Fall into a Quilt Along: Canning Jars
Welcome to block 10 of Fall into a Quilt Along! We’ve rounded into the home stretch of this quilt along with fall quickly approaching. If you missed any of the previous blocks, my quilt along page has everything you need. All of the patterns will be free until November 13, 2018.
Fall is harvest season, and for many of us, harvest means canning. Sandra Healy designed these wonderful canning jars for our quilt. Head on over to her blog post for the pattern.
Tips for Success
As a quilt along host, I’m here to make these blocks as easy as possible. I have several tips that will help this block go together like a dream. I even wrote a tutorial for adding a beveled shelf to the block!
Seam Test
I always recommend testing your seam allowance before you start. That way you can be sure your block will come out the right size.
To test your seam allowance, cut two 2" squares and sew them together. Press to one side, and measure the resulting rectangle. The rectangle should be 3 1/2" long. If your rectangle is shorter, you need a narrower seam allowance. If your rectangle is longer, you need a wider seam allowance. Adjust your seam and try again. Once the rectangle is exactly 3 1/2" long, you're good to go.
Stitch and Flip Corners
Stitch and flip corners are super versatile for making all sorts of blocks. The secret to making a successful stitch and flip corner is to stitch just outside of the drawn line. The line you drew isn't the stitching line - it's actually where the fabric needs to fold! By stitching just outside of the line, you give yourself the extra fabric you need to reach all the way to the corner when you flip it over.
Just to be safe, I always test to make sure my corner is covered before I cut away the excess fabric from the back.
If you’re not careful, the fusible web can make applique blocks really stiff. To combat this, I like to cut away the centers of my pieces before fusing them to my fabric. It makes a huge difference! Just make sure to leave about 1/2” of fusible around the outside of each piece.
I wanted to get my produce close to the bottom of the jars without losing anything in the seam allowance. I pulled out a ruler to mark that 1/4” seam while I was placing my pieces. It would be a good idea to put another ruler along the left side since there’s another seam allowance there.
Note - If you end up making a shelf like I did, it may be easier to add that before fusing the produce in the jars.
Once everything was fused in place, I pulled out matching thread and did a straight stitch around the edges of each piece. It’s important to stitch the pieces down to secure them, but you can use any stitch you like.
Making the Beveled Shelf
Once I had finished my block, I stood back and took a look. The colors felt pretty light compared to the rest of the blocks in my quilt. It didn’t take long for me to decide I would really like for my jars to be sitting on a shelf. I was thrilled to find a maroon woodgrain fabric in my stash that was just perfect.
Would you like to make your own shelf for your jars? I’ve written a tutorial just for you!
Sewing the Shelf
Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the wrong side of both 3/4” background squares.
Place the squares right sides together with the shelf piece as shown and stitch just outside of the drawn lines. Stitching next to the line gives you the extra bit fabric you need to reach all the way to the corner.
Cut away the excess corner fabric 1/4” from the sewn lines.
Press the top piece towards the shelf, and the bottom piece towards the background, as shown.
Sew the 1 1/2” background square to the end of the shelf piece, and press towards the background square.
The shelf is finished and can be sewn to the bottom of your block. Press towards the shelf.
Trim the excess background fabric from the top of the block. Your block should measure 12 1/2” square.
Tada! You’ve successfully added a beveled shelf to your block.
More Wonderful Jars
I am joined by six other fabulous ladies that are hosting this quilt along. They have each made their own versions of the block. Be sure to check them out for more tips and inspiration.
Abbie Danahy at Sparkle On
April Adams at JANDA Bend Quilts
Bobbi Bridgeman at Snowy Days Quilting <--- That's me!
Jennifer Fulton at Inquiring Quilter
Karen Thurn at Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats
Sherry Shish at Powered by Quilting
Vanda Chittenden at Quilting with Vanda
Prizes
As always, we have some fabulous prizes this week. Anyone over 18 is eligible to win, including international participants. To be entered in the drawing, simply share your completed acorn block by 11:59 pm Eastern time on October 1, 2018. You can share on Instagram with the hashtag #fallintoaqal, in the Partners in Design Facebook group, or in the linky party on Sandra’s post.
This week’s prize includes a free PDF pattern of the winner’s choice from Sandra Healy Designs. Sandra is our block designer this week. Be sure to support her by checking out her pattern store.
We also have a $25 Gift Certificate to Fort Worth Fabric Studio. Fort Worth Fabric Studio is an online-only fabric store based in Texas. They specialize in beautiful quilt fabrics & batiks for quilters and the creative seamstress.
Help us support our sponsors by visiting Fort Worth Fabric Studio to sign up for their newsletter for updates on new items and promotions. I took a look, and they have some fabulous sale prices.
At the end of the quilt along, we will have a grand prize drawing for anyone that has made a complete quilt top with all 12 blocks. There's no need to have it quilted for the drawing. To be eligible to win, finished quilt tops must be posted by 11:59 pm Eastern time on November 12, 2018.
Question for You
For some reason, the only things I remember canning with my mom are strawberry jam and tomatoes. I know we did so much more than that, because the basement shelves were always lined with jars and jars full of home-canned goodness. The memories I do have are fond ones, though. The best part was mashing up the strawberries with the pastry cutter. I was always a fan of the messy jobs. 😊