Hourglass Blocks and a Good Read

I've had a few questions about the hourglass blocks I shared the other day so I figured I'd attempt to walk, those of you that are interested, through the steps I had taken to make them.

These blocks began with 2 Butterfly Garden Layer Cakes I had sitting in a bin and a need to stitch something simple. Something that didn't require thinking or figuring. Some people would say boring, but I just wanted some time with fabric under a needle while I listened to an audio book. This is what I was listening to:

Once Upon a Town

I highly recommend it. I love nonfiction and this story takes place in North Platte, Nebraska during WW II. DH grew up around the same area. This book made me sad because I wonder what has happened to our country. Could this still happen today? WOULD it?

OK, I'll get back to the subject at hand before I step up on my soapbox. :)

Choose 2 layer cake squares and stitch 1/4" all the way around. Doesn't get much simpler than that. Then take them to your cutting mat and slice them 4 times like this:

I'm fairly certain I saw a tutorial on this somewhere, but I can't put my finger on it at the moment. Stitch each one along the short side:

If you stitch along the bias side, you will end up with 1/2 square triangles. Press and you have a pile of these. I forgot to take pictures so I had to un-stitch this one to get one:                          

Pick out the 2 little stitches above your horizontal seam and spin your seams for a flat block:

 My ruler is not lined up in this photo but trim your block to 6"

Each set of 10" squares makes 4 hourglass blocks and before long, you have lots of pretty hourglass blocks.

                                                

I also made the little hourglass blocks in this quilt

with leftover jelly roll strips. I used a different method for these and it involves that handy dandy Easy Angle ruler. Just choose 2 strips and set right sides together. Then line up your ruler on the strips at the 2 1/2" mark and cut.

                        

Flip your ruler over, line up with the 2 1/2" mark again and cut:

          
 I love this thing. Bonnie Hunter is the queen of the Easy Angle ruler and she has a tutorial here for making 1/2 square triangles. Just one more step and you have the makings of an hourglass block - aka: 1/4 square triangles.

                                       

Press seams to the dark side:

                                        

When you stitch these two pieces together, they will nest nicely. Then take just a minute to pick out the 2 vertical stitches above the horizontal seam:

                                       
                               
When you press your finished block. you can spin your seams and a little cute 4-patch will appear

                                    

And once you trim:

                                   

you will be left with a pretty little hourglass block with good points and flat seams:

                                 

 A 2 1/2" strip yields cute little 3" blocks and there you have it. Its way past my bedtime so I hope this makes sense for those of you that inquired. I've got a baby quilt to plan in pinks and grays and I've still got a hankering for hourglass blocks so I may be stitching up more of these.

Reindeer - Tutorial

                           


I thought I had posted a tutorial  for these fellas at some point, but I guess I was mistaken and I've had a few requests on how to make these. I worked on some this week and took some photos of the process.

Here are the supplies:

                             
Whoppers
Tan yarn
tan felt
brown felt
small red pom pom
large brown pom pom (optional and not pictured)) - this is for the tail and I usually just make a small pom pom out of the tan yarn, but I have, on occasion, used a large brown pom pom in a pinch..
wiggly eyes
red bow
bell
printed tag
hot glue gun
scissors
Xacto knife

First step. Find a good movie to watch as you sit down to make pom poms. I suppose you don't need an entire movie unless you are making a whole herd like I do. You need three sizes of pom poms. A large one for the face -a medium one for the muzzle - and a small one for the tail.

                             

For the large one, I wrap yarn around 4 fingers:

                            

For the medium sized one, I wrap yarn around 3 fingers:

                            

And for the small one I wrap yarn around 2 fingers:

                           

Then you trim the stuffing out of them. I find it the easiest to have a large bowl at my feet and trim into that or you will have yarn fluff everywhere.

Sketch out some antlers onto the tan felt, fold it over, and cut a matching pair of antlers. I can not draw to save my life so comical antlers is what you get:

Glue these on to the front of the Whopper box:

                                                  

Then cut little ears out of the brown felt. I wait to glue them onto the antlers after I have glued the pom poms so that I have a better sense of where to place them, but this is not rocket science so do what works for you.

                                     

Next, hot glue the large pom pom on to the front of the Whopper box and then add the little brown for the ears:

Then glue the medium pom pom onto the large pom pom:

 Next glue on the eyes:

And the nose:

String a bell through the wire on the bow, twist to secure, and glue to the box just under the face:

Print out a label and attach to the reindeer with double stick tape:

Turn your Whopper box around to the back and cut a rounded U shaped flap a few inches from the bottom of the box:

Make sure you can easily shake a Whopper out or you may have a constipated reindeer. Sorry. Don't ask me how I know this.

                             
 Finally, hot glue the smaller pom pom over the flap, being careful to not glue the flap shut.

And there you have it!

I make these for everyone - Marines, college kids, professors, little kids, our UPS man, cousins, the Culligan people where we get water, the Farm Store, the mailman, the neighboring ranches, the propane man, the equipment operator who is working on our roads, and this year the sale barn crew and the Safari Club.

Hope y'all enjoy making these. They're fun to make and to give.