Jaybird Quilts

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Splash!

I have a new quilt pattern to share with you today! Introducing Splash! You can get the PDF quilt pattern here.

Quilt Details

Fabric is Kona Solids by Robert Kaufman

Pattern - Splash, JBQ 153

Quilted by Angela Walters

Started on 2/13/15

Finished on 3/6/15

Quilt measures - 49" x 68"

Splash is made using my Hex N More ruler (click the link to the ruler to see the video tutorial on how to use it).

Ready for some outtakes from our cover photo shoot? Sometimes we get lucky and only need to go to one location, but often we end up shooting in a few places!

Since this quilt was inspired by our wedding colors it was only fitting to bring it along on our honeymoon to photograph. (Don't worry I did check with Lawrence first and he was on board with the plan!)

When I found this tree I thought this was going to be the spot.

We had to fight some wind...

The photos are good, but the lighting was harsh on the quilt top.

Did we get the shot yet?

The water was really pretty in person but it just didn't photograph as well as I hoped.

We wandered around the resort looking for options.

Again I had high hopes for the water, but the rocks just looked painful.

We went inside for a bit and I was able to take a few photos for Instagram. You can also see Stereo and Science fair in this photo.

We realized it was probably best to just head to the beach and that is where we had success!

If only my leg wasn't so awkward in this photo!

The lighting made the photos look a bit vintage.

You can see my pieced quilt back in this photo. The label is hiding behind me.

You can really see the entire quilt in this photo. Check out my tutorial on how to bind quilts with 120-degree angles to finish this quilt.

Fighting the wind!

We also took some time to snap some photos of all 3 quilts we brought to Hawaii.

Happiness = A successful photo shoot!

After we had the cover photo done we discovered this waterfall and had to take a few photos since the quilt is named Splash!

Lawrence was actually across the lagoon and pretty far from me. The water was really loud so we developed hand signals before he headed across the lagoon!

I just love these few photos!!

The pattern is printed in full color, and it includes templates. Plus there's no Y seams!
It has 5 sizes: baby, lap, twin, queen, king.

Splash will ship to shops in early June. Be sure to share your Splash quilts on social media using #SplashQuilt. I can't wait to see what you make!

Monday, May 11, 2015

Picnic Placemat Tutorial

I was inspired by the new Kiss the Cook fabric line for Dear Stella to make a BBQ themed project to use on my patio this summer.

Picnic Placemat - Finished size 12" x 21"

1. Placemat designed, pieced & quilted by Julie Herman

2. Aurifil 50wt thread used for piecing & quilting.

3. Batting is Warm Blend from The Warm Company.

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Supplies for TWO placemats:

6 assorted Fat Eighths
3/8 Yard of binding
2/3 Yard of backing
2/3 Yard of Slicker by Sew Lazy (Optional)
Spray Baste (optional)
Batting
Ruler - Hex N More, Sidekick or Super Sidekick

Directions to make ONE placemat

1. Cut a 3 1/2" x 21" strip of fabric from each Fat Eighth.

2. Sub-cut strips into 3 1/2" triangles. You can use the Hex N More, Sidekick or Super Sidekick. You need 40 triangles for each placemat.

You'll need 40 triangles for each placemat. You can choose to be scrappy or plan out your layout. If you want to follow the layout I used, cut the number of triangles from each fabric as shown below.

2. Arrange 40 triangles as shown.

3. Sew triangles into pairs. Align notched corners when possible. If you're having trouble aligning the triangles you can cut all the tips off, as seen here.

4. Sew pairs of triangles into complete rows.

5. Sew rows together to complete the top of the placemat.

6. Cut a rectangle of backing fabric - 15" x 24"

OPTIONAL
Add "Slicker" to create a laminated fabric backing for the placemat. I like to do this for placemats because when you have kids, or messy friends, around you can flip the placemat over and cleanup is super easy on the laminated side! (Follow manufacturers directions, this is just a sample below.)

