Monday, February 3, 2014

2-1/2" Strip Tutorial!

Hello! My name is Connie Kresin Campbell and I blog at Freemotion by the River. I'm excited to share  a tutorial here at Inspired by Fabric using these beautiful Marblehead Pleasing Pastel fabrics.

I always enjoy taking my quilts outside if the weather and wind cooperate. I live right along the Mississippi River in Iowa and haven't lost a quilt yet.

I put the quilt up on a window before I quilted it and it looks like stained glass.
The block has quite a few pieces but is very easy to put together. I used my Tri Rec rulers, if you don't have them the AccuQuilt die Triangles in Square 2" will work, or you can download my templates here.

I used a bundle of 2-1/2" pre-cut strips plus some additional yardage of Marblehead Pleasing Pastels by Ro Gregg.
Marblehead Pleasing Pastels from Fabri-Quilt 
Fabric requirements for this 42" x 54" quilt:
Each block is 12-1/2" square unfinished
Quilt uses 12 blocks
  • 1 jelly roll of Marblehead Pleasing Pastels
  • 1-5/8 yd of #120-42924 Creme
  • 1-1/4 yd of #120-42921 Pink
  • 1-3/4 yd Backing piece, I used muslin
  • Batting, I used Warm & Natural

You will use two 2-1/2" strips in colors of your choice to make your block. You can get 2 blocks out of these 2 strips if you use the cutting info below for one and then switch the colors for the next.
For example this block shows a pink center, cut all the pieces and then cut another, reversing the colors to a teal center. If you want more variety there are enough strips to make blocks by just choosing 2 colors.


For each block cut the following: I am going to use pink and teal as an example.
  •  Pink - one 2-1/2" x 8-1/2"  and 6 - triangles
  • Teal - two 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" and 4 - triangles
  • Creme - four 2-1/2" squares, four 2-1/2" x 4-1/2", two 1-1/2" x 12-1/2" and 20 side triangles
Cut your triangles with the Tri-Rec tools at the 2 1/2 inch line or use my templates.
cutting the triangles
When you cut the side triangles, be sure and keep the strip doubled with wrong sides together so you will get mirrored images....one for each side of the pink triangle. Use the 2-1/2" line on the template.

If you use the Tri-Rec be sure and cut the little corner piece, it will help you match your pieces.
cut corner when using the Tri Rec tools

Here is a photo to show you how to line up the side triangle pieces.
lining up your pieces

I like to make all the pieces using the triangles and side triangles first. I used a 1/4" seam allowance while making the entire quilt.
Making the triangle pieces

Here are all the triangle pieces for one block.
Triangles all pieced

Start sewing your sections of the block together.
Sewing the block together
sewing block

Add a 1-1/2" x 12" strip to 2 sides of the block as shown.
block strips

Here is a diagram showing the sizes of the pieces in each section.
sewing diagram

Here is your block all pieced! Now just make 11 more for your quilt.
Block all pieced

Here are my blocks all pieced together.
Quilt layout

Follow the diagram below to put your blocks in rows.
I used the pink for a 3" border and the binding, which I cut 2-1/2" wide.

You can really see on this diagram where I reversed the order of the color of fabrics....for example see the green/yellow block? One has the yellow in the center and the other has the green in the center.
diagram of setting the blocks at Freemotion by the River
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial! Now, how about a giveaway?!?

One lucky person will receive this beautiful strip set of Marblehead Pleasing Pastels by Ro Gregg that Fabri-Quilt is giving away. Head over to Connie's blog to help her name her quilt and see how you can enter to win the bundle!


Marblehead by Ro Gregg giveaway


66 comments:

  1. Lovely - the texture of the fabric makes it look like jewels!

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  2. Connie makes such beautiful things! Thanks for a great tutorial.

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  3. I love this. I'll have to add it to my ever growing list of 'to-do'. :D

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  4. Pretty! Thanks for the tutorial.

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  5. What a great tutorial. Very well explained and easy to follow. Thank you!

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  6. Beautiful quilt! Great tutorial! :)

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  7. Thanks for the tutorial! Always looking for a new baby quilt pattern.

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  8. Looks like horizons to me. Beautiful!

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  9. How about "Gliding Along"? The second and fourth elongated rectangles look like pontoons--on a catamaran? on a pontoon landing air craft? on a Hawaiian outrigger? Great tutorial.

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  10. I love this fabric! Your quilt is lovely - kind of "Southwest in Pastel!"

