Pocket Patchwork Sew~Along: Tucker ~ Part Four

I know you're all anxious to meet Tucker, and I'm betting you're going to quickly scroll down to see what the finished results looks like, and I can't say I blame you.  I'd likely do the same.  

Now that you've had a first look....are you scratching your head?  Are you thinking....'this is the path she lead us down?'  Well....as I said from the beginning, Tucker wasn't to be my typical quilt design, but.....it was most definitely designed with a distinct purpose in mind!  I hope you'll keep an open mind as we finish Tucker, and I explain the method to my non-madness!

From the pieces you have left, you'll be making (8) Flying Geese units.  To construct them, draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all light print squares.  Position a light print square on the left side of a dark print rectangle.  Sew just inside the drawn line, and press, checking the accuracy and placement of the light print triangle.  Then, trim a quarter inch seam allowance from the center and bottom fabrics.  Repeat on the right side. Make (8) Flying Geese units measuring 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" unfinished.

I used (8) Flying Geese units I had lying around.  Orphans, if you will.   

They were much, much larger than what I needed, so I used the Wing Clipper ruler to trim them to size

I love, love, love this ruler!  You can create Flying Geese units in sizes from 1 1/2" to 10 1/2" with this ruler, and trim them to perfection each and every time!!  Obviously, it also works to trim larger,m orphaned FG to any smaller size like I did.  

Notice the ruler's 2 1/2" vertical line on the left side light print, and where the line turns the corner, it travels horizontally to meet the seam allowance for the right side light print.  That shows your first cut.  Notice, also, that there is extra fabric above the pink goose point.  I trimmed that as well.  

 After trimming the first two sides, you rotate the FG unit, and trim the last two sides.  Absolutely perfect results every time.  You can't beat that!  Click here to read more about this ruler, and order one if you're interested.  

Here are all my trimmed Flying Geese.  

Now sew them into (4) sets of pairs.  Each pair should measure 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" unfinished.

Sew your pairs together to make (2) foursomes.  With small pieces like these are, the size of your pins is more important than ever!!  Thicker pins will distort your patchwork, and while thick pins are no good no matter what size unit you're making, the smaller the pieces, the more impact thick pins will have.  I love these fine patchwork pins and wouldn't use anything else!! If you'd like to know more about them, click here.

Your foursomes should measure 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" unfinished.  

Sew the (2) foursomes together for one long Flying Geese strip measuring 2 1/2" X 8 1/2" unfinished.

Sew the Flying Geese strip to the top of the star block; press.  Quilt should measure 8 1/2" x 10 1/2" unfinished.

Sew the remaining patchwork block to the Flying Geese strip; press.  Your little quilt should measure 8 1/2" x 16 1/2" unfinished.  

This is how my sweet, little Tucker turned out.  In finishing my Tucker quilt, I did not use batting, and did not quilt it in any way.  This was quite deliberate on my part as you'll see why shortly.  I just chose a backing print, and basted the top and back with big stitches.  Nice and easy!

I cut (2) 2" x WOF strips for double fold binding.  I normally cut my binding strips at 2 1/4", but because I didn't use batting, I didn't need the extra width.  So, keep that in mind when deciding the width of your binding.  You can certainly add batting and quilt yours if you prefer, but before you make that decision, read on.

Now that Tucker is done, it's time to show and tell you why I've named it Tucker.  

You may remember in my first post, that I said Tucker wasn't going to be my usual quilt design, and that I had been inspired my Mary Campbell Ghormley's vintage doll quilt collection at the International Quilt Study Museum in Lincoln, NE.  

A lot of the nineteenth century quilts collected by Mary don't have a block pattern or ordered design to them.

They were likely made of units, blocks and scraps the quiltmaker had laying around.

That didn't mean they were any less wonderful, and are certainly treasured now, not to mention are presently living in a museum!  

If you're a regular reader to this blog, you know how much I love early American history. These quilts touched me deeply as I imagined our quilting ancestors sewing the patches together for a child's doll.  No batting, no quilting, just love stitched for a little girl's happiness.  (Of course many had batting and quilting.)  Their living situation meant they had to be frugal, and wasted nothing.  Did they have any idea how charming these quilts would be to us? 

Inspiration struck with a solution to a desire I had been ruminating over for many months!!

