Free Tutorial – Liberty Quilt of Valor

Posted in Charity, EQ Mini, Finished Projects, Home Accessories by lorimillerdesigns

This Liberty Quilt of Valor is the project of the month with a free tutorial designed with EQ Mini Software by The Electric Quilt Company . It uses Broken dishes blocks set on point using light and dark blue prints from my stash. The scattered triangles of red pull it together and add that pop of color along with the candy strip bias binding. This quilt looks complicated but was easy to design and is easy to stitch together.

I belong to the Stitching Sisters Quilt of Valor group. The mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation is to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. This quilt is made using the traditional patriotic colors of red, white and blue.

Liberty Quilt of Valor

Finished size is 60″ x 75″.

Materials

1 5/8 yd white background
1 3/8 yd Light blue
2 7/8 yd dark blue
3/4 yd solid red for triangles and thin border
1/2 yard red and blue stripe for binding
4 yards fabric for backing
70″ x 84″ batting

WOF = Width of Fabric

Directions

Cut Fabric:

Light blue

8 — 13″ squares

Dark Blue

10 — 13″ squares
7 — 5 1/2″ x WOF strips for outside border

Red

2 — 13″ squares
6 — 2″ x WOF strips for border

White background

7 — 12 ” squares

Striped fabric

Cut 7 — 2 1/2″ x Width of Fabric strips

Make Blocks

Hint: Because you need to match seams, be sure to keep an accurate 1/4″ seam allowance and make sure blocks are square as you sew them to keep things in alignment.

Take one light blue 13″ square and one dark blue 13″ square and place them right sides together.
Mark a line diagonally from corner to corner, both ways.
Stitch 1/4″ away from the lines on both sides.
Next mark two lines down the center of the block.
Cut along the solid lines to create 8 half square triangle units.
Press the half square triangle units open pressing to the dark fabric side.
Make 7 more sets of dark and light blue half square triangle units.
Make 2 more sets of half square triangle units using the dark blue and red fabrics.
Mark a diagonal line on each of the white background squares. Be careful not to stretch the bias edge.
Arrange your pieces using this design as a guide. There will be a few extra half square triangles.
Sew together the individual broken dishes blocks, then sew the center together in diagonal rows, aligning edges.
Piece together the red border with 45 degree seams.
Cut 2 side red border strips 2″ x 62 3/4″ long. Stitch to the sides of the quilt being careful not to stretch the bias edges of the white background.
Hint: You may want to stitch 1/8″ from the bias edge of the white background pieces to keep them from stretching.
Cut 2 red border strips 2″ x 50 1/8″ long. Sew to the top and bottom of the quilt.
Piece together the dark blue border.
Cut 2 side dark blue border strips 5 1/2″ x 65 3/4″. Sew to the sides of the quilt.
Cut 2 dark blue border strips 5 1/2″ x 60 1/2″. Sew to the top and bottom of the quilt.
Piece together the backing.
Make a quilt sandwich with the backing face down, then the batting, then your quilt top face up.
Pin baste the quilt layers together.
Quilt as desired. I echoed the seam lines for the half square triangles. I added feathers for the white background space and quilted a large chain in the dark blue border.
Sew the 2 1/2″ binding strips together and add to the quilt.
Finish the binding and you are done!

Make it scrappy! I used up light and dark blue fabrics from my stash to give this quilt a scrappy look. You can too. Or you can use 8 light blue fat quarters, 10 dark blue fat quarters and 2 red fat quarters for the center blocks.

This quilt meets the guidelines for a quilt of valor, but it would make a great patriotic quilt for your home too. Change up the colors to match a bedroom or even in your favorite team’s colors. I would love to see your Liberty quilt, tag me on instagram @lorimillerdesigns.

Looking for the EQ Mini Design Instructions? You can find them HERE

For more projects and tips and techniques on using EQ Mini, visit my Electric Quilt blog series EQ Mini Friday Fun.

For more information on EQ Mini software, go to EQ Mini.

19Mar2017

Published – Steppin’ Up Quilt

Posted in Finished Projects, Home Accessories, Modern Quilt Guild, Published by lorimillerdesigns

I am pleased to share my latest published Quilt, Steppin’ Up in the 2017 issue of Quiltcon Magazine. It arrived mid-February so I am a little behind in sharing this striking beauty.

I had an idea of a step ladder and all the possibilities of meaning that is could represent. It could symbolically represent a promotion, taking charge or great success.

I started out designing my pillow with Electric Quilt 7, quilt design software. It really made it easy to bring my design to life. I wanted it to be asymmetric to create movement and interest.

I also made it easy with 2 1/2″ strips to put together. you need to use a good 1/4″ seam. It is important or you may spend an entire evening ripping out over 100 seams to sew over again. Don’t ask me how I know.

I opted for just a three color combination of brown, fuscia and green. They looked so good together.

I used some simple constructions shortcuts to make this block even faster. No templates!

I found this great print that coordinated beautifully for the backing of the quilt. And it looks very modern too!

I used organic wavy lines to quilt this throw size quilt. I used a complimentary green thread and it looked great.

I used all of the leftover pieces to make two matching pillows. Another lovely set for my family room couch.

Thanks for letting me share! Happy Stitching!

24Feb2017

Free Tutorial – Lucky Shamrock Pillows

Posted in EQ Mini, Finished Projects, Home Accessories by lorimillerdesigns

I am feeling lucky! I have two new lovely Shamrock Pillows to decorate for St. Patrick’s Day all designed with EQ Mini Quilt Design Software by The Electric Quilt Company. For these pillows I used the pieced Shamrock quilt block, but used two different sizes and some sashing. These pillows finish at 18″ square. I used my favorite technique which is to quilt the top and use an envelope back and then bind all around the pillow. Then I just have a bunch of pillow covers that I can change out with my very neutral grey couch. I love it!

