Smitten Quilt Along : Small Block Six

Hey everyone!  How are your Smitten quilts coming along?  We are coming to a close on the quilt along ... I know I have a few blocks to catch up on!  But this month's little block is certainly pretty quick and easy even though it looks like it might not be.  No Y-Seams!  :-)

For more details on the Smitten Quilt Along, visit this post here for dates and supplies, etc.  If you haven't purchased templates, go ahead and make your's using the pattern and template plastic or other material of your choice.  (Be sure to add the seam allowance if making your own templates.)

This month is our last tutorial and its Small Block Six ... 

Cut out your fabrics and then mark your pieces.  (I actually chose not to mark this time for two reasons: (1) there are no y-seams and the clipped corners help me line things up and (2) I am pretty comfortable sewing these now!)  Then lay out your block in a pleasing arrangement.  Here, I am just using two main prints and alternating them with a "background."

First, we need to make the pieced triangles.  We'll sew edge-to-edge to join them... one triangle to the diamond at a time.  I also backstitched at the beginning and ends as I chain pieced them.

Then the second triangle to the diamond. I pressed toward the triangles in both steps.

Next, sew two sets of triangles together.  You can sew edge-to-edge since there are no Y-seams in this one! (yay!)

Press and then get ready to add the third triangle to each pair. 

Again, we'll sew edge-to-edge since we won't have to join the two halves with y-seams. 
You'll have two halves like this.  If you are using two alternating prints, they'll be opposite of each other like shown. 

Pin the two halves together and sew your last seam. (I put a pin through the intersections to help line things up nicely. See block four here ... its just like last month!) 

Viola!  Really easy block!  :-)  You need seven of these cuties.

I am still working on completing all my blocks and will need join my small hexagons into bigger ones as well as make the half blocks necessary.  I'll share more of those soon!

I hope these photos were helpful to you...  I can't wait to make a few more myself and to see your's too! Don't forget to use #smittenquilt and #smittenquiltqal on Instagram. :-)

If you have questions, leave a comment, email me or tag me on IG!

Happy Sewing!  :)

Smitten Quilt Along : Small Blocks Four and Five

Hey everyone!  How are your Smitten quilts coming along?  I am sorry I was running late this month getting this posted.  I got distracted with my Thimble Blossoms Scrappy sampler.  In all honestly, these two little blocks took no time at all and were really easy once I finally sat down to make them!

For more details on the Smitten Quilt Along, visit this post here for dates and supplies, etc.  If you haven't purchased templates, go ahead and make your's using the pattern and template plastic or other material of your choice.  (Be sure to add the seam allowance if making your own templates.)

We will start with Small Block Four ... 

Cut out your fabrics and then mark your pieces.  Mark the wrong side of your fabric pieces with dots where the 1/4" seams would meet.  (The acrylic templates have holes, making this super easy!) Alternatively, you could use your ruler and pen to draw lines along the seam allowances to mark your start and stop points.

Lay out your block in a pleasing arrangement.  Here, I am just using two prints and alternating them. 

Next, sew two sets of triangles together.  You can sew edge-to-edge since there are no Y-seams in this one! (yay!)

Press and then get ready to add the third triangle to each pair. 

Again, we'll sew edge-to-edge since we won't have to join the two halves with y-seams. 

You'll have two halves like this.  If you are using two alternating prints, they'll be opposite of each other like shown. 

Pin the two halves together.  I put a pin through the intersections to help line things up nicely. 

Viola!  Really easy block!  :-)  You need four of these cuties.

Next up ... Small Block Five. 

Cut out your fabrics and then mark your pieces.  Mark the wrong side of your fabric pieces with dots where the 1/4" seams would meet.  (The acrylic templates have holes, making this super easy!) Alternatively, you could use your ruler and pen to draw lines along the seam allowances to mark your start and stop points.

I elected to fussy cut all three diamonds from the same fabric for this particular block.  But you could do three prints in the same colorway or whatever you like!

Next, sew two diamonds together.  You'll sew from the outer edge (left) to the dots in the center of the block (right). Be sure to backstitch at the dots. 

Your diamonds should look like the photo below. Next, you'll attach the third diamond by sewing from the center dots all the way to the outside edges. 

When sewing on the second side, be sure you you move the opposing diamond out of the way so it doesn't get caught in your stitching. 

All done!  Quick and easy!  I pressed all the seams in one direction going around the block (clockwise). 

You'll need eight of these pretties!  

I am hoping to get caught up in the next few weeks with all my blocks so far.  Don't forget to use #smittenquilt and #smittenquiltqal on Instagram. :-)

If you have questions, leave a comment, email me or tag me on IG!

Happy Sewing!  :)

Smitten Quilt Along : Large Block Four and Small Block Two

Hey everyone!  I hope you are ready for more y-seams!  :-)  This month we are working on Large Block Four AND Small Block Two.  Small Block Two is the center of Large Block Four.  The best part is that once you finish the center of the Large Block, you can piece the rest with no Y-seams! :-) 

For more details on the Smitten Quilt Along, visit this post here for dates and supplies, etc.  If you haven't purchased templates, go ahead and make your's using the pattern and template plastic or other material of your choice.  (Be sure to add the seam allowance if making your own templates.)