I've been wanting to make a bunch of little quilts that I could tuck into several places here and there in my home.  Nothing fancy, not a lot of work, but pleasing and interesting, of course. Why it took visiting the International Quilt Museum and Mary's collection to spark the inspiration, I don't know?  I've learned not to question why, but to follow my instinct.  Having a little "tucker" quilt inside a Furkin was one place I had wanted one, and the missing batting helps with fitting the lid.  For a utilitarian quilt like this, batting and quilting is just not necessary.  What do you think? Will you miss the quilting stitches when you look at it, or just enjoy it the way it is?  For some of these little cuties, I know I won't miss them.  But, if you would, you should!

This is where Tucker will live in my house.  It's my lowly laundry room.  You know how much time we spend in there!  It's also a mud room for us, so we're in here all the time, entering from the garage and back yard, etc.  I want this little room to be a happy place, so I've decorated it to be just that.  It needed a quilt!  

Tucker is tucked into an old feed/grain scoop.  This handmade treenware tool has been with me for many years, and I love it.  The flowers are inside the compartment where all the feed/grain would have been collected.  There is another handle that the quilt is covering.  It has a lot of character, and no doubt spent many years in service to its owner.  What stories it could tell...if it only could!  It was the perfect place for a little quilt, but it had to be small and thin, or I thought it might overwhelm the scoop.  

Like you, I don't have a lot of time to piece all the things I want to make, but studying Mary's quilts made me realize that I could use orphans units and patchwork squares I already had laying around, and create something lovely without a lot of fuss.  

About the "tucked" part of Tucker....if I only had me to think about, I would have used more orphan units/blocks, such as Half and Quarter Square Triangles, Nine Patch blocks, etc., just like in Mary's quilts shown above, but, that would have meant more piecing for you if you didn't have the same blocks.  I felt I was already taking a risk inviting you on this unusual piecing journey, so I asked you to just use your scraps, hopefully spending no money, and not too much of your valuable time.  The tucked part of the quilt won't be seen, so you might wonder, why piece anything at all?  Why not just use plain fabric?  Good question, and you certainly can, but.....I really wanted to do as our quilting ancestors would have, and I'm so glad I did. I thought they would not have wasted a large piece of fabric on something that wouldn't be seen, and would have chosen to pieced random scraps for the job instead.  That's how I imagine it, anyway.  

By now, you know why I named this sew-along Tucker.  Hope it makes you smile!  My next Tucker quilt will likely use a large orphan block leftover from another quilt project.  Isn't that a great use of a large, leftover orphan block?  

In case you're not loving my Tucker idea, please know that I am sorry.  I tried to forewarn everyone from the beginning that it would not be my typical sew-along, and to prepare you.  If you have cut and sewn your scraps thus far, all is not lost!  With a little un-sewing of your patchwork squares, you can add to them to make another star block, and create a little table runner.  I hope that eases your disappointment!!  

My apologies for the unusually long blog post, but I had a story to tell you!  I would really, really love to know what you think about Tucker quilts.  Yes, it's a term I've coined and hope it will continue.  

I'd love it if  you'd leave me a comment with your feedback, I will choose one winner to receive a Fat Eighth bundle of one of my fabric collections.  And, I most definitely want to hear all comments...favorable, and non-favorable.  I'll choose a winner November 14th.  

I've also added a little poll to the side-bar of my blog, so click here to cast your vote in the poll. It will be fun to see what you all think!  

I will also host an Airing of The Quilts for Tucker on December 15th.  So, please email a photo to me (as an attachment) to Pam@HeartspunQuilts.com.  (Your quilt top need only be pieced. It doesn't have to be bound.)  

I'd also love for you to post your Tucker quilt using #TuckerQuilts on social media!  

It has been my pleasure to take this Journey with you all, and I thank you so much for sewing along with me once again!  I appreciate all your comments, your emails, and your business, and hope to be able to continue sharing things with you for a long time!  

Now...it's my turn to wait to see what you think and what your Tucker Quilt looks like!    

Piecefully Yours.....

Pocket Patchwork Sew~Along: Tucker ~ Part Three

Ya know.....I love meeting like this every Friday.  Don't you?  We have this little date, and I know there are those of you living outside of the United States that drop in for a visit, too, and that just makes me smile.  Thank you!