Lucky Shamrock Pillows

Finished size is 18″ square

Materials

1/2 yd green plaid
1/2 yd linen for background
1 1/2 yd shamrock print
5/8 yd muslin
5/8 yd batting

Directions

Cut Fabric:

Green Plaid

4 — 7 1/2″ squares (A)
16 — 3 1/2″ x squares (E)
4 — 2 1/2″ x WOF strips for binding

Linen

12 — 2 1/2″ x squares (B)
5 — 2 1/2″ x 14 1/2″ strips (C)
4 — 2 1/2″ x 18 1/2″ strips (D)
48 — 1 1/2″ squares (F)
2 — 2 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ strips (G)

Shamrock Print

4 — 18 1/2″ x 24″ rectangles

Muslin

2 — 19″ squares

Batting

2 — 19″ squares

Piece the large Shamrock Pillow

Place a 2 1/2″ linen square (B) on a corner of a large shamrock leaf (A). Sew a diagonal corner. Mark a diagonal line onto the wrong side of the square with a pencil or water soluble marker. With right sides together (RST), stitch the square onto the leaf on the marked diagonal line. Trim the excess to a 1/4″ seam allowance. Press seam to the darker fabric side.
Sew a diagonal corner to 3 of the corners on each of the four large shamrock leaves.
Sew the four leaves together to form the shamrock matching the seams.
Add the outside border by sewing two 14 1/2″ linen strips (C) to the side of the shamrock. Sew two 18 1/2″ linen strips (d) to the top and bottom of the shamrock. Set aside.

Piece the smaller shamrocks pillow

Place a 1 1/2″ linen square (F) on a corner of a small shamrock leaf (E). Sew a diagonal corner using the same instructions as for the larger shamrock.
Sew a diagonal corner on 3 corners of each small shamrock leaf (16 total leaves)
Sew four leaves together as shown to form a shamrock matching the seams. Repeat for the other 3 small shamrocks.
Sew the sashing. Stitch a 6 1/2″ linen strip (G) between two small shamrocks. Repeat for remaining two small shamrocks.
Sew a 14 1/2″ linen strip (C) in the center of the pillow to join the two shamrock panels. Sew a 14 1/2″ linen strip (C) to each side of the shamrocks.
Sew an 18 1/2″ linen strip (D) to the top and bottom of the pillow.

Hint: If you used linen, baste very close to the outside edge of the pillow top to keep the linen from fraying.

Quilt the top side of the pillows

Layer pillow top with the muslin, batting and pillow top, right side up.
Pin baste the quilt layers together.
Quilt as desired. Trim quilted pillow top to 18 1/2″ square.

Note: I found this Celtic Shamrock design for a tattoo on the internet, it had a nice continuous design I could adapt for the quilting. Inspiration comes from all sorts of places!

Here is the beginning of the design.

Here you can see the design on one of the little shamrocks.

And here is the design on the shamrocks with the detail on the linen as well. The texture crinkled so well after washing.

Finish the Pillow

Fold each 18 1/2″ x 24″ rectangle in half, wrong sides together, to form four 12″ x 18 1/2″ rectangles. Press.
Top stitch along the folded edge of the pillow about 1/2″ away from the fold.
Place the quilted pillow top, right side down.
Place two folded rectangles over each pillow, overlapping the folded edges in the center by about 4″.
Baste 1/8″ along the outside of the layers.
Bind with the green plaid binding strips.
Insert a pillow form through the opening.

Here are pictures from EQ Mini of my quilt design.

Show me pictures of your lucky pillows! Tag me on Facebook or Instagram @lorimillerdesigns

Looking for the EQ Mini Design Instructions? You can find them HERE!

For more projects and tips and techniques on using EQ Mini, visit my Electric Quilt blog series EQ Mini Friday Fun.

For more information on EQ Mini software, go to EQ Mini.

27Jan2017

Free Tutorial – Sweetheart Quilted Zip Pouch

Posted in EQ Mini, Finished Projects, Gift Ideas by lorimillerdesigns

Love is all around. The free tutorial for this month designed with EQ Mini Software by The Electric Quilt Company is a lovely, Sweetheart Zip Pouch. Yes, you can design lots of quilty things with EQ Mini, even a pouch! This uses a horizontal row quilt as a base but we sized it down to pouch size and added some half drop blocks with a center heart. The heart block is one of the free blocks that comes with EQ Mini. This generous pouch is sized 8″ x 11″ and is ready for you to fill with all your Valentine goodies. A whole bag of chocolate would fit in there! The zipper is super easy to put in too, I promise.

eqmini-nohole-sm-226x300

Sweetheart Quilted Zip Pouch

Finished size is 8″ x 11″.

Materials

1/4 yd dark pink print
1/8 yd of light pink print
1/4 yd of grey background fabric
3/8 yd Lining fabric
3/8 yd batting
12″ zipper

Directions

Cut Fabric:

Light Pink

2 — 2 1/2″ x 3 3/4″ rectangle (A)
2 — 1 1/2″ x 5 3/4″ strip (C)
2 — 1 ” x 2″ zipper tab pieces

Dark Pink

4 — 1 1/2″ x 5 3/4″ strip (B)
2 — 2″ x 12 1/2″ strips (G)
1 — 6″ x 12 1/2″ rectangle (H)

Grey Background

2 — 5 ” square (D)
2 — 5″ square (E)
4 — 3 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ rectangles (F)

Muslin

1 — 13″ x 21″ rectangle

Lining

2 — 12 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ rectangles

Piece the outside of the pouch

Hint: Because you need to match seams, be sure to keep an accurate 1/4″ seam allowance.

