Lammon - Simply modern Christmas : fresh quilting patterns for the holidays

Simply modern

FRESH QUILTING PATTERNS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Cindy Lammon

Simply Modern Christmas:
Fresh Quilting Patterns for the Holidays
2013 by Cindy Lammon

Martingale
19021 120th Ave. NE, Ste. 102
Bothell, WA 98011-9511 USA
ShopMartingale.com

eBook Edition: 2013

No part of this product may be reproduced in any form, unless otherwise stated, in which case reproduction is limited to the use of the purchaser. The written instructions, photographs, designs, projects, and patterns are intended for the personal, noncommercial use of the retail purchaser and are under federal copyright laws; they are not to be reproduced by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, including informational storage or retrieval systems, for commercial use. Permission is granted to photocopy patterns for the personal use of the retail purchaser. Attention teachers: Martingale encourages you to use this book for teaching, subject to the restrictions stated above.

The information in this book is presented in good faith, but no warranty is given nor results guaranteed. Since Martingale has no control over choice of materials or procedures, the company assumes no responsibility for the use of this information.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

eISBN: 978-1-60468-219-9

Original Source ISBN: 978-1-60468-218-2

dedication

To my granddaughters, Elyse and Madelyn, who remind me at Christmas, and every day, to delight in the simple things in life.

introduction

I love the Christmas holiday season and everything about it! Its a time filled with decorating, shopping, partying, eating, and creatingall of my favorite things. I also love traditions, and the Christmas season is certainly filled with them. But what if your style isnt traditional? What if your decor is simple, modern, and bright? Is there a way to maintain the traditions of the holidays but create quilts and accessories in a modern style? I think so!

I started out as a very traditional quilter. In recent years the modern quilting movement has definitely caught my eye and my heart. Im attracted to the clean and simple yet colorful style of modern quilting. Mix all that with some traditional designs, and I think you have the perfect recipe for some fresh and modern Christmas quilts.

As more and more designer fabric becomes readily available, combining contemporary fabric with simple traditional patterns becomes a snap. The added bonus of veering away from traditional Christmas designs is that, although these projects have a Christmassy feel, you can continue to enjoy them all year round. Most of the patterns will produce a stunning quilt made up in any fabric.

Ive included some very quick and easy projects, perfect for handmade gifts. A simple table runner (Simply Simple on ) both start with a gorgeous print. In fact, many of the projects allow a focus fabric (or two) to shine. Its a pretty simple formula: Find a great print, add some coordinates, and start some modern holiday sewing!

I hope your holiday season is simple, joyful, and filled with creative moments!

basic techniques

Knowing some basic quiltmaking methods will help everything run smoothly. The following techniques are used in many of the projects in this book. Youll also find free, downloadable information on more techniques at ShopMartingale.com/HowtoQuilt .

If youve been quilting for a while, youre probably used to pressing seam allowances to one side. Recently the trend has changed, and many modern quilters are pressing their seam allowances open, similar to techniques used in garment making. Ive come to discover that each technique has its advantage. Pressing seam allowances to one side can really help with matching seams when piecing. Pressing the seam allowances open has the advantage of flattening out the block a bit more than side-pressed seam allowances. For these reasons, I find myself using both techniques depending on the construction of the block, and youll find both methods used throughout this book.

A very common shape in quilt patterns, flying-geese units can sometimes be tricky to piece accurately. Rulers and techniques for making them abound in the quilting market. Ive used what I consider one of the simplest and most accurate techniques, but feel free to use whatever method you prefer. The finished size can easily be calculated by taking the size of the cut rectangle and subtracting " from the length and height. For example, a flying-geese unit thats made from a 2" x 4" rectangle will finish to 2" x 4".

Youll need one rectangle and two squares for each flying-geese unit.

Use your preferred marking tool to draw a line from corner to corner on the wrong side of the two squares.

Place one of the marked squares on one end of the rectangle, right sides together and edges even, noting the direction of the drawn line. Sew directly on the drawn line. Press the square in half along the seam line, toward the upper corner. The edges of the square should line up with the rectangle. Fold the square back and trim the seam allowances to " using a ruler and rotary cutter or scissors. Press the corner triangle back into place.

Place the second marked square on the opposite end of the rectangle, right sides together and edges even, noting the direction of the drawn line. Repeat the sewing, pressing and trimming techniques from step 2.

A square formed by sewing two half-square triangles together along the long edges is often called a half-square-triangle unit. Cutting the triangles oversized and then trimming the resulting square to the required dimensions will result in perfectly sized half-square-triangle units.