Cain - Go big, go bold, large-scale modern quilts: 10 projects--quick to cut--fast to sew

PUBLISHER: Amy Marson

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Gailen Runge

ART DIRECTOR: Kristy Zacharias

EDITOR: Lynn Koolish

TECHNICAL EDITORS: Ellen Pahl and Debbie Rodgers

COVER DESIGNER: April Mostek

BOOK DESIGNER: Christina Jarumay Fox

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: Freesia Pearson Blizard

PRODUCTION EDITOR: Joanna Burgarino

ILLUSTRATOR: Jenny Davis

PHOTO ASSISTANT: Mary Peyton Peppo

Style photography by Nissa Brehmer and instructional photography by Diane Pedersen, unless otherwise noted

Published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my mother, Helen Summers, who was so thoughtful when planting the sewing seed in me many years ago.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to the following manufacturers who kindly provided many of the materials used for the projects in this book: Andover Fabrics, Coats and Clark, Michael Miller Fabrics, Riley Blake Designs, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, The Warm Company, and Westminster Fibers / Lifestyle Fabrics.

A very special thank-you to my husband, John Cain, for his continuing patience, encouragement, and support of anything I get myself into.

Introduction

Ask 100 quilters to define modern quilting and youll get 100 different answers, the majority of them relating to the final productimprovisational, asymmetrical, bold, minimalist, borderless, just to name a few. While modern quilting is certainly about what the quilts look like, its just as much about the process of quilting. For me, modern quilting is about using modern tools, techniques, and computer technology for learning, collaborating, and acquiring materials. Its about making efficient use of what little spare time we have to indulge ourselves in our favorite activity. Modern quilting is about the modernization of a traditional craft to make it more compatible with our contemporary lifestyles.

Whether youve just begun to make quilts or you are very experienced, you are a quilter who is living in todays busy society. Along with that, you have a few conditions that need to be met:

You want to make the best use of the time you have available for quilting.

You want to enjoy the process of making a quilt.

You want to finish your quilt sooner rather than later.

You want a quilt that is worthy of your efforts.

This book will allow you to meet those needs by teaching you to easily make bold graphic quilts for you, your family, and your friends to enjoy. The pattern pieces are much larger than their traditional counterparts, so they are quick to cut and quick to sew together. They provide the perfect spaces to showcase your favorite fabrics and quilting designs. As a bonus, the quilts have pieced backings that also exhibit big, bold character. Each backing displays a graphic pieced strip that echoes the quilt top and is flanked with a coordinating print fabric. This lets you feature either side; making these quilts essentially reversible. Choose your favorite sideyoull have two quilts in one!

Lets get started. Be bold!

Barbara Cain

P. S. If you are a beginning quiltmaker, take a look at Quiltmaking Basics and the Glossarythese sections will provide all the information you need to make the quilts in this book.

Helpful Tips

and Techniques

Staying Organized

The fabrics for each project are numbered to make it easier for you to use the color palette of your choice. To keep organized while you are working, make a fabric numbering reference sheet for each quilt that you make. Cut a snippet from each fabric, staple the snippets to a sheet of paper, and label each accordingly. This reference will help you in quickly identifying each of your fabrics and will help prevent cutting and sewing errors.

Keep your cut fabric organized by labeling your cut pieces as indicated in the cutting charts. Make labels using scraps of paper and attach them with straight pins to the cut stacks of fabrics.

Woven fabrics stretch more and handle differently when cut crosswise (along the weft) than they do when cut lengthwise (along the warp). Two pieces of the same fabric can also appear slightly different when oriented perpendicular to each other. To keep your quilt looking uniform, stack squares cut from solids and nondirectional prints in the same direction and with right sides up. Use your label to denote orientation. This will help prevent you from inadvertently rotating the cuts.

Solid fabrics are included in most of the quilts shown in the book. While many solids are reversible, some are not. Labeling your cuts will also help you to ensure that you dont mistake the wrong side of a solid fabric for the right side.

Piecing the Quilt Backs

All the quilt backs for the projects in this book are pieced and will create a reversible quilt. They are also made 4 larger than the quilt top on all four sides. The extra dimension is necessary to provide some wiggle room while basting and quilting.

After quilting and before binding, the excess is trimmed away. Youll cut the pieces for the back at the same time as the front. The cutting for both the top and back is included in each cutting chart.

Making and Using Templates

You will need to make cutting templates for the projects that are based on triangles. You can use the same templates for both the lap- and the twin-size quilts for each design.

Referring to the dimensions given in each project, use a ruler, square, and permanent marker to draw each of the templates onto mat board, poster board, or heavy cardboard.

Depending on your level of confidence with rotary-cutting tools and the thickness of the template material you are using, cut along the drawn lines with a rotary cutter, craft knife, or box cutter, along with a ruler and cutting mat. If your template material is thin enough, you can cut with scissors.

Trace around the template onto the right side of the appropriate fabric. Make the most efficient use of your fabric by rotating the template when tracing.

Place the fabric on a cutting mat and use a ruler and rotary cutter to cut along the traced lines to cut the individual pieces. For quilts that require the same cuts from 2 or more fabrics, you can cut more than one piece at a time by layering the fabrics, keeping the marked fabric on top, and then cutting through the stack. To maintain accuracy when cutting, its best to limit the stack to 3 layers of fabric.

Note: Cutting diagrams are included for quilts made with triangles. Refer to Cutting Diagrams for Selected Quilts.

Working with Bias Edges

Triangles have bias-cut edges that make them vulnerable to stretching and distortion. To maintain the shape of bias-cut pieces, use spray starch and press the fabrics prior to marking and cutting. Always handle these pieces very gently when pressing, pinning, and sewing. When using starch, its a good idea to wash the quilt after its quilted and bound.

Big Blocks lap-size quiltIceland palette, made by Barbara Cain