Subcut the 5″ background squares (D), diagonally into quarters.
Subcut the 3″ background squares (E), diagonally in half.
Sew the quarter (D) Triangle to the right side of the light pink rectangle(A).
Sew the light pink strip (C) in the center of each dark pink strip (B).
Attach the top of the heart to the bottom of the heart keeping the left sides even.
Sew the background triangles (E) to each side of the bottom of the heart. Be sure to overlap at the bottom point so that you have a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Now sew two of the remaining background triangle (D) pieces to the top right and left sides of the heart. Start stitching at the top points of the heart. Press. Discard leftover piece.
Center and trim the heart block to 6 1/2″ square.
Make the second heart block.
Sew a background rectangle (f) to each side of the heart.
Sew one dark pink strip (G) to the top of each block.
Sew the dark pink rectangle (H) to the bottom of one heart block.
Sew the bottom of the other heart block to the other side of the dark pink rectangle (H). One heart is facing up, one is facing down.

Quilt the outside of the Pouch

Make a quilt sandwich with the muslin on the bottom, then the batting, then your pieced pouch top face up.
Pin baste the quilt layers together.
Quilt as desired. Trim excess batting and muslin.
Carefully cut the quilted piece in half to make two – 12 1/2″ x 10 1/2″ pieces.
From the bottoms of the outside pouch pieces and the lining pieces, cut a square out of each corner that is 1 1/2″ high x 1 1/2″ wide.

Finish the pouch

Fold each 1″ x 2″ zipper tab in half matching the short ends, with wrong sides together, so the tabs measure 1″ x 1″. Press.
Move zipper pull to center of zipper. Using a ruler or cutting mat, align the tabs as shown.
Open the tab and sew on the center fold through the tab and zipper, ensuring the zipper teeth at the open end are aligned together. Backstitch again across the center through the zipper teeth to secure. Repeat on the other end of the zipper ensuring the tab placement and measurements.
Trim off any excess zipper leaving 1/4″ seam allowance. Zipper and fabric tabs should measure 12 1/2″ long.
Open the zipper half way.
Place the zipper face down, right sides together, along the top edge a heart section. Align the ends and the top of the zipper.
Layer a lining piece, right side down over the zipper and pin all three layers in place.
Using a zipper foot, stitch approximately 1/4″ from the edge of the zipper. When you get to the zipper pull, stop with the needle down in the fabric. Lift up the presser foot and gently open or close the zipper to move the zipper pull out of the way to continue sewing across the top of the pouch.
Open the zipper seam and press pouch and lining away from zipper. Top stitch through all layers of fabric close to the zipper.
Repeat for the other side of the zipper.
Open the zipper all the way so you will be able to turn the pouch right side out.
Open the pouch and match the quilted heart sections and lining sections, right sides together.
Pushing the zipper to the lining side, stitch the sides of the pouch and lining. Stitch the bottom of the pouch. Stitch the bottom of the lining leaving a 3-4 inch opening for turning.
Pinch the bag and lining corners aligning the seams and stitch across the opening to box the corners.
Turn the bag right side out with the lining hanging out. Tuck in the raw edges and stitch the lining closed.
Tuck the lining inside the bag and you are finished.

Here you can see the fun fabric I used for the inside lining. It was in the bargain bin off season and I snapped it up. I think it is perfect for this little zip pouch.

Oreo decided to direct the photo shoot. He is pretty demanding.

Variation Suggestions

Use traditional red and white with a pink accent.
Try using sweet valentine seasonal prints and fill them with sweet treats and goodies.

This Sweetheart quilted Zip Pouch is so versatile. It would certainly make the perfect gift for a dear friend or family member. I would love to see your Sweetheart Pouch, tag me on instagram @lormillerdesigns.

Looking for the EQ Mini Design Instructions? You can find them HERE.

For more projects and tips and techniques on using EQ Mini, visit my Electric Quilt blog series EQ Mini Friday Fun.

For more information on EQ Mini software, go to EQ Mini.

17Jan2017

Published – Clockwise Pillow

Posted in Finished Projects, Home Accessories, Published by lorimillerdesigns

Photo Courtesy of AllPeopleQuilt.com from Quilts and More Spring 2017 Magazine

It is January, but I am thinking of spring with my new Clockwise Pillow published in the Spring 2017 issue of Quilts and More. It is a rainbow of arrows pointing in a clockwise direction and I could not be more pleased.

Here is the current issue of Quilts and More, I even found it at my local Kroger store. In my store, the magazines are opposite the aisle from the eggs and butter, those people shopping thought I was a little strange when I discovered this magazine and yelled “Yay” out loud right in the store.

I started out designing my pillow with Electric Quilt 7, quilt design software.

I usually print out a picture of my project and some of the rotary fabric cutting suggestions. Then I use my own favorite assembly methods and scribble, make notes and write all my updates all over the papers to create my pattern.

Then I start to assemble the blocks trying the ways I think I want to put it together.

Here is the red and orange block coming together. I used different low volume grey prints for the backgrounds.

I really like how it has that clockwise rotation and movement in just the first block.

