trip around the world quilt -...

Bonus Chapter

Trip Around the World Quilt

In This Chapter

TakingaTripAroundtheWorld(quilt)withlotsofsmallsquaresLearningtopressalternatelytodecreasebulkyseamsUsingthemachinestripmethodofpiecingtheTripAroundtheWorldquiltEfficientstripcuttingwitharotarycutter

As a quilter, it is now time to take a voyage. Lets travel around the world. The Trip Around the World quilt is made up of many squares of similar colors pieced on the diagonal around a central square. The lines of similarly colored squares surround one center square, and the contrasting light and dark fabric squares give the impression of orbiting the world.

When I first started quilting, Blanche and Helen Young developed a quick method of making this attractive but sometimes tedious quilt. They used strips sewn together by machine, cut apart, and then sewn together again. That technique opened up my eyes. This quilt project is small and is prepared in a slightly different method. But look up their book to make full-, queen-, or even king-size quilts.


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Finished size: 22 40 inches

The shape and size can easily be changed by increasing the size of the squares, or adding more rows of squares. You need to add a row to each side of the quilt top, thereby adding on 6 inches. You can also make this quilt a 40-inch square for a wall hanging or a 40 52-inch lap quilt.

Color schemes:

A monochromatic color scheme is often used for the Trip Around the World quilt. A full range of shades from dark to light of one color is necessary because you need six different fabrics. Color schemes of shades of two colors (I once made a baby quilt using pink and blue) or many colors can be used.

The shades can progress from dark to light. Then there is a dramatic color contrast when the darkest color is put next to the lightest. You can also position the values of the colors so they increase in intensity and then get lighter again.

Notice how the turquoise and light fabrics encircle the center square in this small Trip Around the

Worldstyle baby quilt.

SCrapS and pIeCeS

Intheolddays,whenawomanusedsmall,recycledpiecestomakeaquilt,shewasconsideredanaccomplishedquilterbecauseofherfrugalityandpatience.

Look at how the size can change depending on how many squares you use.

22" x 40"(117 squares)

40" x 40"(169 squares)

40" x 52"(221 squares)


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Shades of the fabrics can flow from dark to light or can peak with the dark color in the center.

I like to end with a dark fabric as the last row for the corners. It kind of circles the design. I once made a sage green and beige Trip Around the World lap quilt for my daughter Jamie, whose apartment was decorated in shabby chic. Several muslin or ecru fabrics make a subtle shading of colors.

The subtle green and beiges of this Trip Around the World lap quilt look great in a shabby chic living room.

Many colors can be combined as long as there is variety in darkness and intensity.

Tippi Ulman created this 40 40 Trip Around the World wall hanging in dramatic colors.

QuIlTIng Bee

Trynottoalternateeveryothersquarewithdarkandlightcolorsitgivesitachoppyanddisjointedlook.


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Line up the ruler with the ragged edge showing.

Press the ruler down with one hand, open the blade of the cutter, and cut away from yourself leaning the blade against the ruler.

Turn the cutting board a half turn around. (I sometimes walk around the table so as not to disturb the fabric.) The freshly cut edge is now on your left. To cut the strips, find the line on the ruler to match the width of the strip. Put this line directly on the cut edge and cut the strip. Hooray! One strip is done. It is really so easy.

QuIlTIng Bee

Putapieceofthinmaskingtapeonthelinethatneedstobematchedup.Itwillsavetimeandmistakes.

Requirements:

Six fabrics13 to 12 yard each

Rotary cutter

Cutting mat

Lipped ruler

Sewing machine

Batting

Backing: 112 yards

donT geT STuCk!

Therequiredamountoffabriclistedismorethanyouneed,butwhenItoldmyclasstobuy14yard,wefoundthattheshopkeeperwhomeasuredthefabriccutitsocrookedthattherewasntenoughtomaketherows.Itsbettertohavetoomuchthantoolittle.

Before you can start this quilt, you should know the principles of rotary cutting. I realize that these scissors look like a pizza cutter, but remember it is very sharp and cuts you and your fabric equally well. Here are some steps to help you.

After washing your fabric, fold it so that the selvages are brought together, and then fold it again bringing the folded edge to the selvages. Brush the fabric flat, so there should be no wrinkles.

Next you need to straighten the raw edgeslay the folded fabric on the cutting mat along a crosswise line of the grid. Align the ruler (with the lip leaning on the mat) along a vertical grid line, parallel to the edge with about 12 inch of the ragged edge of the fabric showing.


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Look how the color placement can change the look of the quilt.

3. Sew the strips with right sides together, until all the strips are joined.

4. Press the seams alternately toward every other strip.

Sew the strips together, and press them in alternate directions.

Line up the raw edge with the correct measurement line. I used masking tape to mark the correct cutting line.

Follow these steps:

1. Wash and prepare fabrics. Cut three 312-inch strips (from selvage to selvage) of each of the six fabrics.

2. Arrange the strips of the fabrics in a pleasing order.

QuIlTIng Bee

Iusuallytakegraphpaperandcutlittlesquaresofallfabrics.ThenIstarttopositiontheminthecorrectplacementtodecidewhatlookisbest.IgluedownthedesignIlikethebest.Butdothisquicklybeforeyousneezeormoveallthosesquares.


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squares to the top so the design shifts in the other direction. Resew each of the strips so that there is a mirror image of the pattern.

9. Sew each of these strips together, being careful not to pin the incorrect side of the strip to the row. Pin the row, and open up into the pattern.

10. Press the seams all to the outside from the center. Half the quilt is done!

11. Prepare another side exactly the same, now having two halves.

12. When you put them together, youll notice the two center rows are the same. I have seen the quilt sewn together in the pattern, but I prefer making a separate row of individual squares to fill in the correct square to complete the design. Press this row with the seam allowances toward the center.

5. Using your rotary cutter, cut 312-inch strips from the sewn fabricmake sure the cut is perpendicular to the sewn strips.

6. Take these new strips of squares and lay the correct number (9 rows for the small quilt, 13 for the larger size) of them side by side.

7. Now comes the crazy part. Working on the top part of the quilt, we leave the first left side row the same, but the second row we are going to remove the top square and sew it to the bottom of the strip (moving the design up).

8. Remove two of the squares on the next strip, and sew them to the bottom of the squares. Continue the square removals through the middle strip and on the next strip (the sixth strip or for the larger quilt, the eighth strip), reverse this procedure sewing the

Notice how the number of squares sewn to the top increases as you go to the center of the quilt,

then the pattern reverses.

Removeand

resew

0 1 2 3 (2)(3)Reversepattern

Centerrow

(4)Center

row


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You can tie or quilt your Trip Around the World quilt.

This quilt design is so versatile that you can change the size and shape by manipulating the size of the squares, the number of rows, or by adding borders.

Prepare the center row.

13. Sew the top half of the quilt to the center row and then the bottom half on the quilt, completing the quilt top. If you want, you can sew a 3-inch or larger border, to add to the size.

14. Baste the quilt top to the batting and the backing.

15. Tie or quilt designs through all three layers.

16. Bind off edges.


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We call Maureen Muellers Trip Around the World wall hanging her psychedelic quilt. Look at that fabricdoesnt it look groovy?

The Least You Need to KnowATripAroundtheWorldquilthasmanysquarespositionedconcentricallyaroundacentersquare.

Arotarycutter,cuttingmat,andlippedrulercancutstripseasierandfasterthanregularscissors.

TheTripAroundtheWorldquiltismadeinthreesections:thetop,bottom,andcenterrow.

Pressingtheseamsinalternatedirec-tionsmakessewingeasier.

Youcanquiltdesignsortiethisquilt.

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