Thursday 28 March 2013

How charming!

Yes I have signed up to another charm swap!

But actually I have piles of charms sitting, waiting for something to happen to them....are you the same!?  If so I may have an answer for you.

Struck by this dilemma and wondering what block to ask my bee mates for in Scrappy? Sew bee it!, I decided to use a block made from charms.

It is a variation from the book 5,500 Quilt Block Designs - no 39, p 45 if you want to look it up!  

I replaced the centre HST with a square.  That was tough wasn't it but it means I don't need a third charm square of each fabric just an extra small square from one!  I do cut charms from my own stash fabrics with the idea of actually using them - haha!  So I use a stash charm as the one that I need that extra square for.

So here is a tutorial - it is very easy though, I'm sure you could work it out yourselves!

Requirements:

You need four charms or 5" squares plus one 3 and a quarter inch square!  And that's it!  





Method:

Using  Jenny Doan's video on how to make 4 HSTs out of two charms I stacked my two charms right sides together - one light, one dark x 2!




I then stitched a quarter inch seam around the edge of both of my charm square pairs






Cut the squares first on one diagonal and then the other





Hey presto - 4 little HSTs from each charm pair!  Total of 8!




This comes with a warning
these HSTs are on the bias and will s-t-r-e-t-c-h if pulled so be careful sewing them together!  And if you use directional fabric you will get them going every which way but as you see here I don't mind that!

Now we need our extra square and here is the layout




And here they are sewn together






My HSTs came out at three and a quarter inches.  My block is eight and a half inches square or thereabouts!

I have tried these in prints with white, print and low volume - the centre square being the light colour!  But I have also made them with the middle square as the dark one!  I have used solid, text fabric, geometrics, dots and a large scale print, low contrast, high contrast - I love them all!  

Most of all I like trying out different combinations!   Some I have to say have been unpicked and re-assigned!  

It seems I like rainbow colours and two quite complimentary colours in the same block but with a different value!   Though there are exceptions - the lime and purple one for instance !

Here is my little ensemble so far!   15..... and counting!  







Think I may need at least 41 in total for my quilt!   Luckily I have my bee mates to help and lots of charm squares.... 


Actually I am having so much fun I am being kind to my bee mates letting them join in!!  I used to hate HSTs and now I love them....sigh!






18 comments:

  1. They look fabulous all together like that!

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  2. oohh fun!! They look great! I shall be digging through my stash to find nice combinations :)

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  3. Perhaps the Stingy bee should be adding to these too??? Di x

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  4. I really really like your blocks together and the HST method is great - I use it when I know what its neighbour will be but sometimes I need to just cut them in half because I have to play with the layout - I'm always placing them in the wrong position as it is!

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  5. Oh I like those blocks. Great idea with the charms. I have only ever done QSTs with layer cake squares.

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  6. I love those blocks! I think the scrappy bees are going to have fun with it!

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  7. Cool, and you know I love an HST or two xxx

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  8. that is going to be a lovely quilt!

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  9. These look great. I still hate HSTs thought lol. I'm saving my charms for my Brit Bee ladies, they don't know what they're in for...

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  10. These look great and I've never thought of doing QST with charm squares!

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  11. what a nifty way to make the hst, I am so going to try that!

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  12. I was just wondering that to do with my large heap of charms :-)

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  13. A great way of using up charms! Jxo

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  14. Cute block Nicky. I plan to make your block tomorrow ; )

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  15. These look great.should finished top should be fab

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  16. Great tutorial Nicky! Thanks a lot. What an interesting way of making these HSTs. I think I can do that ;-)

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  17. Looks like a fun block! Great idea for charm packs!

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  18. These look great, Nicky, and looking at your tute maybe not too tricky (touch wood!) Hope to get started on some soon :)

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