This is a pretty large block. I love large blocks, less to sew and a they really make a big impact! I am grooving on this apple green.

Here is the top all pieced. The assembly directions are really straight forward and they went together in a jiffy.

I decided to try quilting a large spiral for this pillow. It is a nice look and the texture is great. If you have not tried quilting some spirals, you need to add it to your list. A pillow is a nice size to start and practice spirals. This stunning pillow will be going in my family room.

This is why it took me a long time to spiral quilt this pillow. Oh Cookie cat!

Check it out in the latest issue of Quilts and More Spring 2017.

30Dec2016

Tutorial – Winter Icicles Throw Quilt

Posted in EQ Mini, Finished Projects, Home Accessories by lorimillerdesigns

This months free tutorial for a project designed with EQ Mini Software by The Electric Quilt Company is this icy blue Winter Icicles Throw Quilt. It uses vertical strips of giant flying geese to create modern icicles. This frosty quilt will keep you cozy warm and the large pieces will stitch up quickly. I even used a blue polkadot binding that made me think of little snowflakes.

Winter Icicles Throw Quilt

Finished size is 48″ x 56″.

Materials

3 5/8 yd white background
1 3/8 yd Light blue
1 3/8 yd medium blue
1 3/8 yd dark blue
1/2 yard blue polkadot for binding
3 1/2 yards flannel for backing
54″ x 62″ batting
Icicle Templates (Download HERE) (Please note there is a 1/4″ seam allowance printed around the templates so be careful when cutting them out to include that.)

Directions

Cut Fabric:

White background

14 — 4 3/4 ” x 9 1/2″ rectangles
8 — 4 3/4 ” x 15 3/4″ rectangles
10 — 4 3/4 ” x 13″ rectangles

Light blue

14 — Template A triangles

Dark Blue

8 — Template B Triangles

Medium Blue

10 — Template C Triangles

Blue Polkadot

Cut 7 — 2 1/2″ x Width of Fabric strips

Make Icicle Blocks

Hint: Because you need to match seams, be sure to keep an accurate 1/4″ seam allowance and make sure blocks are square as you sew them to keep things in alignment.

Take the 4 3/4″ x 9 1/2″ rectangles and stack them in two’s right sides together.
Cut diagonally from the upper left corner to the bottom right corner.
Cut off 1 inch from the pointy skinny end.
Using left and right pieces, carefully sew the sides onto the template A Icicle.
Continue to make a total of 14 Template A icicle blocks.
Using the same method above, take the dark blue 4 3/4″ x 15 3/4″ rectangles and stack them in two’s right sides together.
Cut diagonally from the upper left corner to the bottom right corner.
Cut off 1 inch from the pointy skinny end.
Using left and right pieces, carefully sew the sides onto the Template B Icicle.
Continue to make a total of 8 template B icicle blocks.
Using the same method above, take the medium blue 4 3/4″ x 13″ rectangles and stack them in two’s right sides together.
Cut diagonally from the upper left corner to the bottom right corner.
Cut off 1 inch from the pointy skinny end.
Using left and right pieces, carefully sew the sides onto the template C Icicle.
Continue to make a total of 10 template C icicle blocks.
Sew the icicle blocks together in vertical rows per the diagram above.
Sew the pieces together in vertical rows, then sew the rows together, aligning edges.
Piece together the backing.
Make a quilt sandwich with the backing face down, then the batting, then your quilt top face up.
Pin baste the quilt layers together.
Quilt as desired. I used organic wavy lines.
Sew the 2 1/2″ binding strips together and add to the quilt.

Variation Suggestions

Reverse the background and icicle colors for a different look or color in a scheme to match your decor.
Try using frosty winter prints, the large icicles really show off larger prints.

This quick throw is perfect to snuggle under with a cup of cocoa and your favorite book this winter. It will look perfect with my January snowman decor. I would love to see your icicle quilt, tag me on instagram @lormillerdesigns.

Looking for the EQ Mini Design Instructions? You can find them HERE

For more projects and tips and techniques on using EQ Mini, visit my Electric Quilt blog series EQ Mini Friday Fun.

For more information on EQ Mini software, go to EQ Mini.

30Nov2016

DIY Holiday Gift Ideas

Posted in Finished Projects, Gift Ideas, Home Accessories, Paper Crafts, Patterns for Sale by lorimillerdesigns

I enjoy making handmade gifts for the holidays to give to family and friends. Some years they are elaborate and some years, well, they are quick and easy. It depends on how busy I have gotten with projects to finish. I have put together a round up of my free tutorials to make diy holiday gifts. They range from super easy to confident beginner, from quick to more involved. I even share a few of my for sale holiday patterns at the end if they should perk your interest. I hope you will be inspired to try some homemade gifts this year. Just CLICK on the picture for all the details.

Holiday Yo Yo Ornament

Create fun holiday yo-yo ornaments for a homemade gift for a teacher, music instructor or bus driver. A nice sewing craft for older children to learn some basic sewing skills, even how to sew a button. You can make it even faster with some hot glue at the finish. Plan an afternoon to put these together for holiday gifts or your own homemade decorations.

Tissue Holder

Here is a cute quick gift you can stitch up in multiples for holiday party favors, stocking stuffers or just a little something for someone special. I used holiday and Christmas fabric but you could tailor them for boys or girls with masculine prints, sporty fabric or another cute novelty print. There is really very little sewing so it is perfect for a beginning stitcher. It doesn’t take much fabric either, so use up some of your scraps or stash.

