Kari Schell On Point Quilter Blog

Reflections on Folded Corners

5/2/2015

Traditional Folded Corner. The line highlighted in blue is the sewing line.

Traditional Folded Corner Finished

Back when I started quilting, I had a book from Mary Ellen Hopkins entitled "It's OK if you Sit on My Quilt Book". In this book she introduced the quilting world to connector corners. I think this may have been one of the techniques that revolutionized modern day quilting. Over the years I have heard a number of names for the technique including "cheater corner" and "folded corner".

The technique refers to a method of adding triangles to a quilt block. It is frequently the suggested method for creating snowball blocks, square within a square units and flying geese units. Although I've used the technique over the years, I found that I would have some fabric slippage or I would stretch the fabric in the pressing process -- resulting in less than perfect results.

A couple of years ago I was introduced to the Perfect Corner Ruler™. It is built off the folded corner concept. However this variation on the technique gets rid of some of the challenges with folded corners.

The Perfect Corner Method™ and Ruler™ were both developed by
Ruthanna Grihalva, Forever In Stitches, LLC.

Perfect Corner Tool

Using the Perfect Corner Ruler

I used the Perfect Corner ruler in my Tad, Ted and Theodore Bowtie pattern. The example below is for the "Theodore" unit in this pattern.

Using the ruler, draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the base piece of fabric (this is the piece the corner will be added to). The measurement to use for this line is exactly the same as your folded corner measurement. (For the Theodore unit this is 2".)

Theodore Perfect Corner Line

Cut corners. The square for these corners will be 3/4" greater than the folded corner square. For Theodore this was 2-3/4" x 2-3/4". Cut the square once on the diagonal for two corner pieces.

Place one of the Corner Triangles underneath the Base unit as shown. The right sides of the fabric will be together and the wrong side of the Base unit will be up. Make sure that about ¼” of the Corner Triangle extends beyond the sewing line for the seam allowance.

Sew on the drawn line.

Fold the Corner Triangle into position. An added benefit is that the seam allowance can be pressed either away from or towards the corner.

Finished Theodore unit after trim-down

Here is the MAGIC! Align a square ruler to the original size of the Base Unit and trim off the excess Corner Triangle fabric.

Finish by folding the Corner Triangle down out of the way and trimming the excess base unit fabric.

Using the Corner Pop Ruler

Approximately six months ago Deb Tucker came out with her version of a "folded corner" ruler. Corner Pop™ from Studio 180 Design is used for folded corner units. Using this tool you will trim rather than mark, add an oversized replacement triangle and then square everything to a perfect size.

Deb Tucker's Corner Pop Ruler

This tool is featured in my latest pattern - Ferris Wheel. This pattern would have traditionally called for a 2 inch folded corner. Here is how I used the Corner Pop tool.

Use the 1 1/2″ Cut Away lines on the Corner Pop™ to cut one corner on a half-square triangle unit.

The square for these corners will be 3/4" greater than the folded corner square. (For this unit, the square is 2-3/4" x 2-3/4".) Cut each corner squre once on the diagonal to create two half-square triangles.

With the half square triangle unit on top, sew (using an accurate 1/4″ seam) the corner triangle to the half square triangle.

Press either direction. Trim the added corner triangle using the 1 1/2″ Corner Trim Down line on the Corner Pop™. Trim the top and right sides.

Here is one of the finished units from a Ferris Wheel block.

Folded Corner Poll

Inquiring minds what to know....what methods you have tried -- and if you have tried multiple methods, which one do you prefer. Poll selections are confidential.

Featured Pattern - Ferris Wheel

When going to the fair as a child, the ferris wheel was my favorite ride. I loved the view at the top and enjoyed colorful lights late at night. This quilt can be made with 8 fabrics or the medium and dark fabrics may be made from scraps. If made from scraps, Charms work for the Dark; and Fat Eighths or Fat Quarters for Medium 1 and 2.

Ferris Wheel Pattern by On Point Quilter

Finished sizes:

Wall Hanging (36″ x 36″)
Lap (66″ x 90″)
Queen (90″ x 90″)
King (114″ x 114″)

Recommended (optional) Tools:

Tucker Trimmer™ by Studio 180 Design
Corner Pop™ by Studio 180 Design

To make construction easier, sections in the quilt use oversized piecing along with the mentioned specialty rulers. If you chose not to use the specialty rulers, alternate instructions are provided.