This is your next task in our little Tucker journey.  Sew six rows of eight 1 1/2 inch squares together (48 squares).  All dark squares.  Your block should measure 6 1/2 by 8 1/2 unfinished.

That's it!  I know...not all that exciting a block is it?  Well....it has an important job.  All will be revealed next Friday!  I can wait to share this with you.  

Hope you have a wonderful weekend enjoying Halloween, and gain one hour of sleep as we turn our clocks back.  I really like that better then jumping ahead, although I never actually sleep the extra hour!

Have fun.....and thanks for sewing along with me.  I'm always so very glad you did!

Pocket Patchwork Sew~Along: Tucker ~ Part Two

So glad you're back to sew along with me once more!  I've heard you're a little anxious to get started, so let's do just that.  Here we go!

Choose an assortment of (52) 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" dark print squares, (4) of the 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" light print squares, along with the (8) 1 1/2" unfinished Half Squares Triangles.  (Remember, if you're using different sized squares and HST's, just note the count for all pieces.)  

Arrange the squares and Half Square Triangles as shown.  Sew together into rows.  Alternate the pressing direction for each row to create opposing seams.  

Sew your rows together: press.  Your star block should measure 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" unfinished.  That's it for now!!  Whatcha think??  Hope you like it so far.  That's all we have to work on until next week....so be sure to come back and visit again next Friday for the next step!!

I've had a lot of requests to make Fat Quarter and Fat Eighth bundles of just the eleven assorted shirting light prints from my Antique Cotton collection (Marcus Fabrics) , so that's just what I did!!

Stock up on these cuties now!  Click here to order and they'll be on their way to your house just in time to add to your Tucker project.  

And remember...sewing is so good for your soul!  

Pocket Patchwork Sew~Along: Tucker Part One

Welcome to my Pocket Patchwork Sew~Along, which I'm calling Tucker!!  There's a little more to the name than I can tell you right now, but you'll know why I chose Tucker in the "reveal" blog post.  Hoping it will make you smile!  

Introduction:

Tucker was inspired by a recent visit and tour of the International Quilt Study Museum located in Lincoln, NE.  They obviously have many, many quilts there, and I did appreciate all of the current exhibits, where I saw both very old and recently made quilts.  You won't be at all surprised when I say the old ones were of special importance for me.  I was most interested in the museum's acquisition of all of Mary Campbell Ghormley vast antique doll quilt collection, as well as the Civil War reproduction quilts made by Mary herself.   

Mary, you see, had been collecting vintage doll and small quilts long before it was vogue to do so.  In her book, Childhood Treasures, Mary Kay Waldvogel wrote about Mary and featured 80 of Mary's vintage quilts.  A wonderful book, indeed!  Mary (whom passed away not long ago) was a big part of the International Quilt Study Museum, and quilting in general in Lincoln.  

Some of the vintage quilts in her collection are truly stunning pieced works of art, and then there are those that are just sweet, little ordinary patchwork quilts.....tangible patches of nineteenth century living...where each little leftover square was coveted by their maker, and saved to be used somehow, somewhere.  

And..... that is the place where we will begin.  If you choose to sew-along with me, you'll be choosing your own sweet, little patchwork squares to make a little something out of the ordinary!  This is not going to be a little quilt you would normally expect from me, but I think you'll be pleased none the less.  Our sew-along will only last 4 weeks, and you'll only need to use your scraps.  

  Let's Journey The Threads of Time ™  together!!    Here we go!

I'm using 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" unfinished squares.  Tucker is very flexible, and if that size is too small for your liking, then choose the smallest size you're comfortable working with.  

Cutting Instructions:

From your vast, enormous and coveted pile of beautiful scraps, cut the following:

(20) assorted light print 1 1/2" squares.

(100) assorted dark print 1 1/2" squares.

(8) assorted dark print 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles.

And...make (8) Half Square Triangles trimmed to measure 1 1/2" x 1 1/2".  I literally used some I had lying around.  If you need to make some, cut your squares to  1 7/8" x 1 7/8".

That's your first task...to gather and cut your fabrics, and make or acquire (8) HST's.  The next Tucker post will be on Friday, October 23rd so you'll have some time to gather and cut your fabrics.  The subsequent posts will be on Fridays, October 30th and November 6th.   

Have I piqued your interest?  Are you jumping in with all of your scraps, or are you pondering what to do?  Well....I sure hope you join us!!