Easy Holiday Fleece Pillows

Here are a couple of ideas for some last minute holiday gifts to stitch. You probably have a stash of fleece somewhere in your sewing room from a sale 3 years ago, if not, find yourself a couple of remnants and get sewing. Cotton works fine too. These are some clever and creative pillows for big and little kids to enjoy. They stitch up in a snap so they are quick and easy for a beginner to make.

Upcycled Christmas Card Bookmarks

I received one of these upcycled Christmas card bookmarks as a little gift and it is just too clever not to share. This bookmark is an ingeniously folded old christmas card. I took it apart to figure out the pattern and I am gladly spilling its simple but intricate secrets. Make a bunch for stocking stuffers, for an afternoon craft with the kids or to mail to friends far away for the holiday.

Holiday Table Runner

Here is a free tutorial for a project designed with EQ Mini Software by The Electric Quilt Company. This Holiday Table Runner uses one of the built in blocks colored with traditional Christmas colors to create a lovely item for your home decor. Just make three simple blocks to quilt up a beautiful center piece for your table.

Paper Snowflake Garland

Here in Michigan, we manage to get our own share of snow. I would much rather deal with these paper snowflakes from inside my warm and toasty house instead. And the plan is to sew them together into pretty garland, so you get a little sewing and fun mixed together. When did you last make a paper snowflake?

This would be a great afternoon activity with the kids to cut out snowflakes and drink some hot chocolate. You can even use up all that junk mail or scrap paper to make them. I love traditional white flakes, but you could mix them up with any color to make a very cool statement.

Patterns for Sale

Here are a couple of holiday patterns I have for sale in my shop. I hope you like them too.

Gingerbread House Pincushion, Ornament and More

This is my original pattern for a Gingerbread House Pincushion. I have even added bonus instructions to make it into a soft tree ornament or a Gift Card Holder to hang on your Christmas tree. This adorable holiday gift idea might look familiar. It was featured in Quilting Arts Holiday Magazine in 2014. It holds a special place in my heart because this was the very first original pattern that I had published in a Magazine.

Poinsettia Pop Throw Quilt

It is called Poinsettia Pop and it is a generous lap size to snuggle under when the weather turns cold. The bright and cheery poinsettia blocks dance across the quilt bringing cheer to whoever receives it. This quilt is made using large 15 inch finished blocks that stitch up quickly. You only need to piece seven Poinsettia blocks so you can whip it up in time for last minute gifts. I even included some speedy techniques to save you some time. The bright hot pink fabrics, text print background, and alternate grid pattern give this block a very modern look.

Mini Mitten Coasters

I am pleased to share my latest published work, mini mitten coasters! They are super cute, easy to stitch up and you can use some cute coordinating holiday prints or make them super scrappy with some leftover holiday fabric.

They are featured on page 34 of Modern Patchwork Gifts 2016. This is the third year I have been published in the holiday issue and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

I hope you found an idea you could use for some holiday gifts or just to make for yourself.

18Nov2016

Tutorial – Holiday Table Runner

Posted in EQ Mini, Finished Projects, Gift Ideas, Home Accessories by lorimillerdesigns

Here is another free tutorial for a project designed with EQ Mini Software by The Electric Quilt Company. This Holiday Table Runner uses one of the built in blocks colored with traditional Christmas colors to create a lovely item for your home decor.

Holiday Table Runner

Finished size is 12 1/2″ x 36 1/2″.

Materials

3/8 yd white cotton
1/8 yd green cotton
5/8 yd red cotton for blocks and binding
1/4 yd burgundy cotton
1/2 yard for backing
1/4 yard batting

Directions

Cut Fabric:

White cotton

24 — 2 7/8 ” squares
3 — 7 1/2 ” squares

Green cotton

12 — 2 7/8 ″ squares

Red cotton

15 — 2 7/8 ″ squares
3 — 2 1/2″ x Width of Fabric strips

Burgundy cotton

3 — 7 1/2 ” squares

Background fabric

1 — 14 1/2 x 38 1/2″ strip

Create the half square triangles

This method will create 8 half square triangles at once.
On the wrong side of the white 7 1/2″ square, mark the sewing and cutting lines. Mark from corner to corner and mark half and half as shown.
Stitch 1/4″ away from the diagonal line, on each side of the diagonal line. You can see the stitching in the X shape in the diagram above.
Cut the half square triangles apart on the marked lines.
Press the seams open and then square up the half square triangle blocks to measure 2 7/8″ square.

Sew the block:

Hint: Because you need to match seams, be sure to keep an accurate 1/4″ seam allowance and make sure blocks are square as you sew them to keep things in alignment.

Using the diagram above as a guide, arrange the pieces for your quilt block.
Sew the pieces together in rows, then sew the rows together, aligning seams.
Make three quilt blocks.
Sew the three blocks together in a row, aligning seams to finish piecing the top of the holiday table runner.
Make a quilt sandwich with the backing face down, then the batting, then your quilt top face up.
Pin baste the quilt layers together.
Quilt as desired.
Sew the 2 1/2″ binding strips together and add to the quilt.

Variation Suggestions

Try some custom quilting like I did on this table runner, the smaller size makes it easy to explore free motion quilting.
Try using holiday prints or even modern colors or even a blue color scheme to really change the look but still use the same block.

This Holiday Table Runner would look great on your table or make several to give as gifts this season. Why not look through the provided blocks in EQ Mini and find a favorite that you can turn into a table runner? There are so many possibilities. I would love to see pictures of your Holiday table runners. Just tag me on instagram @lormillerdesigns.

Looking for the EQ Mini Design Instructions? You can find them here: EQ Mini Friday Fun Holiday Table Runner.

