Quilting Linda: A Quilting Blog by Linda West

Mar

8

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — Sashing and Borders

Posted Tuesday, March 8th, 2016 in Quilting | Read More

If you have used interfacing in all of your blocks, you will need to use interfacing on the sashing and borders. The reason you will do this is because the sashing and borders will stretch more than the blocks and it will be difficult to keep it flat to quilt if it does not have interfacing.

Preparing and Cutting the Sashing and Borders

(Sashing = Strips of fabric that go between and around the blocks)

I cut a length of iron-on interfacing to fit the width (selvage to selvage)  of the black and the green (Kiwi) fabrics.  Press it onto the wrong side of the sashing and border fabrics.

After the interfacing is attached to the back of the fabric, cut 2 1/2 inch strips as follows for the sashing:

Green (Kiwi) = 7 strips

Black =12 strips

Assembling the Quilt Top

You have now assembled all your blocks and they are ready to be joined into sections using sashing strips between the blocks.

For the first section:

1. Sew the Key block to the top of the Candle block.

2. Sew the Fairy block to the top of the Bomb block.

We will join the two sections to the Link block by adding sashing to each long side of the of the Key/Candle block and the Fairy/Bomb block and sewing to the sides of Link.*

Helpful Hint: *Measure the length of the two sections and the Link block. If there is a large difference between the sections, you may need to add a piece to the shorter section. For example:  If the Key/Candle block is 1 inch shorter than the Link block, cut a 1.5 inch strip of interfaced black fabric. (The half inch is the seam allowance.) Measure the width of the Key/Candle block (15.5)and cut the 1.5 inch strip that length  –   1.5 X 15.5 inches.

Sashing will be added between the blocks in the middle and bottom sections of the quilt, using the same color fabric as the background in the blocks. Sashing will also be added all around the outside of each of the three sections. To do this, measure the length of each section and cut sashing to that measurement for the ends of the section. (It should be the same length as the sashing you added between the blocks.) Next measure the width of the entire section and sew a piece of sashing to the top and bottom of the section. Make sure each of the three large sections measure the same width.

When you have all three sections assembled, sew the sections together as shown above in the illustration of the quilt.

Adding the Border

(3 1/2 inch strips)

Green (Kiwi) = 8 strips

To make the border, I like to join all the strips end to end to make one long piece. Measure the length of the quilt top and cut 2 pieces that length. Sew one on each side of the quilt top. Next, measure the width of the quilt and cut 2 pieces that measurement. Sew to the top and bottom edge of the quilt.

Helpful Hint: If one piece is slightly larger than the other piece, place the larger piece on the bottom next to the feed dogs on the machine when you sew. This helps to ease the slightly different sized pieces together.

Congratulations! You have now finished the quilt top!

Quilt as desired.

I quilted my Zelda quilt on my short-arm quilting frame. Because of the thickness of the quilt top with all the seams and interfacing, I used a large needle in my machine and did a large meander design.

Binding

This is the only part of the quilt that will NOT have interfacing. I like to cut 2.5 inch strips and join them together with a diagonal seam. Use your favorite method of binding to finish your Zelda quilt.

Mar

7

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — Tri-force

Posted Monday, March 7th, 2016 in Quilting | Read More

We are now ready to make Tri-force, the last block in the quilt-along  This one is not made with a grid like the rest of the blocks. Because the previous blocks were made with interfacing, we will need to add interfacing to this block also.

You will need a ruler with a 60 degree line.

Before we cut out this block, we will apply iron-on interfacing to the back of the fabric as follows:

Apply interfacing to the wrong side of the Kiwi  and the Canary fabrics.

Kiwi

2 pieces –  17  X  9  5/8

1 piece –   8  5/8  X  9  7/8

Canary

3 pieces –  8  5/8  X  9  7/8

We  are now ready to cut the large triangles for the right and left sides of the Tri-force blocks using the (2) 17 X 9 5/8 pieces of Kona Kiwi with interfacing. IMPORTANT: These triangles MUST be cut one at a time because they are not the same.

Place your ruler on the diagonal on one piece from the upper left corner to the lower right corner and cut.  We will only use one piece. You may discard the other half.

For the second triangle, cut from the upper right corner to the lower left corner. Again, we will use one piece and discard the other piece.

We have now cut the right and left pieces of the Tri-force block.