Happy quilting.

Kari

Sign up for my newsletter to stay current on what's happening in my studio and learn more quilting tips. As a thank you, I'll send you a FREE pattern for this small maple leaf quilt.

Alternative to Using Specialty Rulers

4/18/2015

Many of you know that I am a huge fan of specialty rulers. I love the concept of using tools to improve my accuracy in piecing quilts.

This week someone asked if my patterns could be done without the specialty rulers. The answer is a resounding yes. I always include alternate instructions for those that choose not to use the mentioned rulers. For this weeks blog, I thought I would share specifics about the quarter square triangle unit from my latest pattern Modern Maze.

Modern Maze by Kari Schell

When using a standard ruler, I suggest adding additional lines to aid in fabric placement and cutting. I like to mark these lines with a fine point Sharpie marker. Since a Sharpie make “permanent” marks, I start by lining my ruler with Invisigrip. Invisigrip™ is a clear, non-slip material that is applied to rulers and templates to prevent rulers from slipping when rotary cutting. It is made by Omnigrid®.

Here is how to use Invisigrip.

Unroll Invisigrip onto your rotary cutting mat with Invisigrip facing up.
Position ruler over Invisigrip and rotary cut based on the size of your ruler. Since it tends to curl, I found it useful to use some tools around my quilting room to hold the Invisigrip in place.
Peel off the paper backing and apply Invisigrip to the under side of your ruler and press out any wrinkles for a smooth surface. (OK – this one was hard to photograph – since the piece is “invisible”.)

Now draw the prescribed lines on the Invisigrip side of your ruler.

For this unit, I started by marking the 3-1/2” marks on two sides to make a 3-1/2” square.

I then drew diagonal lines corner to corner.

Backside of ruler with all lines drawn on Invisigrip.

Once I pieced my unit, I could then trim.

For the first trim, match the diagonal lines of the unit with the diagonal lines of the ruler. Trim the top and right sides. The intersection of the diagonal line is the center of your block.

Rotate the unit 180 degrees. Then match up the newly cut edges with the 3-1/2” drawn lines. In addition, you should be able to line up the diagonal lines and center intersection as well. Trim the top and right sides.

Lines for first cut were highlighted on this photo.

Line up for second cut. For this cut you want to mach the outer edges in addition to the diagonal lines.

Voila! You now have a perfectly pieced quarter square triangle unit – ready for adding to your quilt.

As an added bonus, the Invisigrip is reusable for your next project. To get rid the the Sharpie marker lines, use a cotton ball saturated with rubbing alcohol. You do have to rub a bit (maybe that is why it is called rubbing alcohol).

Featured Quilt - Modern Maze

Hot off the presses, the pattern for Modern Maze is now available for purchase. For those that collect charm packs, this quilt is charm friendly!

Create your own maze with these asymmetrical blocks. There are endless rotation possibilities. The quilt may be completed with four fabrics or may be made from scraps (or with charm packs).
Finished sizes:

Wall Hanging (50 x 50)
Lap (70 x 90)
Full (80 x 90)
Queen (100 x 100)

Recommended (optional) Tools:

Tucker Trimmer 1™

Magic Binding with Flange

1/10/2015

Someone had shared with me a post over a year ago for a “magic binding”. I had successfully used the technique on a charity quilt, posted about it, and then forgot it. A month ago a friend showed me a quilt she did with the technique and reminded me that I had written about it on my blog. Thanks Erin for the reminder.

Since I am currently finishing up a number of baby quilts and a number of Triangle Frenzy table toppers, this was a good opportunity for me to get caught up on my binding. So I thought I would re-share the technique, with a few more photos and suggestions for successfully creating this magic binding.

Step 1 - Calculate number of strips needed.

Measure the perimeter of the quilt. Divide by 40 and round up to the next whole number.

Step 2 - Cut the strips.

Binding fabric strips are cut at 1-1/4”. (Blue fabric in photo.)