For more projects and tips and techniques on using EQ Mini, visit my Electric Quilt blog series EQ Mini Friday Fun.

For more information on EQ Mini software, go to EQ Mini.

21Oct2016

Tutorial – Charming Baby Quilt

Posted in EQ Mini, Finished Projects, Gift Ideas by lorimillerdesigns

This tutorial introduces my first project designed with EQ Mini Software by The Electric Quilt Company. Made with pre-cut charm squares, this first easy beginner project is the Charming Baby Quilt. I am pleased to be blogging for Electric Quilt hosting EQ Mini Friday Fun and sharing how to design in EQ Mini. In addition, on my blog here, I will be sharing tutorials to take the design from idea to finished stitched project.

EQ Mini is the new scaled down, simpler version of EQ7 quilt design software. This program was created for quilters who are just getting started using software for quilt design. EQ Mini will help you create, edit, share, and print patterns and yardage for your quilt designs. I had the good fortune to beta test EQ Mini and I was very impressed with the easy flow and friendly beginner aspects of the software.

I love the colored step by step tabs that let you easily work to create and edit a design. And even though it is a Mini version of the Electric Quilt 7 software, it is still robust enough to offer a ton of design possibilities. It contains a block library of 300 pieced and appliqué blocks that can be set in 4 layout styles, there are 8 different border styles and a fabric library of over 3500 scanned fabrics to use to make your designs exactly how you want them. Thats my EQ Mini spiel! Let’s move on to the tutorial!

Charming Baby Quilt

Finished size is 40 1/2″ x 40 1/2″.

Materials

1 package of coordinating 5″ charm squares (you will need 32)
1 yd for center of quilt
1/2 yard for small border and binding
1 1/4 yard for backing
1 1/4 yard batting

Directions

Cut Fabric:

Center Square

1 — 31 1/2 ″ x 31 1/2 ″ square

Inner Border

2 — 1″ x 31 1/2″ strips
2 — 1″ x 33 1/2″ strips

Outer Border

32 – 5″ Charm squares

Sew:

Sew the 31 1/2″ inner border strips to opposite sides of the center 31 1/2″ square. Press seams.
Sew the 33 1/2″ inner border strips to the top and bottom of the center square. Press seams.
Take your charm squares and arrange them around the quilt until you get an arrangement you like.
Sew together seven squares for each side. Attach the sewn strips of seven squares to each side of the quilt center unit. Press seams.
Sew together the remaining nine squares for the top and bottom of the quilt. Attach the sewn strips of 9 squares to the top and bottom of the quilt center unit. Press seams.
Your quilt top is pieced. Yay!
Prepare the quilt backing. You may need to piece part of the fabric on one side so that it is larger than your quilt top if needed.
Make a quilt sandwich with the backing face down, then the batting, then your quilt top face up.
Pin baste the quilt layers together.
Quilt as desired.
Here is my super secret method I used to mark this quilt. The smaller shapes were just smaller lids I found in the kitchen.
I tried quilting some large clamshells and stitched them with my walking foot. I like the rainbow look and it echos some of the designs in the charm squares.
Finally, add the binding. I used 2 1/2″ strips to make my binding. Here is the finished quilt in my sunroom, the lighter colors are dappled sunlight coming in the room.

Variation Suggestions

Mix it up and try a cute nursery print for the center and solid pre-cut 5″ squares for the outside.
Use that blank space in the center to personalize the quilt with baby’s name in embroidery or with applique letters.

This is a quick and easy baby quilt that you could easily put together in a diligent weekend. I really liked the idea of using a pack of charm squares that I already had in my stash. I would love to see pictures of your charming baby quilt. Just tag me on instagram @lormillerdesigns.

Looking for the EQ Mini Design Instructions? You can find them here: EQ Mini Friday Fun: Charming Baby Quilt

30Sep2016

New Pattern: Calico Table Runner and More

Posted in Finished Projects, Patterns for Sale by lorimillerdesigns

This festive fall table runner features a harvest of Calico Corn. I supersized my ear of corn quilt block from my Grandma Town block of the month quilt and added the colors of fall. Make it scrappy or planned, but this lovely table runner will look wonderful on your fall table or even as the star attraction of the Thanksgiving table.

I have also included instructions for a large hot pad which is large enough for a casserole dish or cake pan.

The two small hot pads use the 6” version of the calico corn block. Both hot pads would make lovely mini quilts as well. A nice idea for a hostess or holiday gift.

Finished Sizes are Table Runner – 36 ½” x 12 ½”; Large Hot Pad – 12” x 16”; and Small Hot Pad 8” x 8”.

I started with my ear of corn from my Grandma Town Block of the Month from 2015. I started playing around with my design in EQ7, the quilt design software. I ended up ditching the bottom part of the ear of corn. It added complexity to the block, was hard to get the alignment just right, and without it I had a square block. And in the design, you do not even miss it.

Here is my updated ear of corn in fall colors with my multicolored calico corn. It was easy to play around with the different parts of the design in the software. I decided I wanted a much larger 12″ block to make a table runner, so I resized the block.

Here is the larger 12″ block with the extra borders for the large hot pad. It was so easy to add a pieced component to the corn itself with the EQ7 software.

To make piecing the ear of corn easier, I used scrappy fall 1 1/2″ strips in groups of four and sewed them together.

Then I cut them again into 1 1/2″ strips and mixed and matched randomly.

I made 16 patch units to assemble the large ears of corn. You need 3 – 16 patch units for each one.

