Utah Quilt Guild

This is an article that was written by Lorrie Ryther one of the board members of the Utah Quilt Guild.  Thank you, Lorrie for always writing such great informational articles.     STARS IN QUILTS Stars, stars, stars; and more stars. I am amazed at how many different stars there are that are used in quilts. To begin, let’s go back in time m ore than 3000 years ago when Egyptian kings wore star blocks sewn into their garments, symbolizing a chosen person.  Egyptian stars were similar to the Primitive Star with five points; some with different lengths. (Trivia - five points represent the four elements of earth, wind, fire, and ice with the top star meaning mind over matter.) (Primitive Star) Prior to the 1700s and then becoming more popular during the civil war (1800s), quilts with star blocks have gained in popularity. Every continent throughout history claims a block as their own, especially star blocks. Countries and different states in the United States, along ...

 Hello,  I forgot to post this on the blog for National Quilting Day, but I did get it on Facebook.  So, for all you blog readers, I apologize for that and each month a new block will be posted here as well. We are going to start a block of the month quilt, and today is the first post.  This quilt is going to be a technique-based quilt, so there will be many things you can learn from this.  We invite all to join us in this block of the month quilt.   This is going to be a scrappy quilt, so pull out the fat quarters, and all those scraps that you have.   The first block is easy as it is the 9-patch block.  It is also a basic block, and even though I have been quilting for a lot of years, I still enjoy doing the 9-patch block.  So, no matter how long you have been quilting, please join us.   To make the 9-patch block you will need 2 fabrics.  You will need 1 strip cut at 4 1/2" x 22 1/2" from the first color and 1 strip...

  FRIENDSHIP QUILTS As a recap,  we have gone over several different units that go into making a block, to include flying geese, four and nine patch squares, half and quarter square triangles, etc. Those units are used to make blocks such as double four patch, bow tie, broken dishes, pinwheels, and churn dash. Also used as the base for stars, log cabins and other blocks. Other units that are used in popular blocks that we have not discussed are curves, fans and stars which will be covered in upcoming articles. We have units that go into blocks that go into quilts as shown in the above 1840’s signature quilt. Over the next few months, we will explore some of the oldest quilt patterns. Here is a list of 11 of the oldest quilt patterns: 1. Crazy Quilt – reviewed in February 2. Rose of Sharon - Whig Rose: an applique quilt that will be discussed later. 3. LeMoyne Star (8 pointed): will be addressed with star quilts. 4. Friendship Quilt: current article 5. Nine Patch (Four Patch): ...

 Weights are not just for Muscles!  Quilters love strip-piecing those long, skinny strips that are cut from a width of fabric. It makes piecing blocks, like a 9-Patch, more quick, efficient, and accurate. However, you need to cut the strips first. Cutting accuracy is ensured when you take some key steps before you make any cuts. I like to make sure that my cutting ruler and mat grid line up “one on top of the other. “I know that there are many quilters who do not use a quilt cutting mat which has a one-inch, incremental measurement grid printed on one or both sides. Some quilters rely solely on where the fabric’s cut edge is in relation to the cutting ruler. Their cutting mat is actually just a solid-colored mat. No measurements are shown. These are sometimes referred to as “craft” or “art” mats. Many professional quilters cut without this handy measurement grid. I can’t do it. I must use my cutting ruler with my quilt cutting mat for the best accuracy....

                                                 Deb's 1000 Fabrics Scrappy Quilt Challenge                                                                        The Beginning From the minute that I heard of Twila’s “It’s a Scrappy World After All” Quilt Fest Challenge, I thought what an excellent way of getting rid of the many scrap bins in my sewing room.  And yours! Twila was kind enough to supply a simple block to get this big-girl quilt together and you can find this and also a very interesting history of the original 1,000 Scrappy Quilt on the UQG website at www.utahquiltguild.org .  I began my scrappy journey but I knew that I did not want to make a traditional quilt....

  Quilt Housekeeping                                                   A New Year - A Clean Sweep                                                                  The Sewing Table Quilt Housekeeping is not limited to keeping things clean and put away. Quilt Housekeeping also involves examining the manner in which our individual and unique creative thinking process works best. Too much organization in our sewing space has the ability to stifle the thought process or excite us to start with a “clean slate.”                             ...