7. Cut Slicker to the same size as the backing fabric for the placemat.

8. Peel slicker off paper and place sticky side down on fabric. Avoid getting any threads or dust between the slicker and fabric.

9. It will look something like this once the Slicker as been added to the backing fabric:

10. Place the paper shiny side down on top of the slicker. Use a dry iron on medium heat and press for about 8-10 seconds in each area. You don't need to use much pressure.

11. This is the result.

12. Layer the backing fabric, batting and placemat top. If you laminated your backing fabric it is best to spray baste them to avoid making holes in the slicker. If you didn't laminate your backing fabric you can pin the 3 layers together.

13. Quit as desired. I quilted straight lines 1/4" from each seam with a walking foot.

14. Add binding. I used 2 1/4" strips. You can find my binding tutorial here.

15. Wrap binding to the back and clip in place with Wonder Clips. Hand sew the binding in place to finish the placemat.

Enjoy!

Share your placemats with us on social media using #PicnicPlacemats. We can't wait to see what you come up with for yours!

© 2015-2022 Julie R. Herman. All rights reserved. No part of this tutorial or pattern may be reproduced without written consent of Jaybird Quilts. Items from this pattern may not be produced for commercial resale. For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day! Win a Super Sidekick Ruler!

Today is Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day! I'm giving away ONE sweet prize pack that includes my Gravity book, a Hex N More ruler & a Super Sidekick ruler! That is over $80 of goodies!!

The Gravity quilt features 9 unique blocks and they are all made using the Hex N More and Super Sidekick rulers. And there are no pesky Y seams! You'll make each block twice and use an array of 108 assorted 10" squares to make 18 blocks. You can learn more about the Kona Cotton colors I used in each block here:

The Rules

1. Leave ONE comment to enter. Make sure your contact info is in your profile or that you leave it in the comment.

2. In your comment tell us about your all time favorite quilting rulers to work with and why you love using them.

3. Comment entries must be left on this blog, www.jaybirdquilts.com, to be valid. Comments sent via E-mail, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media will not be counted.

4. Simple as that!!

You have till 5PM PST on Sunday, May 10th to enter.

Winner will be selected by

True Random Number Generator.

Good luck + thanks for stopping by today!

Monday, May 4, 2015

Gravity Quilt Block Colors - Block 4 Intergalactic

For those of you who are working on your Gravity quilt kits or block of the month programs, I thought it might be a good idea to have a some blog posts for those of you who are interested in making a spot on Gravity quilt.

You can find the colors for Block 1 here, Block 2 here, and Block 3 here.

To make Block 4, you will begin to work from the 2nd Ten-Square pack in the quilt kit. The fabrics are in order in the pack. The first 6 in the pack are fabrics A through F of Block 4, as noted in the book:

And so on for the next set of 6 fabrics in the pack to make the second Block 4:

Follow these images clockwise to see the names of the colors with a swatch, the letters correspond to the letter label of the fabrics to cut in the Gravity book:

As I mentioned in the Introduction of Gravity, the intention is that you will have fun making your Gravity quilt and have fun with the subtle color variations within the quilt blocks. There is no need to stress about precisely matching fabric or color placement from block to block.
The beauty of this design, and the variety of fabrics and colors used to create it, is that each quilt will take on a subtle and distinct look and feel of its own. With that in mind, for those of you who REALLY want to know which colors I used where, I hope you will find these posts to be helpful.
If you're looking to order a Gravity Quilt kit, they are available now from Fat Quarter Shop and Hawthorne Threads, as well as other local and online quilt shops.
Tell us in the comments below: Has working on your Gravity quilt inspired you to work with colors you wouldn't otherwise consider adding to rainbow quilts? Are your Gravity quilt blocks helping you to strengthen your color usage skills? Tell us all about it in the comments!
Remember to share your photos on social media with the #GravityQuilt tag & have fun!