I used three large ear of corn for the table runner and quilted hash lines through the corn and a free motion echo on the husk.

I quilted little loops all through the background so it looks like small stippling. It makes the calico corn the star!

For the small hot pads, I just kept the hash lines through the whole thing. I did add a layer of Insul Bright heat resistant fabric, so the extra quilting made it lay nice and flat.

The large hot pad is perfect for a casserole dish or cake pan size item.

Wouldn’t this hotpad make a great mini quilt to hang on your door for Thanksgiving too?

Buy Now

You can find lots of great patterns like this and Add-on EQ8 Block Libraries for AccuQuilt in my shop.

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Thanks for letting me share! Tag me on Instagram and Facebook @lorimillerdesigns, I would love to see your version!

11Sep2016

Jennifer’s Messenger Bag

Posted in Finished Projects by lorimillerdesigns

My girlfriend, Jennifer, wanted me to make her a messenger bag. She is a knitter and spinner extraordinaire and wanted something to take to a spinning conference and classes.

I had made her this cute Sew Together Bag, a Peekaboo Pencil Case by Pickle Pie Designs, and a name tag last year and she wanted something to match.

It has the cutest pattern of sheep knitting in red, black and white. Can you spot something weird with that white sheep in the upper left corner?

I could not really find a pattern I liked, so I combined a bunch of patterns and ideas and created this prototype. I just used some fabric I had on hand. I did quilt the fabrics.

I used duck cloth or canvas for the sides and bottom to give it a bit more structure. When I showed it to Jennifer, she offered a few suggested updates including a pocket for her tablet, some strips inside the sides so she could tuck in some knitting needles and more pockets. All the more friendly for a knitter to use.

I decided that the front flap was going to be quilt as you go with snippets of the fabrics including the cute little knitting sheep in red, white and black.

Here are the step by steps of my quilt as you go Messenger flap so you can see how I do it.

Here is the back of the bag. That is a really large pocket that has Headliner fabric in it to cushion her ipad. It closes with a velcro strip.

I lined the inside and added this little pocket with a cute little sheep on it.

Jennifer also wanted a little zip bag to tuck some money, chapstick and a few necessities in. I sized down another pouch I had found to make this wristlet.

Here is a little better view of the inside of the bag.

I added a wide adjustable strap. She really liked it and has used it several times. I love the zip that the striped binding gives to the front flap. The solid sides add a calming factor to the busy sheep print, but it is still just too cute. I think the QAYG flap really makes it look special.

31Aug2016

Quilting Roundup – Summer 2016

Posted in Charity, Finished Projects, Home Accessories by lorimillerdesigns

It has been a while since I posted the projects I have been working on, so it was time to do a little round up to at least catch us up to the beginning of the summer. My only son graduated from high school and the day after his graduation party, I decided to get appendicitis and it had to come out. Mix in some recovery time, summer vacation, weekends at our cottage up north, and well, you get the idea. The picture above is of my new grey couch(what a great setting for any color quilt, I can mix it up whenever I like.) I finished my pow wow quilt (Pattern by Cluck Cluck Sew) and two pillows from all of the scraps.

I did some wiggly quilting in the sashing and just wavy, organic lines over the arrow shapes. It was a quick way to quilt and it washed up great.

Next up, I had some lovely organic cotton prints with kitties on them. I used the Ballerina quilt pattern by Jaybird Quilts. It is a great way to use a special fat quarter bundle where you want to see the prints. My good friend, Laura, had celebrated a big birthday, so this throw quilt was her gift. I even did kitty themed allover quilting with curly que lines and yarn balls.

Here is a good view of the quilt and my yarn ball quilting.

I think the grey, aqua and yellow look so great together and she loved it.

I had picked up another cute bundle of fat quarters from Pink Castle fabrics in Ann Arbor, Mi. I thought they would make a great baby quilt. I thought this was a very cute pattern but I forgot about the one way prints, so that made piecing a little more challenging. I just straight line quilted around the larger squares. Then I hand drew a starburst design in the blocks.

I stitched the star burst with free motion quilting on my little bernina and on the outside big white corners, I did a some close lines for extra texture.

Here it is all finished. I had just enough yellow for the border to make it pop. Thanks to my son who is holding it up for me.

This little mini quilt was a kit that I bought in Grand Rapids at the AQS show. The pattern is Puddle Jumping Mini by Thimble Blossoms.

All those tiny pieces. I think it takes as long as a big quilt to piece these babies.

Even though it was only about 12 inches across, I still pinbasted it like crazy before quilting.

Here is my finished quilt. I just stitched some diagonal straight line quilting. It was some work, but it is so cute all finished up.

Finally, this red, white and blue beautry. I belong to the Stitching Sisters Quilt of Valor group and I finished up this large block quilt.

I was given the opportunity to award my quilt to Jerry. You can see Katy to the right, she did the longarm quilting on it. She simply does beautiful work and donates her time for many QOV quilts.

And of course, every service member gets a quilty hug to welcome them home. After serving 10 years in the National Guard myself, I have a special soft spot for all of the men and women who have served our country. It is a joy to honor them in this way.

I hope these projects inspire you to quilt up something special for yourself, a friend or even a service person. Happy Stitching!

25Aug2016

Published – Mini Mitten Coasters

Posted in Finished Projects, Published by lorimillerdesigns

They are featured on page 34 of Modern Patchwork Gifts 2016. This is the third year I have been published in the holiday issue and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Even though this was basically a one block design, I still used Electric Quilt 7 to design it. This tool is really versatile and it really helps you to visualize your project before you stitch it up.