The center of the block has 1 Kiwi and 3 Canary triangles.  Using the 8 5/8 X 9 7/8 interfaced fabrics, mark the center of each piece on one of the 9 7/8 inch sides.  Line up the 60 degree line on the ruler with the bottom edge (9 7/8) of the fabric and slide the ruler until it is lining up the bottom corner of the fabric with the center mark on the top edge. Cut on this line. Turn the ruler around and line up and cut the other side  to make a triangle. The cut triangle should measure 8 5/8 inches high by 9 7/8 at the base.

See the above picture and assemble the Tri-force block as follows:

Sew the  Canary triangles to the right and left sides of the Kiwi triangle. Press seams toward the canary triangle. Sew the 3rd Canary triangle to the third side of the Kiwi triangle and press toward the Canary triangle.

The final step is to sew the large Kiwi triangle to the right and left sides of the Canary and Kiwi triangles that you just assembled. The unfinished* size of the Tri-force block is 18 1/2 X 16 1/2 inches, the same as the Sword and Shield and Bow and Arrow blocks. If your block is smaller than this size, you can add a strip of fabric to the top or bottom of the block to make it longer. and likewise to the sides, to achieve the desired size.

Helpful Hint: * Unfinished size is the measurement before the block is sewn onto the block or sashing next to it.

The final step to assemble the quilt block will be to make sashing and borders. This will be detailed in the next post.

Nov

15

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — Link (Part 4)

Posted Sunday, November 15th, 2015 in QAL | Read More

For the second in a series of four blocks we are working on Link, with this being our eleventh block of our Zelda: The Quilt-Along. Find all of the blocks associated with Link here: Link (Part 1), Link (Part 2), Link (Part 3) and Link (Part 4). As a reminder, our full list of fabric and tool requirements are located here, which includes yardage for fabric for the entire quilt.

The eleventh block that we will be making is Link, who is a young swordsman who is asked, after rescuing Impa, the royal nursemaid, to save Hyrule and Princess Zelda from the evil Prince of Darkness, Ganon, who is seeking out the shards of the Triforce of Wisdom. Link collects the pieces of this Triforce and enters Ganon’s lair in Death Mountain. There he defeats Ganon with a Silver Arrow, secures the Triforce of Power, and saves Princess Zelda from Ganon’s clutches.

The Link block will be constructed in the same manner as the other blocks, The Candle, The Fairy, The Key, The Bomb, The Blue Wizrobe, The Red Darknut, Princess Zelda, Sword and Shield, and Bow and Arrow however the size is different. The Link (Part 4) block grid is 15 squares across and 16 squares down and it uses the following colors of fabrics:

Nov

10

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — Link (Part 3)

Posted Tuesday, November 10th, 2015 in QAL | Read More

For the second in a series of four blocks we are working on Link, with this being our eleventh block of our Zelda: The Quilt-Along. Find all of the blocks associated with Link here: Link (Part 1), Link (Part 2), Link (Part 3) and Link (Part 4). As a reminder, our full list of fabric and tool requirements are located here, which includes yardage for fabric for the entire quilt.

The eleventh block that we will be making is Link. Within each Zelda game there is an incarnation of Link, all of which share both physical and non-physical characteristics. The connection of all Link characters, whether they are the same character or an ancestor of Link is unknown. Link only speaks three times throughout all of the Zelda games and by gamers that enjoy the series, this is seen as a misstep. Not typically hearing Link’s voice allows gamers to immerse themselves and be Link.

The Link block will be constructed in the same manner as the other blocks, The Candle, The Fairy, The Key, The Bomb, The Blue Wizrobe, The Red Darknut, Princess Zelda, Sword and Shield, and Bow and Arrow however the size is different. The Link (Part 3) block grid is 15 squares across and 16 squares down and it uses the following colors of fabrics:

Nov

5

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — Link (Part 2)

Posted Thursday, November 5th, 2015 in QAL, Quilt Blocks | Read More

For the second in a series of four blocks we are working on Link, with this being our eleventh block of our Zelda: The Quilt-Along. Find all of the blocks associated with Link here: Link (Part 1), Link (Part 2), Link (Part 3) and Link (Part 4). As a reminder, our full list of fabric and tool requirements are located here, which includes yardage for fabric for the entire quilt.

The eleventh block that we will be making is Link, who interestingly enough often shares a lot of similarities to Peter Pan. He wears green clothing, has an elf-like appearance, hangs out with a Fairy and battles evil with a sword. In some games, Link even fights his shadow or dark self. The creator of The Legend of Zelda has revealed that he did indeed take inspiration from Peter Pan when creating our hero.

