Apple Core pattern - revision

While clearing-and-cleaning on my computer, I re-found the pattern for this little bag.

First, it was available at the Inklingo Yahoo-list.
Then I revised it - very slightly - and put it up here on the Sampler-blog, for free, and now I have moved it, yet again.
So far, 120 people have downloaded the pattern, and the only one commenting on it (or taking the time to say 'thank you') is someone who has already made the project, did so when it was on the Yahoo list.

ANYway :

Go to my 'Just Giving' page.

You can still download the pattern for free, there are no strings attached to this one, but I want you to consider donating some money for 'Doctor's Without Borders'. You can do it via the above 'Just Giving' page (which works with your credit-card or PayPal account, from anywhere in the world) or go direct to your local / national chapter of that charity and donate direct to them. I'll work this pattern on the honor system.

A pattern like this would sell for anything from 8-12 $ so please take that into consideration.

It is a neat little hand-piecing project (I don't do apple-core on the machine, but I'm sure someone out there is able to), and it doesn't require all that much fabric to make.

Enjoy !

Blockade

This week's block on the Brackman Sampler is called 'Blockade'
In the 6" format, it uses 1.5" HST and 3" QST; in the 8" format, it calls for 2" HST and 4" QST.
HOWever, for the growing number of people who do not have access to the (sold out) Collection 2 on CD, the 4" QST is a problem.
Not worry. By adding a few, but crucial, seams, the entire block can be made with one size HST.
I've made two printing-tables for each size. One with the big QST, the other without the QST.


... oh, and for once, I've made the block as well, and you can see what I mean. This block is made entirely from HST.

Picture on the left shows the HST-squares before joining.

Brackman's post here.
Printing-tables here.

Brackman Sampler : Corrections 1

I am - almost - on summer-break here, which means that I have time to actually stitch some of the Brackman blocks. As I progress, I find errors, or realize that sizes and shapes that were not available when the printing-table was made originally, have become available since the block was first published.
If either are the case, I revise the printing-tables, finish my block, and upload a picture and an updated printing-table

So far, there are updated printing-tables on the following posts.

Week 4, Texas Tears
Week 5, Kansas Trouble
Week 6, Richmond
Week 7, Log Cabin (collection came out after the block was published)

The Letter A - Hexagon

We start, as all good alphabets, with the Letter A.

I have made my letters into rectangles, because that way, you can just make the letters of whatever text you want, and join them, flat side to flat side.
That is why each letter takes quite a lot of half-hexagons, both house-half and other half.


Printing-table here.

Tilde's 15 Minute Challenge for Inklingo

This is a "guest post" by Linda & Monkey, who normally write on the All About Inklingo blog.

Tilde approached me last week with an idea, and I think it is brilliant.



It is "Tilde's 15 Minute Challenge." It is designed to help you print your very first shapes on fabric with Inklingo! You can download 2 pages and get started right now.

Whether you are new to Inklingo or very experienced, we urge you to just do it! It's a great idea, and you could win! There will be a draw on Monday 30 May from all of the comments here and on the All About Inklingo blog (combined) for two winners of $25.00 Inklingo Gift Certificates.

When you have done the Challenge and reported your results, I think you will want Tilde's Tiny Tote pattern too—and its free!

Tilde has been a dear freind (that's how Jane Austen spelled it) for over ten years, and she was one of the first three quilters to use Inklingo in 2006. With credentials like that, how can you resist her challenge?

Thank you, Tilde! I am lucky to call you a freind.
Linda & Monkey

Underground Railroad

Week 21 of Barbara Brackman's Civil War Sampler quilt is called Underground Railroad.
... well, that's the 'modern' name for the block. I always thought it was called 'Jacob's Ladder', but I just checked it out in Brackman's own 'Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns' where it is # 1312, and it is - according to this magnum opus - called : Hour Glass; Railroad Crossing; World's Fair; Jacob's Ladder; Double Four Patch; Railroad; Going to Chicago; New Four Patch; Gay Scrap Quilt; OR, Buckeye Beauty.
In Denmark (my country) we have a saying that : beloved child has many names.
Must be a seriously popular block.

The block is fully inklingoable in both sizes, tho' you need more than one collection to make it. The 3" HST (for the 6" size) and 4" HST (for the 8" size) this block calls for, are both found in the sold-out CD # 1 collection, but both sizes are available for download; in two different collections, but still :-)

Brackman's post here.
Printing-table here.

