Saturday, November 23, 2013

The Quilty Barn Along - Fast and Easy Pinwheels Tutorial for the Vintagey Farm Girl Tractor Block !!!...


It's been a while since I've posted about my
Quilty Barn Along 
I posted when I finished the top of my quilt…
and sent it off to the quilters:)


Because I am getting my quilt back 
from the quilters anytime now…
I thought I would share
 with you how I finished
for the back…
and hopefully give you
 a few ideas on your label
 if you haven't done it yet!



The purpose for my quilt label was;
1. To document the name of the quilt along
2. Say who made the quilt
3. Year the quilt was made
4. To be a cute addition to the theme of the quilt:)



I thought it would be fun to embroider the info 
coming from the smoke stack of the tractor.
I just wrote the info with my mechanical pencil 
and my stitchy stunt double Kassidy embroidered it for me. 
The steering wheel is done with 
a satin stitch using 4 strands of floss:)


Of course she used my Stitchy Kit:)
Thanks Kass!!!


After the embroidery was complete…
I chose the backing and the binding for my quilt.
I used this cute baby chicks fabric in yellow
 by Whistler Studios for Windham Fabrics.
I'm going to use Sew Cherry red gingham
 (fabric designed by me for Riley Blake) for the binding.
I think it will look great with the red barns!


I wanted to add some colorful patchwork to the tractor block…
something that would make it look like
 a little quilt on the back of a big quilt!



I added a red inner border first.
If you remember…
unfinished size is 18 1/2" x 22 1/2".

I used 1/8 yard of red fabric by Cosmo Cricket for Moda.
I cut 2 strips 1 1/2" x 22 1/2" 
and sewed to the top and the bottom of the block.
Then I cut 2 1 1/2" x 20 1/2" and added to the sides.
I pressed my seams towards the red inner borders.

I used 1/4 yard of Classic Moda chicken wire fabric.
 I cut 4 - 2 1/2" x 24 1/2" 
I sewed 2 of them to the top and bottom first…
then added the remaining 2 on the sides.
I pressed towards chicken wire.



I decided to make my 
fast and easy pinwheel blocks
 for the patchwork border.

I thought they would represent 
the movement of the tractor wheels turning…

and also be cute and colorful
 around the tractor and 
against the yellow backing fabric!



I grabbed my 2 1/2" strips and squares basket from my quilty stash
to choose the fabrics.
I decided not to make any yellow pinwheels...
 so that they would not be lost against the
 yellow chick fabric on the back of the barn quilt:)



The colors that I used for the pinwheels
 are all in my barns on the front of the quilt….minus the yellow.
Red, aqua, green, brown, pink and gray.



I made 30 - 4" finished pinwheels.
I cut them all from my 2 1/2" quilty stash basket.
I just needed a 10" strip of fabric to cut 4 - 2 1/2" squares.
I cut and paired up the colored squares background squares.


For each pinwheel I cut;
 4 - 2 1/2" color print squares
and 4 - background print squares.


I chain pieced them and stitched
 a color to a background from corner to corner.


Trimmed off the excess about 1/4" past my stitching line...


and pressed them towards the colored triangle.
In no time I have 4 fast and easy
 1/2 square triangles to sew into a pinwheel!


I pressed these seams open for less bulk 
in the center of the pinwheel block and
 so that the pinwheel will be nice and flat:)


at this point it measures 4 1/2" square.

***TIP make sure that all 30 of your pinwheels
 have the dark and light triangles on the same side:)


The back of my block.


I continued sewing and chain piecing pinwheels until I had 30:)


I joined 6 of them and sewed to the sides…
and then joined 9 for the top and the bottom:)


I love me some scrappy happy pinwheels!!!
a classic block that I never get tired of sewing:)

Have a quilty kind of day!
xx
Lori



16 comments:

Terry Conner said...

I have to make one! Love it. Great job Lori.

Betty Woodlee said...

Love the barns, the pinwheels, and the tractor. Also love your toes just peeking into the pic of the finished tractor block. Your Pedi looks great too!

Unknown said...

I LOVE IT!! I embroidered my info and the steering wheel tonight. Can't wait to make the pinwheels and finish it up:)

Vickie said...

Oh my heck! Stinkin' cute!

Grandma Shell said...

Somewhere I got bogged down with other things and wasn't keeping up with your blog, shame on me! This is my first peak at the Farm Girls Tractor. Oh, so cute and doesn't appear to be difficult. Wouldn't this make a great give away quilt? I love your designs and fabrics!

Christa Marcotte said...

How adorable!

Christa Marcotte said...

How adorable!

michelle h said...

Too cute!!! I haven't made this block yet--still finishing my barns!! This is NEXT...now I just can't wait!!! I better get to it!!

Unknown said...

I love pinwheel blocks too. Love your tractor quilt. Maybe someday I'll make one. My husband was a farmer and dairyman for over twenty years. He had to retire because of his health, but he kept his tractor for a little garden business and to push snow.

trish said...

Absolutely too cute!!! :o) That is just the sweetest way to chronicle your quilt. I can't wait to do the same on future ones of mine.
Woody hung the curtain rod and so now my barn blocks are hanging on the wall in my kitchen. I smile when I walk by it! :o)

Maree in NC ☺ said...

LOVE it! ♥

Little Quiltsong said...

Since learning and sewing many blocks this year, the pinwheel block is one of my favorite, but I still need to master many skills to get my blocks sewn straight. The easiest looking are often my hardest to accomplish.
My Barn Along Quilt is waiting for the finishing touches (on front)- haven't tackled the tractor yet.
Yours is beautiful - love the words coming out of the smoke stack!!

cjmont2002@yahoo.com said...

just uploaded pics to flickr - made quilt of 6 blocks and tractor label to donate for a fundraiser auction here in texas.

Cindy said...

Loving your farm girl block! I think it would be a great mini quilt!

Kathy Boice said...

I love this! It looks great!!!

Kathleen Grace said...

*swoon* L♥VE :>)

Related Posts with Thumbnails