The Link block will be constructed in the same manner as the other blocks, The Candle, The Fairy, The Key, The Bomb, The Blue Wizrobe, The Red Darknut, Princess Zelda, Sword and Shield, and Bow and Arrow however the size is different. The Link (Part 2) block grid is 15 squares across and 16 squares down and it uses the following colors of fabrics:

Nov

1

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — Link (Part 1)

Posted Sunday, November 1st, 2015 in QAL, Quilting | Read More

After a little hiatus we are back and tackling the big man and main character of the Zelda Games, Link himself, in our tenth block of our Zelda: The Quilt-Along. As a reminder, our full list of fabric and tool requirements are located here, which includes yardage for fabric for the entire quilt.

The tenth block that we will be making is Link, our main hero and the character that is played by the individual gamer. Link is typically depicted as a young boy or teen in green clothing that is called upon to leave his home and save Hyrule (the world within our Zelda games) and Princess Zelda.

As Link is the main character of the Zelda games, we are making him significantly larger compared to the other items and characters on our quilt. For that reason, Link’s quilt block has been divided up into four separate blocks to be sewn together after they are individually completed. Find all of the blocks associated with Link here: Link (Part 1), Link (Part 2), Link (Part 3) and Link (Part 4).

The Link block will be constructed in the same manner as the other blocks, The Candle, The Fairy, The Key, The Bomb, The Blue Wizrobe, The Red Darknut, Princess Zelda, Sword and Shield, and Bow and Arrow however the size is different. The Link (Part 1) block grid is 15 squares across and 16 squares down and it uses the following colors of fabrics:

Aug

16

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — Bow and Arrow

Posted Sunday, August 16th, 2015 in QAL | Read More

Our next block includes two more of Link’s weapons, his Bow and Arrow, in our ninth block of our Zelda: The Quilt-Along. As a reminder, our full list of fabric and tool requirements are located here, which includes yardage for fabric for the entire quilt.

The Bow and Arrow is a combination that Link uses to defeat his enemies within the Zelda games. Link begins with just a sword and shield and eventually picks up other weapons including the bow and arrow to progress through the game. In the first Zelda game, the bow and a silver arrow is required to finish off Ganon, the main and last boss of the game.

The Bow and Arrow block will be constructed in the same manner as the other blocks, The Candle, The Fairy, The Key, The Bomb, The Blue Wizrobe, The Red Darknut, Princess Zelda and Sword and Shield, however the size is different. The Bow and Arrow block grid is 18 squares across and 16 squares down and it uses the following colors of fabrics:

Aug

1

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — Sword and Shield

Posted Saturday, August 1st, 2015 in QAL | Read More

Our next block is two of Link’s weapons against evil, his Sword and Shield, our eighth block of our Zelda: The Quilt-Along. As a reminder, our full list of fabric and tool requirements are located here, which includes yardage for fabric for the entire quilt.

The Sword and Shield are two central pieces of Link’s weaponry within the Zelda games. Link begins each game with a Wooden Sword and Shield and can purchase a stronger Magical version of each. The Magical Sword and Shield were actually only used in the first two Zelda games. In newer Zelda games Link upgrades to the Master Sword, typically by finding it after defeating a particular part of the game.

The Sword and Shield block will be constructed in the same manner as the other blocks, The Candle, The Fairy, The Key, The Bomb, The Blue Wizrobe, The Red Darknut and Princess Zelda, however the size is different. The Sword and Shield block grid is 18 squares across and 16 squares down and it uses the following colors of fabrics:

Jul

1

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — Princess Zelda

Posted Wednesday, July 1st, 2015 in QAL | Read More

We are finally hitting the namesake behind our Zelda Quilt-Along…Princess Zelda. We’re starting on our seventh block of our Zelda: The Quilt-Along. As a reminder, our full list of fabric and tool requirements are located here, which includes yardage for fabric for the entire quilt.

Princess Zelda, the princess that Link is attempting to rescue within the game as well as the namesake of the game itself. In every game of the Zelda series, Princess Zelda is captured or put in danger by evil forces — generally led by a villian boss named Ganon. It is up to Link to save her. Many people unfamiliar with the game series incorrectly refer to Link (who is the main character in the games) by the princess’ name “Zelda”, as they assume that the title of the game is referring to the main character and not the damsel in distress.

Princess Zelda will be constructed in the same manner as the other blocks, The Candle, The Fairy, The Key, The Bomb, The Blue Wizrobe and The Red Darknut, however the size is different. The Princess Zelda block grid is 18 squares across and 16 squares down and it uses the following colors of fabrics:

Jun

1

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — The Red Darknut

Posted Monday, June 1st, 2015 in QAL | Read More

Can you believe it? We’re starting on our SIXTH block of our Zelda: The Quilt-Along. We have our full list of fabric and tool requirements are located here, which includes yardage for fabric for the entire quilt..