Hexagon Alphabet

I'm starting a new round of (hopefully) interesting blocks. All of them letters of the alphabet, all of them made with hexagons, all of them fully Inklingoable.

The picture here shows my first mock-up on the designwall, with all 26 letters of the (English) alphabet.

For the next 26 weeks, you'll get a new letter each week, until you have the full (English) alphabet, and can write anything you want ... provided you want to write anything at all.

In the 27th week, I will post directions on filler blocks, for the bottom row, and in the 28th week, I'll show and tell you how to make your alphabet-blocks into an alphabet sampler quilt-top.

The Hexagon alphabet is based on two quilts from the Red and White exhibition (and iPad app) that was in New York for one week in March 2011. Two of those quilts used letters made with hexagons. Not all letters were present in those two quilts, so the remainder has been invented by me, and some letters have been emended by me.

I have chosen to make each letter into a rectangle. This is because not all letters are the same width, and some have quarter-hexagons in two corners, some in all four, and if you want to write an actual sentence (or name) with these letters, they need to have about the same space between them to be legible. The way I've made the letters, there is one half-hexagon (other half) of space from the letter itself to the edge of the (individual letter) block, which equals one full hexagon between letters. To make this work for words, add a futher two hexagon-width between words.

Please note, that there are no fabric-requirements given on any of these blocks. That is because they can be made with any size hexagon ! Do consider size, though. The difference in size, depending on which size hexagon you use, is huge :

Height of blocks, if using
0.25" hexagons : 2.25"
0.5" hexagons : 4.5"
0.75" hexagons : 6.75"
1" hexagons : 9"
1.25" hexagons : 11.25"
1.5" hexagons : 13.5"
2" hexagons : 18"
3" hexagons : 27"

The 0.75" and 1.5" hexagons are both in collection #3 (CD and book, seriously good value for your money), the rest are available in individual, downloadable collections. Check out the Inklingo Hexagon Page.

I've made a 'general printing table' for you to print out, and fill in with the size hexagon you want to make (link below). The amounts printed of each shape, will give you a complete, 26-letters, English Alphabet, and two filler-blocks for the bottom row.
When you have done your calculations as to how much fabric you need to print all the shapes involved in the right numbers, please add enough background-fabric to enable you to straighten out the individual rows (making them all same length), and enough of both background and letter-fabric to make one or more borders, and a binding.
Your guess as to how much is as good as mine here, and all depends on what size hexagon you choose to use. I have worked my letters in the 0.5" hexagon size, and started out with about 2.5 yards of each fabric. So far, there is still loads to spare.

General Printing Table here.

New England Block

Week 2o of the Brackman Civil War Sampler Quilt.

... and isn't it fortuitous, that Linda is now out with a collection of HST in 'odd' sizes ? Last week, she had a post on square-in-a-square on the All About Inklingo blog.
Now she has issued a collection of 'odd size' triangles (pieces or fractions of eight) that are needed, just as they are needed.

I think it is nifty, because having the 'of eight' increments in HST, means that this block is fully Inklingoable in both sizes.

Please note, that in both sizes, you print some rectangles from a Log Cabin collection. They need to be cut down to size after printing, but you can use the printed squares in the block as a 'ruler' to get the correct length.

Also, if you are making the 6" version, using the 0.5" Log Cabin collection, remember that the seam-allowance on these are NOT 0.25" but are slimmer.

Brackman's post.
Printing Table

Missouri Star

Week 19 of Barbara Brackman's Civil War Sampler quilt is called Missouri Star

Now, isn't it fortunate, that this week, with the square in a square for the centre, of the block, that Linda has just made a post on her 'All About Inklingo' blog, which deals with how you get from a known size HST to an unknown size square (or vice versa). Go check out the Measurements of Half Square Triangles post.

This week's block is fully Inklingoable in the 6" format, and almost fully Inklingoable in the 8" format (fully Inklingoable only if you've got the sold-out Collection 2 on CD).

And please note : When you make the star-points, do not make 8 identical ones. If you do, you'll get different coloured tips. Make two mirror-image set of each 4 star-points.

Brackman's Post.
Printing Table.