I worked on this little pattern back in March. I had a really cute snowman print that I started with. But sometimes the white of the snowman blended with the white of the background and I was worried that they would not photograph well. I headed off to a local quilt shop, Cristina’s in Rochester, Mi to try to find holiday fabric in March.

And I wanted some fabric that looked modern but still holiday. She had these lovely prints tucked in a back corner. They are Winter Wonderland by Free Spirit Fabrics. And when I saw that candy cane print, all I could think of was the perfect ribbing for a mitten. These little guys are totally pieced and stitch up really fast. You could make them in an afternoon.

I decided to do some straight line quilting and make it easy. I think it adds some nice texture. Then I put on that tiny binding. It was not as hard as I thought. My usual method for joining worked just fine.

Isn’t this little mitten just adorable? You can make them with some fat eighths and a fat quarter for the backing and binding or use up your holiday scraps.

These are the perfect hostess, coworker or teacher gifts. Add a mug and some tea or cocoa and you are all set. Happy Stitching!

18Jun2016

Published – Infinity Quilt

Posted in Finished Projects, Published by lorimillerdesigns

I am so pleased to share my Infinity Quilt that is published in the Spring 2016 issue of Modern Quilts Unlimited.

There are so many lovely quilts in this issue, but my beauty starts on Page 24.

Photo Courtesy of Rebekah Craft

This quilt is also well traveled. The wonderful people at Free Spirit fabrics provided the lovely designer solids that I used to stitch up this design. They asked to show the quilt in their booth at Quiltcon West 2016, an offer that I could not refuse. MQU graciously let me loan it to them for the show. I was inspired to design this quilt after coming across a traditional Belt Buckle Block. I really like taking a traditional block and making it something special with bright colors, an alternate grid, and free motion quilting.

Here you can see the blocks are made up of very simple shapes, but the design looks complex.

Here is my fancy design wall, not! I just use my bed to arrange and lay out the blocks for my quilt. You can see my picture that I printed out of Electric Quilt 7 on the corner of the bed. It is a very handy reference when you are assembling the quilt too.

This is right out of EQ7. I really like the software to design my quilts and it is so handy to have the image when I am submitting for magazine publication. I found when I used the alternate grid, i could arrange the blocks to form an infinity circle. I loved the idea.

I wanted to quilt it myself, so i did some straight line quilting and some free motion quilting that looks like lines. Then in the large grey spaces, I added some modern feathers and pearls. I ended up just drawing a squiggley line down the center and eyeballing the feathers.

Here you can see those lines and feathers. Such lovely texture after it was washed.

Oreo Cat did his inspection and approved. Thanks for letting me share my Infinity Quilt and a little bit of my design process with you.

22May2016

Swoon Mini for EQ 25 and Moda Challenge

Posted in Finished Projects by lorimillerdesigns

The Electric Quilt Company is celebrating its 25th Anniversary in business this year and is hosting monthly contests. They joined with sponsor Moda for the March challenge. You needed to make a mini quilt with Moda Fabrics. Luckily, I had a Mini Swoon Quilt Kit by Thimble Blossoms that I had picked up when I was at the AQS Grand Rapids show last year. I hadn’t had a chance to make it yet, so this was the perfect opportunity to stitch it up.

The kit had really pretty fabrics by V and Co. Color Me Happy. They have some smaller prints that work well for this mini.

This pattern has a lot of intricate pieces and I think it almost takes as long as piecing a larger quilt. I tried very hard to get all of the pieces to align and match carefully. There are a few artistic licenses but overall, I was pretty pleased with my effort.

I decided to quilt a feathered medallion motif inside each of the blocks. I had a feathered wreath stencil shape that was just the right size and I marked it with washout markers.

I was looking for designs and saw the feathered medallion in Natalia Bonner’s latest book, Next Steps in Machine Quilting. So all I had to add was a crosshatch section in the center of the wreath to add some pizzazz.

I added a little flower in each of the cornerstones and free motion quilted rolling parallel lines in the rest of the sashing.

Here is a closer look at the crosshatching. The wreath template was for traditional quilting, but I just used it as a guideline for continuous line free motion quilting. The small size made the free motion quilting so much easier. All that quilting really added some interesting texture.

I didn’t win the challenge for the month, but I certainly stitched up a treasure. I need to get all of these mini’s up on the wall in my studio so I can admire them!

Liberty Quilt of Valor

Materials

Directions

Cut Fabric:

Make Blocks

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Lucky Shamrock Pillows

Materials

Directions

Piece the large Shamrock Pillow

Piece the smaller shamrocks pillow

Quilt the top side of the pillows

Finish the Pillow

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Sweetheart Quilted Zip Pouch

Materials

Directions

Piece the outside of the pouch

Quilt the outside of the Pouch

Finish the pouch

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Winter Icicles Throw Quilt

Materials

Directions

Cut Fabric:

Make Icicle Blocks

Variation Suggestions

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Holiday Yo Yo Ornament

Tissue Holder

Easy Holiday Fleece Pillows

Upcycled Christmas Card Bookmarks

Holiday Table Runner

Paper Snowflake Garland

Patterns for Sale

Gingerbread House Pincushion, Ornament and More

Poinsettia Pop Throw Quilt

Mini Mitten Coasters

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Holiday Table Runner

Materials

Directions

Cut Fabric:

Create the half square triangles

Sew the block:

Variation Suggestions

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Charming Baby Quilt

Materials

Directions

Cut Fabric:

Sew:

Variation Suggestions

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