The Red Darknut was a type of enemy that Link would encounter inside of dungeons within the game. Darknuts essentially are caped knights, carrying a shield in front of them that prevents Link from doing any damage to them head on and a sword used to attack. In order to attack a Darknut, Link must quickly attack them with his sword from behind. Red Darknuts are slightly easier enemies than the Blue Darknuts, who move much more quickly and deal more damage to Link when they hit him with their sword.

The Red Darknut will be constructed in the same manner as the other blocks, The Candle, The Fairy, The Key, The Bomb and The Blue Wizrobe, however the size is different. The Red Darknut block grid is 18 squares across and 16 squares down and it uses the following colors of fabrics:

Apr

30

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — Blue Wizzrobe

Posted Thursday, April 30th, 2015 in QAL | Read More

We are now ready to make the FIFTH block of our Zelda: The Quilt-Along. We have our full list of fabric and tool requirements are located here, which includes yardage for fabric for the entire quilt..

The Blue Wizzrobe was a type of enemy that Link would encounter inside of dungeons within the game. Wizzrobes shoot magic bolts at Link to hurt him and could disappear and reappear elsewhere, making them a tough enemy to kill. Blue Wizzrobes (as is shown in our block) are the most difficult type of Wizzrobes. They can fire continous spells at Link while they chase him around the room and can can cross areas that other Wizzrobes typically cannot.

The Blue Wizzrobe will be constructed in the same manner as the other blocks, The Candle, The Fairy, The Key and The Bomb, however the size is different. The Blue Wizzrobe block grid is 18 squares across and 16 squares down and it uses the following colors of fabrics:

Apr

15

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — The Bomb

Posted Wednesday, April 15th, 2015 in QAL | Read More

We are now ready to make the FOURTH block of our Zelda: The Quilt-Along. We have our full list of fabric and tool requirements are located here, which includes yardage for fabric for the entire quilt..

The Bomb was an item that Link would use to attack his enemies. He would find these items throughout the world or could purchase them from a character that sells helpful things. Link would set a bomb down near one of his enemies and quickly get away quickly or he would also be hurt by the explosion. Bombs are also used to get to new areas on the map of the game, which Link could access after blowing up specific rocks or doors.

The Bomb will be constructed in the same manner as the other blocks, The Candle, The Fairy and The Key, however the size is different. The Bomb block grid is 9 squares across and 15 squares down and it uses the following colors of fabrics:

Apr

1

Zelda: The Quilt-Along — The Key

Posted Wednesday, April 1st, 2015 in Quilting | Read More

Happy April’s Fools Day – but we aren’t fooling you! Yes that’s right, we’re ready to make the THIRD block of our Zelda: The Quilt-Along. We have our full list of fabric and tool requirements are located here, which includes yardage for fabric for the entire quilt..

The third block that we will be making is The Key, which was an item that Link could use to unlock doors within dungeons in the The Legend of Zelda game. Link would need to find the key before progressing through each dungeon, often right before facing the main enemy of the dungeon or “boss”. There were a total of eight dungeons within the first Zelda game.

The Key will be constructed in the same manner as the other blocks, The Candle and The Fairy, however the size is different. The Key block grid is 15 squares across and 15 squares down and it uses the following colors of fabric:

Dec

31

Christmas 2012

Posted Monday, December 31st, 2012 in Christmas gift, Quilting | Read More

It has been a long time since I have posted. I have been very busy working on quilts for Christmas gifts for my family. I even made a wall hanging for my grand-dog. I hadn’t planned to give quilts this year until I found some new patterns that were perfect for Jennifer and Jeff. I decided I had to make a quilt for each person. I originally was going to use the same pattern to make quilts for the guys but Jennifer convinced me that Tristan really wanted needed a Zelda quilt. She designed the blocks for it  and I started  working on it in December. I burned the midnight oil making quilts the last two weeks before Christmas.

Please ignore the mess in the background. These pictures were taken after all the gifts were opened. The guys stood on the couch to hold up the quilts for pictures.

Tristan’s Zelda quilt

Jeff’s Mario quilt

Christina’s City Girl quilt

Jennifer’s Bowling Green Falcons quilt

Eli’s Berenstain Bears quilt

Back of Eli’s quilt

And last……

Banana’s wall hanging

(Bananas is our black lab grand-dog)

I am taking a break from quilting to put my house back into order and to give my sore fingers a rest. I received some really nice quilting books and notions for Christmas that I am excited to use soon. Give me a couple of days and I will be back in the quilting mood!