 21st birthday. A limited set of colours made the geometric design quite striking. She must have liked the quilt as she took it off to France with her when she taught there for six months. (Shirley Prescott)”
Stitch–a–Strip
The strip-based quilts in this section are all vibrant and interesting designs and excellent for using up your craps and leftovers, as well as for your precious collections. When using strips it may be possible to cut cross the fabric giving strips as long as 44in (112cm) but many will be far too short. Strips cut down the abric parallel to the woven selvedge will be much firmer. It is almost impossible to avoid cutting both ypes of strips when so many different fabrics are being used, so use the more stretchy strips with care,trying not to pull them when stitching. It may help to spray starch all the fabrics before cutting them nto strips, which will help to keep the strips firmer.
Tilted Log Cabin
This is a new slant (literally) on the ever-versatile Log Cabin. Each Log Cabin block is made and trimmed to an exact square. A triangular template is used to cut off the four corners of the block which are then moved to their opposite positions and re-stitched into place (see Fig 1 overleaf). This gives an interesting tilted look to the centre of the Log Cabin block while the corners stay square. Jean Campbel1's queen-size quilt (Syncopation, opposite) accentuates the tilted angles by the use of bold contrasting colours, while Sue Fawcett's stunning lap quilt (Off-Beat Batik, overleaf) blends a fabulous range of batiks. Gill Shepherd took the technique further for her Tilting at Windmills quilt.
Syncopation
THE QUILT STORY
The principle of this tilted technique was outlined in an American magazine some while ago. I was intrigued and started to play with it to make it user-friendly for my students. Jean Campbell began her Syncopation quilt (opposite) on a one-day class for this technique, using just fabric from her stash and leftovers, but only after a really determined effort to finish up some of her UFOs (Un-Finished Objects) did she later develop a completed block into this queen-size quilt.
Sue Fawcett began Off-Beat Batik (overleaf) on her annual trip to Suffolk for a summer school, using up some of her batik collection. Every block began with a centre square of a striking yellow flower print and then moved into purples on one side and greens on the other.
Finished block size 14in × 14in (35.5cm × 35.5cm)
Finished size of Syncopation 83in × 95½in (210.8cm × 242.6cm)
Finished size of Off-Beat Batik (overleaf) 46½in × 46½in (118.1cm × 118.1cm)
FABRIC REQUIREMENTS
This Log Cabin design needs two contrasting teams of fabric (A and B), which are stitched around a square of different fabric in each block centre. Sort through your stored fabrics and find as many as possible (at least six) that blend together for one team and another group for the opposing colour team.
• For Syncopation: about 3yd (3m) of each team of fabrics for the Log Cabin blocks plus ½yd (0.5m) for the centres.
• Borders: there are four – the first and last use fabric leftover from the Log Cabin blocks. The second border takes an extra ½yd (0.5m) of one of the red/purple fabrics. The third wide green border needs 1yd (1m) of fabric.
• Binding: an extra ½yd (0.5m) of one of the green fabrics.
• For Off-Beat Batik: about 1yd (1m) for each team of fabrics, plus a 9in (22.8cm) square of fabric to make all the centres of the blocks.
• Border and binding: another 1yd (1m) of fabric.
• For both quilts: wadding and backing fabric: at least 2in (5cm) larger than finished quilt size.
“I began this quilt in a class with Lynne ages ago. I went home inspired to make a full-size quilt hut, of course, it was a couple of years later that I pulled it out of its bag and carried on from the three blocks that I had made earlier. (Jean Campbell)”
Off-Beat Batik
Batiks are wonderful fabrics for patchwork. Each one has many varied patterns and colours swirling within the fabric, which provide lots of choices for patchwork layouts.