Flange fabric strips are cut at 1-1/2”. (Red fabric in photo.)

For all strips, cut 45 degree angles on the ends. Keep my strips folded wrong sides together when making this cut.

Step 3 – Combine binding and flange strips for one long strip of each.

Because I folded the strips before cutting the 45 degree angle, the strips will all interlock. If one side doesn’t work, flip to the other side when piecing.

Step 4 - Combine both long strips together.

Step 5 - Cut a 45 degree angle on combined strips.

Step 6 - Press toward BINDING FABRIC.

Step 7 - Fold long piece in half wrong sides together and press again.

Step 8 - With flange side up, sew the flange on the BACK side of the quilt.

Step 9 – Combine beginning and end of binding.

Here is my tip for this step. Leave about a four inch tail before starting to stitch down the binding. Start stitching in the middle of one of the sides. When you are about eight inches from the start, lay the binding flat and mark the point the end matches the start of the binding. Also draw a short mark that shows the “angle direction” of the starting piece.

Open the binding and match the 45 degree angle on a ruler with the bottom of the binding. The pencil mark should be at the 3/8 inch mark on the ruler. (Technically this should be ½ inch – but because we are working with bias, I have found more success making it a bit smaller.) Cut the 45 degree angle.

Now sew the start and finish pieces together with ¼ inch seam. You should now be able to sew the continuous binding down with no gaps or extra bulk.

Step 10 - Press binding toward the quilt front and pin in place.

The flange should extend slightly beyond the ¼ inch sewing line. I like to use the red Clover Wonder clips to hold the binding in place until I can sew it down.

Step 11 - Stitch in the ditch on the flange.

Change thread on the machine so the top thread matches the flange cover (dark blue) and the bottom thread matches the backing fabric or the quilting thread used for the back of the quilt (light blue in my example).

Here are a few additional Triangle Frenzy quilts with the Magic Binding. These were made using the Triangle Frenzy patterns by Bunnie Clealand and are a great way to use border fabrics.

Studio Spotlight Blog Hop

Would you like to see my studio? I will be participating in a blog hop with 10 designers where we will each share a tour of our work pace. There are lots of fun giveaways. A list of the participating designers is included in the link below.

I'm hoping you can join the fun.

Click on this link for all participating designers.

Happy quilting.

Kari

Sign up for my newsletter to stay current on what's happening in my studio and learn more quilting tips. As a thank you, I'll send you a FREE pattern for this small maple leaf quilt.

Quilting a Leaf Quilt

10/11/2014

6 Comments

The leaves have been gorgeous this fall. I'm hoping to get out for a nice walk later today to enjoy the beauty.

Of course my favorite leaves are those in a quilt. The following sampler quilt top has a wonderful fall theme and was provided by Beth R - who indicated that she wanted "medium custom". For this week's post, I want to walk through how I decided to quilt it. Even if not doing a leaf quilt, this can assist you in analyzing your own quilts.

The theme for this quilt definitely needed to be "leaves". There are a number of different spaces that need to be filled and I also needed to address how I wanted to quilt each of the sampler blocks.

I started by going back to my library of quilting books for inspiration. In looking at "Machine Freehand Patterns" by Nan Moore, I discovered a few pages of freehand leaf designs. The beauty with using my Art and Stitch software is that I only have to draw "one" leaf and then I can modify for designs I can use on my Intelliquilter. If you don't have a computerized system, these designs could also be done freehand.

Here is what I came up with for spaces 1, 3 and 4. A wreath (or partial wreath) of oak leaves.

My Initial Oak Leaf

Corner Triangle

Half Squares

Oak Leaf Wreath Quilting Pattern

For a free quilting pattern this week, I decided to give you the oak leaf wreath. Click here for a pdf of the pattern. Click here for the Art and Stitch file.

For space five I decided to go with another leaf variation. This one could be used as a point to point design as well. I like that I can stretch this (or shorten this) to fill a space.

Leaf quilting for Sashing or Skinny Border

For the sashing I wanted a very simple leaf with vine that could come together in the corner.

Leaf Quilting for Sahsing or Skinny Borders

For the border, I will use a design that came with my Intelliquilter, Falling Leaves by Dave Hudson.