Note:  I glue baste my pieces.  I didn't take pictures of this for this month, as I shared them in the first month's post. 

Cut out your fabrics and then mark your pieces!  It's all about connecting the dots!  Mark the wrong side of your fabric pieces with dots where the 1/4" seams would meet.  (The acrylic templates have holes, making this super easy!) Alternatively, you could use your ruler and pen to draw lines along the seam allowances to mark your start and stop points.

Sew the half hexagons into two sets of three pieces. Sew from the outer edges to the inner dots. Then attach the two units to the center. This is just like we've done in previous blocks. 

Your finished center section will look like this.  I pressed toward the center. This completes the Small Block Twos.  It is also the center of the Large Block Four.

To make the Large Block Four, you need six triangles and six diamonds.  Lay them out as shown below.

We're going to assemble this without Y-seams.  So sew edge to edge!  Start by sewing a triangle to the upper left and lower right sides of the center as shown below. Press toward the triangles.

Next, sew a triangle to a diamond as shown below.  Make two units.  Press toward the triangles.

Attach these triangle/diamond units to the center hexagon.  Press away from the center.

Now, you should have a triangle and two diamonds left for each of the remaining two sides.

Attach the triangles to one diamond and then to the other.  Press toward the triangle for both seams.

Sew the remaining sides to the center hexagon.

You'll be lining up the edges as shown below.

Press away from the center hexagon.   And you're all finished!

Now plan and sew some more ... you need 2 completed Large Block Fours and 6 Small Block Twos.

And that's it!  You're done!  Yippee!

I hope these photos were helpful to you...  I can't wait to make a few more myself and to see your's too! Don't forget to use #smittenquilt and #smittenquiltqal on Instagram. :-)

If you have questions, leave a comment, email me or tag me on IG!

Happy Sewing!  :)

Smitten Quilt Along : Large Block Two

Hey everyone!  I hope you are ready for more y-seams!  :-)  The Large Block Two comes together similar to last month's.  But with a few less pieces, its pretty fast ... especially since you've got the y-seam down now, right?! ;-) 

For more details on the Smitten Quilt Along, visit this post here for dates and supplies, etc.  If you haven't purchased templates, go ahead and make your's using the pattern and template plastic or other material of your choice.  (Be sure to add the seam allowance if making your own templates.)

Note:  I glue baste my pieces.  I didn't take pictures of this for this month, as I shared them in the post about last month's blocks. 

Don't forget to mark your pieces!  It's all about connecting the dots!  Mark the wrong side of your fabric pieces with dots where the 1/4" seams would meet.  (The acrylic templates have holes, making this super easy!) Alternatively, you could use your ruler and pen to draw lines along the seam allowances to mark your start and stop points.

We'll use these dots as our start and stop points for sewing. Sew a 1/4" seam and always backstitch to secure, but don't sew past the dots, unless we are sewing to the edge.  (You'd sew to the edge when the seam is not part of a Y-seam intersection... this will hopefully make more sense in pictures below.)


Start by sewing the triangles to six hexagons.  Go ahead and chain piece these - these seams are not part of a Y-seam, so they can be sewn from edge to edge. 

Press toward the triangles once sewn. 

Next, we'll join together the hexagon-triangle units into two sets of three units.  You'll sew dot-to-dot to join these units. 

Then its time to add a diamond in each exterior opening, which complete the overall hexagon shape of the finished block. You'll be sewing from the inside dot (at the Y-seam) all the way to the exterior edge.  

Add in a diamond on the opposite side to finish the half unit.  Repeat with the other trio of hexagon-triangle units.

Join each half to the center hexagon just like we did with Large Block One.  We're sewing dot to dot to join to the center hexagon.

You'll join the sides of the two halves (again - just like last month with Large Block One), sewing dot to dot. Then sew in the remaining two side diamonds just as you did before - sewing from the inner dot to the exterior edge. 

I pressed all my seams in the same direction - refer to the photo below. 

And that's it!  You're done!  Yippee!

Now plan and sew four more ... you need 5 completed Large Block Twos.

I hope these photos were helpful to you...  I can't wait to make a few more myself and to see your's too! Don't forget to use #smittenquilt and #smittenquiltqal on Instagram. :-)

If you have questions, leave a comment, email me or tag me on IG!

Happy Sewing!  :)

We're on the Moda Bake Shop!

Happy Friday!

We're thrilled to share our first Moda Bake Shop project with you all today!

Go check out the tutorial for this fast and fun quilt.  (I literally made it in one day ... a fairly long day, but one day no less!  :-)  I'll show you how to machine piece hexies and all you need is 6 blocks and borders for this lap quilt!

We even have a few kits if you love it as much as I do!

Happy Sewing!  :-)