‘Tis the season to be Jolly, Fa la la la la la la la la. Hi, I am Quiltjane from Want it, Need it, Quilt and I am very excited to be back with a festive recipe – Christmas Ribbons. It is winter in Australia and the perfect time to make Christmas projects and snuggle up near a toasty fire.
Today, I bring you a quilt made with French General’s Fa La La La La collection. I have combined piecing and applique to create a ribbon effect that twines its way throughout the blocks.
1 x Fa la la la Layer Cake
- 1/2 yd 13586-16
- 1/2 yd 13587-14
- 1/2 yd 13582-11 (Binding)
- 1 1/4 yds 13583-14
- 1/2 yd 13529-70
- 3 1/2 yards backing fabric
- Heat n Bond Light
- Template plastic
Cutting
From the light coloured yardage and layer cake squares cut:
- 36 x 7″ squares, cut on the diagonal to yield 72 triangles
- 18 x 4 1/4″” dark squares and 18 x 4 1/4″ light squares
- 72 x 3 1/4″ squares
- 144 x 2 1/2″ x 6 1/4″ rectangles
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Sashing blocks 144 – 2.5″ x 6.25″ |
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Ribbon pinwheels 72 – 3 1/4″ squares |
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Pinwheel Blocks 18 dark and 18 light – 4 1/4″ blocks Makes 12 pinwheels and 12 half pinwheels |
These are the four blocks we will be making.
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From top left: Sashing block, Pinwheel Ribbon Pinwheel, and Ribbon block |
Pinwheels – Make 12 Full, 12 Half
To make the pinwheels:
- Place a light coloured 4 1/4″ square right sides together with a dark coloured 4 1/4″ square.
- Sew 1/4″ inch all the way around the border of the squares.
- Cut once across the diagonal and then without separating the block, cut on the opposite diagonal. Press open the seams.
This technique yields 4 half square triangle ( HST’s )
- Trim back evenly to make an unfinished 2 1/2″ square (or sew together first and then trim back to 4 1/2″ unfinished block)
- Sew four HST’s together to make one pinwheel. Make 12 in total.
- Sew two HST’s together to make half pinwheels. Make 12 in total.
Sashing Blocks – Make 30
- Make 30 sashing blocks by sewing 2 – 6 1/4″ x 2 1/2″ strips together. Keep the remaining 24 single strips for outer sashing.
Ribbon Blocks – Make 36
- Cut the 7″ light coloured blocks once on the diagonal to yield 72 triangles.
- Trace the large ribbon template onto the fusible web ( Heat n Bond light ). Template can be found in ‘Printer Friendly’ version at the bottom of this post.
- Cut around trace line leaving 1/8″ around curve line. ( Stops the fabric fraying when bonded and cut ).
- Don’t forget to leave 1/4″ seam allowance as indicated on the template.
- Press to back of fabric and cut on trace line.
- Peel off the backing paper and press ribbon appliqué onto a large triangle piece. Make sure to centre the ribbon.
- With right sides together, sew the two pieces together along the longest side of the triangle. Press seam to one side.
Trim finished block to 6 1/4″ square. Remember to leave 1/4″ at each tip of the ribbon appliqué when cutting.
- Using matching thread machine appliqué your ribbon along the curve.
Ribbon Pinwheel Blocks – Make 13 Full, 8 half, 4 single
These are made the same way as the larger ribbon blocks.
- Cut the 3 1/4″ squares on the diagonal to yield 72 triangles.
- Trace the small ribbon template onto the fusible web (Heat n Bond Light). Don’t cut on the trace line. Leave 1/8″ allowance.
- Fuse to dark fabric per manufactures instructions. Cut on trace line for arc but leave a 1/4″ seam allowance beyond the template. Make 72.
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Leave a 1/4″ seam allowance. |
- Peel the backing off the fusible web and iron on one triangle, making sure to centre the ribbon appliqué.
- Place another triangle right sides together and sew along the long side. Trim back to 2 1/2″ squares.
- Remember to trim the blocks evenly, leaving 1/4″ at each tip of the ribbon.
- Make 13 blocks as illustrated below
- Make 8 half blocks and keep 4 single blocks.
- Using matching thread, machine appliqué the curves of each ribbon
Putting the quilt top together
The quilt is sewn in 13 rows as illustrated below.
- Layout your rows on the floor or design wall to ensure everything is facing the correct way, then sew the blocks together to make a row and then sew the rows together.
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This pattern has a slight variation. The ribbons in the pinwheels are facing upward. |
Finishing the Quilt
- Layer backing, wadding and quilt top together and quilt as desired. I used an all over feathery pattern with fine matching thread.
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Back of Quilt |
- Cut 6 2 1/4″ strips across the width of the binding fabric and piece the strips together at a 45 degree angle. Attach binding and stand back and admire your festive masterpiece.
Yield
One festive quilt 58.5″ x 58.5″
Garnishes
Spice it up with tiny yo-yos (suffolk pokes) or Christmas buttons in the centres of the pinwheels and ribbon pinwheels.
I hope you have enjoyed today’s Christmas recipe. Please upload a photo to my Flickr gallery if you make any of my MBS projects. I would love to see them.
Jane Davidson
{Want It, Need It, Quilt!}
Jane Davidson
“I love everything about quilting and the quilting industry. I am so inspired by the enthusiasm and creativity I see everyday”.
A scientist at heart, Jane loves the engineering behind the quilt making process – the planning, the fabric selection, the designing and construction, and of course the quilting. She is always ready to challenge her skills when designing a new block or quilt.
These days you can find Jane in her studio, teaching, designing patterns and fabric for Moda, running a professional long-arm quilting service, and planning her next publication.
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