Modern Plus Sampler ➕ Rick Rack Blocks

Welcome to the November instructions for the Modern Plus Sampler!  

This month's instructions are the Rick Rack areas on the sides of the large plus sign.  

Modern Plus Sampler

About the sampler - the Modern Plus Sampler will run from July 2018 until April 2019 with a set of directions revealed the first Thursday of every month. The quilt is a large lap sized quilt finishing at about 63" x 78".

The instructions are published within this post (right after these few announcements) and are available in an easy to print pdf format:

Modern Plus Sampler - Rick Rack Areas

 Additionally, the directions and all of the other information related to the sampler quilt along can always be found on the Modern Plus Sampler Page.

Social Media 

I encourage you to join the Meadow Mist Designs Facebook group (if you have not already).  Cheryl has now have over 3,300 members in the group and we are so excited to see your progress!

If you want some feedback on possible fabric choices or have any questions during the quilt along, the Facebook is an excellent resource.  Please share your progress pics on social media with the hashtag #ModernPlusSamplerQuilt and tag me at @QuiltedBlooms or Cheryl @MeadowMistDesigns.

And now without further ado....November's instructions...

Rick Rack Areas

Cutting Instructions

FABRIC A

Cut 5 strips 2 ½" x WOF.
       1. Sub-cut 2 strips into 12 rectangles 2 ½" x 6 ½", each
strip can yield 6 rectangles.
       2. Sub-cut 3 strips into 48 squares 2 ½" x 2 ½", each strip
can yield 16 squares.

Cut 2 strips 1 ½" x WOF.
       1. Sub-cut the strips into 8 rectangles 1 ½" x 8 ½", each
strip can yield 4 rectangles.

Cut 4 strips 1 ¼" x WOF.
       1. Sub-cut the strips into 8 rectangles 1 ¼" x 20 ½", each
strip can yield 2 rectangles.


   FABRIC E

Cut 3 strips 2 ½" × WOF.
       1. Sub-cut 2 strips into 8 rectangles 2 ½" x 6 ½", each strip
can yield 6 rectangles.
       2. Sub-cut 1 strip into 16 squares 2 ½" x 2 ½".


   FABRIC F

Cut 2 strips 2 ½" x WOF.
       1. Sub-cut 1 strip into 4 rectangles 2 ½" x 6 ½".
       2. Sub-cut 1 strip into 8 squares 2 ½" x 2 ½".

Piecing Instructions

Use the Rick Rack Runner pattern instructions on pages 14-17.

1. Sew the fabric pieces together into 8 fabric E blocks 6 ½" x 8 ½" and 4 fabric F blocks 6 ½" x 8 ½" (both using fabric A as the background fabric).

2. Sew 2 fabric E blocks and 1 fabric F block together to make a unit 8 ½" x 18 ½". Repeat to make 4 units.

3. Sew a fabric A piece 1 ½" x 8 ½" onto the right and left sides of the unit. Sew a fabric A piece
1 ¼" x 20 ½" onto the top and bottom of the block to make a rick rack block 10" x 20 ½". Repeat to
make 4 rick rack blocks.

Many thanks to the generous sponsors of the Modern Plus Sampler!

Honey, Bunny, and Doll | Sew Fresh Quilts | Make Modern | Aurifil

Cooking Up Quilts | Quilting Jetgirl | Quilter's Planner

Needle & Foot | Fat Quarter Shop | BackSide Fabrics | Whims and Fancies

Meadow Mist Designs | Tish's Adventures in Wonderland | Busy Hands Quilts | C&T Publishing

The next set of instructions will be published on the first Thursday of December (the 6th).

All-A-Flutter ~ Butterfly Mini Swap Quilt

Back in May the idea was tossed around about a mini quilt swap between the members of the three Modern Quilt Guilds in South Carolina, Greenville MQG (my guild), Palmetto MQG (Columbia) and Charleston MQG.

We will not be officially swapping our mini quilts until Saturday, so I will not reveal the details of my swap partner's likes and dislikes just yet.  But, I just finished All-A-Flutter since it was my One Monthly Goal for October.

The intersections were a little bulky and a doozie to match up so I resewed several.

I alternated the butterflies just like Rita at Red Pepper Quilts did in her quilt, but added in some negative space.  To be honest, I didn't want to make any more butterflies than I did.

For the quilting, I added some ruler work quilting to the wings using Patsy Thompson's 6.5 inch arc ruler and Aurifil 30wt in grey.

I drifted off the ruler a few times, so every curve is not perfect, but I remembered Angela Walter's mantra, 'A finished quilt is better than perfect quilt top'!

I used the 12 inch arc ruler for the background quilting.  The design reminds me of crossed canoes.

Knowing I needed to add a label, I decided frame an extra butterfly and piece it into the backing.  And, to be quite honest, I miscut the backing (Elizabeth Hartman's Firefly in Pickle) and matching fireflies was not going to be fun so I changed the direction of the fireflies.

I'm looking forward to meeting other SC MQG guild members when we swap quilt.  You can check out swap progress at #SCMQGswap.

Quilt Stats

• Finished size: 20" x 20" 
• Pattern: a modified version of Rita's (Red Pepper Quilts) Butterfly Blocks
• Fabrics: Sun Prints by Alison Glass for Andover Fabrics
• Thread: Aurifil 50wt in Natural White 2021 for quilting background and Aurifil 30wt in Grey 2605 for quilting the butterflies   
• Quilting design: ruler work
• Batting: 100% Cotton Warm & White by the Warm Company
• Completed: October 29, 2018

Linking to the October Finish Link-up at Elm Street Quilts and Finish up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts. 

Modern Plus Sampler ➕ Transparency Block in Fandangle

A single Transparency Block was all we had to make this month for the Modern Plus Sampler Quilt. 

This rendering of the Transparency Block was made in EQ8 using Fandangle fabric designed by Christa Watson for Benartex Fabric.  

And, here is my Transparency Bock made from the actual fabric.  Almost exact, don't you think?  

You can find the instructions for October's Transparency Block here in this post.  And you can see Cheryl's Transparency block here.  

See you back on Thursday, November 1st for the next set of instructions for the Modern Plus Sampler Quilt.