Now for the sampler blocks. There were a number that were based on an eight pointed star, so I came up with a leaf that could be flipped and rotated to fill the space. For the backgrounds, I will use a point to point arc and do that directly on my longarm.

Leaf Block Quilting Option

Eight Pointed Star Quilting Option with Leaves

There were a couple of additional blocks that I designed some other quilt patterns around a leaf. The second design was inspired by the "Leaf Flower" in Patterns by Helen on my Intelliquilter.

Will add point to point arcs in the corners to fill the background space.

For the leaf blocks, I wanted some leaf like texture or veins. The "S Curve" option was inspired from a book by Deloa Jones. All of these blocks will also have "arcs" in the background spaces.

I hope this provides some inspiration when quilting your next leaf quilt. Here are some photos of the finished quilt. I used a rust thread for much of the quilt -- which of course means the quilting is only visible on the back. But you can see more of the quilting in the close-ups.

Back of Quilt -- lightened to better see the quilting.

Happy quilting.

Kari

Sign up for my newsletter to stay current on what's happening in my studio and learn more quilting tips. As a thank you, I'll send you a FREE pattern for this small maple leaf quilt.

6 Comments

Come Said the Wind Pattern

9/6/2014

I am back!!!!

Who would have thought that vestibular nueritis could take so long to heal. I particularly appreciated my physical therapists that specialize in balance/dizzyness issues. They not only had me working on basic balance and visual exercises, but gave me a number of items to work on to simulate some of my skating and ice dancing moves. Although I am not yet at 100%, I am functioning and am very thankful for that.

Back to quilting.

Fall is in the air and I am excited to promote my pattern "Come Said the Wind". The pattern is centered around a poem/old children's song. There are two sizes (both wall hangings). The smallest could also be used as a placemat.

Come Said the Wind 33 x 33

Come Said the Wind 15 x 12

Do you prefer batiks or civil war for fall quilts? I couldn't decide so I needed to do one of each.

The blocks in the quilt are "small" --- but really cute. The maple leaf finishes to 3 inch and the Sycamore leaf to 4-1/4 inch. However, don't be intimidated by the size. There are lots of tips to ensure successful piecing of the project.

I provide instructions for using a number of specialty rulers/tools. These tools are optional. Instructions are also included for the traditional rulers.

Optional Specialty Rulers:

A number of people asked me how I created the center panel (with the poem). Instructions are in the pattern -- but I also wanted to provide a video.

I also have a free handout explaining the technique.

These free pdf files of the verse are also available for Come Said the Wind pattern.

Large wallhanging. Set paper size to 12" x 18". Run a test copy before printing on fabric and measure to make sure poem will fit in finished cut piece of 17-1/2" x 9". This will only work on a large carriage printer.
Small wallhanging. Run a test copy before printing on fabric. Outside lines should be 6-1/2" x 9-1/2". Print on letter paper.

The full pattern can be purchased through the Shopping Section of my website. Because I am excited to be back blogging again, I thought I would offer a sale on the pattern. It will be $7 (regularly $10) for the next week.

Come Said the Wind pattern

Happy quilting.

Kari

Sign up for my newsletter to stay current on what's happening in my studio and learn more quilting tips. As a thank you, I'll send you a FREE pattern for this small maple leaf quilt.

<<Previous

Reflections on Folded Corners

Using the Perfect Corner Ruler

Using the Corner Pop Ruler

Folded Corner Poll

Featured Pattern - Ferris Wheel

Alternative to Using Specialty Rulers

Featured Quilt - Modern Maze

Magic Binding with Flange

Studio Spotlight Blog Hop

Quilting a Leaf Quilt

Come Said the Wind Pattern

Kari Schell

Categories

Archives

Reflections on Folded Corners

Using the Perfect Corner Ruler

Using the Corner Pop Ruler

Folded Corner Poll

Featured Pattern - Ferris Wheel

Alternative to Using Specialty Rulers

Featured Quilt - Modern Maze

Magic Binding with Flange

Studio Spotlight Blog Hop

Quilting a Leaf Quilt

Come Said the Wind Pattern

Kari Schell

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