South By Southwest, the Pattern

South By Southwest

By Elaine Rutledge, © 2018

(re: the copyright – this pattern may be shared freely but may not be sold)

(Made using 2.5" strips, except the center of the center, which is cut 4.5" square)

Angled 45 degree Cuts are named by the direction they slant

Each larger unit will have all four corners the same color.

Then they are assembled alternating with a second color to form the 4 Patch Accent.

All units must have the same color placement for the flying geese to provide contrast.

FG = Flying Geese

Making the center

Sew the brown FG to the turquoise corner. Make 4 for each larger unit. For the second block,

Sew the brown FG to the Dark Brown corner. Make 4.

Sew the turquoise FG to the 4.5” square. Then sew to the brown FG.

Sew the 4.5” NW to the left of the center. The unit is made with a background, and a print each cut

With a NW slant, and stitched.

The 6.5 print/4.5 background piece added. It is made by cutting 6.5 strip, and a 4.5 strip, that when sewn on the NE angle, will measure 8.5”. The 6.5” measurement refers to the longest edge of the piece, if cut using a template.

The medium brown NW piece added, then the medium teal NE piece completes one fourth of the block. It should measure 10-1/2" including seam allowance

If you wish to make templates, download the Quilt Assistant, and draw the block in the

“Regular Pattern” option.

After you draw and color the block, according to the instructions provided with the software,

You can PRINT – Calculate Yardage! – Print SUPER ACCURATE TEMPLATES –

I tried making my own templates…(arrgh. Not Good). So, I printed the templates in Quilt Assistant, cut

them out and glued them to my template plastic, (the old-fashioned kind from Collins,

 that will melt if you try to iron over it.) If you cut down a piece of cheap white construction paper to 

print templates – the paper has “tooth” - it will slide less on the fabric. Using a 1/16^th hole punch,

I made the holes at each stitching intersection and asterisk on the template – to guide the machine,

stitching sewing dot to dot, ignoring seam allowance, and using a wider presser foot for more control.

I was afraid that making my templates, cutting/marking each piece would be too fiddly, but it really beats having to trim to size (maybe not the SAME size accurately.) It was so satisfying to lay the block next to my two tape measures, and have it the right size.

Assembling the Quilt

Blocks Set on Point

Note that corners are 2 halves of one quarter block. Side triangles are two quarter blocks, with one cut in half and sewn to the other quarter block.

Tame the Bias Edges!!

The dark brown border is Kona Cotton. I had 4 yards that I cut 3” strips on the lengthwise grain for stability (the lengthwise grain stretches less than the crosswise grain.) Three strips joined surrounded the quilt with some left over.

1.       Measure 14.25” on the border strip, and mark with a pin – Let’s call the point “A”.

2.       On the quilt, put a ruler down with the edge aligned with the corners, and pin alongside the ruler on the edge. Call it point “B”.

3.       Pin the border to the quilt, matching points A and B.

4.       Gently ease any quilt fullness into the border and pin. I had to go to the machine a couple of times to correct a poorly sewn seam. Steam set the section of border. Cover with something to absorb the heat and moisture and allow to cool and dry.

To absorb the heat and moisture, I have used:

A section of unfinished wood (1 X 2 or 2 X 4)

The cardboard from the back of a used tablet, weighted with a book

Brown Kraft paper, weighted with a book

The weight doesn’t have to be heavy. I don’t use a weight with the section of wood.

If an area of bias has stretched – you can resew to take up the excess. I prefer to guide it back to shape with the steam iron: gently moving the iron with the grain of fabric, first lengthwise, then crosswise…as many times as necessary until the ruffles flatten.

The Organized Quilt Maker!

Next to my sewing machine, I placed a sturdy TV table to hold a pressing board,
with a small cutting mat, and small iron.
The strip sets were pinned to the edge of the board,
 and when I wanted to cut one, I would lay that strip on the mat, and cut, then let it fall.
After stitching, I was ready to press without leaving my chair.