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  11. wow another fabulous quilt.. I love the stained glass effect. Thanks for this great tutorial.
    Name " Indian Madian"

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  12. Thanks for this great tutorial!!

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  13. Love the lighting in the picture of your quilt top in the window!

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  14. Wonderful tutorial! Connie always makes it look so easy too.

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  15. Great quilt Connie!
    Thanks for the tutorial!

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  16. Thanks for the great tutorial. I like the detailed pics - very helpful.

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  17. Thanks for the tutorial, you've made something that looks quite complicated seem do-able. Lovely pattern too.

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  18. This pattern and colors really speak to me. Thank you for the tutorial...keeping this one. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com

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  19. Fabuloous quilt and tutorial!!

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  20. Wow, not that I see it closely it looks like a stained glass window. Very pretty.

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  21. Now, I'm going to have to go upstairs and find what I think I labelled my Tri-Recs quilt. I bought a quilt kit years ago and the ruler for it and never made the quilt or used the ruler. Now, I have a really, really good reason to find that box and get the ruler out. I don't think anyone has been generous enough to donate a Tri-Recs ruler to our ruler library at guild. This is a fabulous tutorial. Thank you very much. I love the fabrics and the quilt.

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  22. Another pretty quilt by Connie…thanks for sharing :)

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  23. Connie's quilt is beautiful! missysaprons@gmail.com

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  24. Love the quilt and the fabric is perfect for it!

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  25. Wonderful quilt! I love the design and fabric.

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  26. what a very cute quilt. Thanks for the tutorial

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  27. Thanks for the detailed tutorial, so easy to follow.

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  28. Great tutorial and wonderful quilt.

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  29. Fantastic tutorial with great photos. Maybe the quilt could be called "Pastel Prisms"?

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  30. Excellent tutorial for a project that is so pleasing to the eye!

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  31. Beautiful fabrics and beautiful quilt, Connie! Thanks for the tutorial.

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  32. What a great pattern Connie, just love it. The tri Rec ruler is awesome, one of my favorites.

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  33. This s beautiful!! How about "Jewel Stained Glass Squares" for the name of your quilt? I would LOVE to win this bundle!

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  34. I'd call it Chinese New Year since it reminds me of an Asian paper lantern and it is about the time of the celebrations! Love it & the new fabric line.

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  35. It does look like stained glass! Thanks so much for the tutorial. The quilt is beautiful!

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  36. Awesome tutorial Connie, I especially love the picture of the flimsy in front if the window - really shows show beautiful the fabric is. Thanks for a great design.

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  37. When I first saw this on Connie's blog, I thought "that looks difficult." Now I see that it is really an easy to make pattern. Thanks for the tutorial

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  38. Oh how I LOVE the flimsy on the window! I might be tempted to keep it that way! GORGEOUS!

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  39. Connie - great pattern and tutorial. You rock! I'd call this Gem Delight because they look like faceted gemstones to me.

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  40. I really like the pattern and tutorial. I definitely will be making this one.

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  41. I like Barb's suggestion- Gem Delight. Love this quilt.

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  42. Gorgeous quilt, perfect tutorial! Thank you :) I'd call it Precious Gems!

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  43. Great tutorial and beautiful fabrics. Arrowhead is what I would call it.

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  44. Excellent tutorial---I know this will be in my bucket list! I would call it Crystal Lights

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  45. Great tutorial and a great quilt! Thanks.

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  46. Great tutorial thanks for taking the time to do it.

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  47. Connie is such a talented person. I've been following her for some time now. Great tutorial.

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  48. I have never made a quilt with just blenders, but love it! I would call it Moonlit Ice

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  49. Beautiful quilt and great tutorial. Thanks,
    Peggy
    peggy_verdongibbs@att.net

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  50. I love your tutorial and quilt. I am following on b and blogloving.

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  51. I like the stained glass look of your quilt. Thanks for the tutorial and for providing the templates.

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  52. Great Job Connie. I love the stained glass look.

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  53. What a fabulous quilt! Thanks for the great tutorial! :)

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  54. Thanks for the tutorial. Well laid out.

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  55. This is beautiful! I love Marblehead fabrics. Thanks for the great tutorial ... :) Pat

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  56. Great tutorial!! Lovely quilt too! Thanks so much!
    Dawn
    array-dawn at cox dot net

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  57. It does look like stained glass! The fabric and quilt design really suit each other. Thanks for the tutorial.

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  58. Beautiful fabrics, I am sending this to a friend of mine who was looking for a jelly roll friendly quilt.

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