Oakshott Colourshott Bloghop

Hello and welcome if you are dropping in for the Oakshott Bloghop from Lilysquilts.

I am delighted to be able to join in this event as Oakshott really are among my favourite fabrics!  I love the colours, the sheen they have, the feel of them and also how they quilt but this pattern makes use of the ability to use both sides of the woven fabric to make mirror blocks.

I chose the lovely mix of blues and green in the Derwent fat eighth bundle. 

 While thinking of inspiration my garden came to the rescue.   It is full of greens and blues of different shades.  

I designed this pattern as a table runner with the dark blue fabric creating a lattice 'sashing'.  It makes me think of looking at the garden through Trellis so that's what I'm calling my pattern.

Finished runner is 20" x 50"

What you will need

One fat eighth bundle of Oakshott Derwent 
Wadding 24" x 54"
Backing fabric 26" x 56"
Binding fabric - 150" of 1.5" single fold binding 
Usual sewing and cutting kit

Template  - make your own as below
Draw a line 6" long.  At right angles to the first line draw another 3.5" long.
Join the two lines to make a right angled triangle.  This is your stitching line.  Draw a line one quarter of an inch outside this triangle.  This is your cutting line.  It is easiest to draw this accurately on a piece of graph paper, either pre-printed or downloaded from your computer.

 Please remember:

Read through all the instructions before starting
All seams are 1/4 " throughout
Exercise great care in cutting out as this pattern uses almost all of the bundle


Cutting fabrics


Cut out fabric for each block as follows:

Four triangles in two colours (use template) making a total of eight triangles
One 2.5" square in the background fabric
Four strips 1" x 6.5" of sashing fabric from the darkest fabric in your bundle


For the runner you will need ten blocks, which equates to:

12 triangles from six colours and 8 triangles from one colour (use template)
Ten 2.5" squares from the background fabric
Forty 1" x 6.5" sashing strips - this used up the whole of my fat eighth of fabric so cut carefully!


Tip: it doesn't matter which way up the fabric and template are as this fabric can be used either side but please align the straight edge of the triangle with the straight edge of the fabric!   

If you use this pattern for printed fabric you will need to cut reverse triangles.

Layout

for the 5 clockwise blocks - the sashing seems to make these blocks spin clockwise

and the 5 anti-clockwise blocks

Plan out all ten blocks before stitching so that you can adjust the colour balance throughout your runner as preferred.  Once you start stitching it will be harder to make changes on account of the mirror blocks.

Making the blocks

Tip:  It will be easier to stitch all the blocks going in the same direction first, then the other mirror set.


Step 1 Starting with the clockwise blocks stitch the triangles together to make Half Rectangle Triangle (HRT) blocks.  Trim to 4" x 6.5" 

Please note this HRT is upside down in relation to the next photo.

Step 2 Stitch the 'sashing' fabric to the inner triangle fabric.  Press the seam towards the 'sashing' fabric. Trim this unit to 4.5" x 6.5".  One unit is done - now repeat with the other three units...

Step 3 Stitch the first HRT unit to the central square in the background colour with a partial seam.  

When opened out it provides the width required to stitch the next seam in full.

Step 4 Stitch the second unit matching ends

Please press and stitch the seam allowance towards the middle of the 'sashing' overlapping if necessary. 

Step 5 - Repeat the process till all units are attached as below

Step 6 - For the last seam you will notice that it continues the seam you started stitching in Step 3.

Step 7 - Your first clockwise block is complete.  

Repeat 4 more times with your chosen fabrics until all five clockwise blocks are complete.

Step 8 - Now repeat with your anti-clockwise blocks - you will notice the diagonal seam goes across the rectangle in the opposite direction and the sashing strips rotate anticlockwise!

Now all the blocks are completed.


Step 9 Join the blocks together in mirror pairs paying attention to matching the 'sashing' seams.  All sashing seam allowance should be stitched towards the sashing.  This raises the sashing slightly and as the sashing is darker will not show the seam allowance through the fabric.

Stitch 5 pairs of blocks

Tip:  I stitch a few stitches at the point I want to match even if this is in the middle of the seam I want to stitch.  

Then I check to see how well the seams match - if it is a good match I will stitch the rest - if not I only have a few stitches to unpick.

Step 10  Next join sets of pairs, alternating how they are turned to form the trellis pattern.

Pay attention to matching the 'sashing seams'.  Also match the centres of the diamond patterns, nesting these seams, at the intersections of your four blocks.  Stitch just those matching sections first, check the match then finish the seam when acceptable.

Step 11 - Repeat until all seams are complete - well done you have mastered Half Rectangle Triangles and Partial Seams!

Step 12 -  Layer top, wadding and backing fabric and baste as preferred.  Then quilt and bind using the single fold binding.


Enjoy using your fabulous Oakshott Trellis runner!

I hope this tutorial gets you to try out Half Rectangle Triangles and partial seams if you haven't already tried them.  Do let me know if you do!  

This pattern will be available at the launch of Oakshott Colourshott bundles at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham UK!  

Tomorrow on the Oakshott Colourshott bloghop is my fabulous friend Helen at Archie the Wonder Dog. I know you will be amazed by what she has come up with....
Here is the full schedule

31 June:  Jo from My Bearpaw

1 July:     Kerry from Very Kerry Berry

3 July:     Nicky from Mrs Sew And Sow

4 July:     Helen from Archie The Wonder Dog

7  July:    Sonia from Fabric And Flowers

8 July:     Charlotte from Displacement Activity

10 July:   Trudi from Trudi-Quilting Prolifically

11 July:   Susan Claire from Gourmet Quilter