Charleston by REVIVE Blog Tour!

Hello and welcome! Are you enjoying the tour so far? I sure hope so. If you have yet to visit the earlier blog stops, you can get to them all quickly with the links at the end of this post. And trust me, you'll want to visit them all!

I will be sharing with you today how to make this Scrappy Disappearing Four Patch. My quilt is still a work in progress, but come on back next week to see my thoughts on attacking the quilting. Then in the following week I will show how to create a striped binding cut on the bias. It's one of my favorite bindings to make!

But first, let's get back to the fabric and the goodies!

If you're an art history buff like me, you'll love this line. If you like Art Deco, you'll love this line. If you like sparkles and metallics - you'll love this line! This collection combines the true essence of the Art Deco movement beginning in the 1920's and captured everything a quilter would love about this period into luscious fabrics. By using designs and colors that touch on this "Golden Age" of Hollywood filled with extravagance, these fabrics are the perfect balance of glitter and gold. The colors are so rich and vibrant and they work hand-in-hand with the metallic sheen that graces most of the line. Some fabrics are more subtle and some are a bit more bold, but together it's just magic!

So would you like to win some of this beautiful fabric? The good news is - YOU CAN!!!

Three lucky winners will win the Grand Prize - this 28 FQ Bundle featuring each fabric in the line. To win this bundle, head on over to the SewTimeless blog here and enter the Rafflecopter. Winners will be drawn 7/27.

Otherwise, stay tuned for my own little giveaway here! And let's make that quilt!

 Here's what you'll need to make this quilt:

8 - 5" squares of each fabric (all 28) in the line (1/4 yard of fabric is more than plenty of each fabric)
4 yards for backing
5/8 yard for binding (or 1 yard for bias cut binding I will show soon)

That's it! This method has minimal waste so you don't need a ton of fabric.

 To begin, cut the 5" squares from each fabric. Separate the fabrics into even piles of lights and darks (14 different fabrics in each pile) - use your best judgement on some of the more "medium" fabrics like gold and coral that could go in either pile.

 Pair up fabrics to create a block. You'll need two of the same dark fabric and two of the same light fabric. Contrast is key!

With certain prints that may be directional, pay close attention to the direction of the print as you sew, stitching both pairs together so they look exactly the same. Press the seams towards the darker fabrics.

 If you've paid attention to the direction of the prints, when the block is sewn together they should all run in the same direction as shown. Now, for prints like this floral on the navy that run in just one general direction, I placed them so the base of the print was centered in the block. You could also arrange the block pieces so that both squares are based in the same direction... The choice is up to you, there's no right or wrong here - just preference.

*Note - when sewing these blocks together, always sew the pieces in the same manner. What I mean is - if you sew each piece feeding the dark fabric through on top first, do that for all of the blocks. We are going to be spinning the seams for easier construction later on, and if you don't piece them all the same, you may have some seams going in the wrong direction.

 Stitch the block together and clip the seam in the middle of the block up to, but not through the stitching. This will allow you to spin the seams of the block. Press the seams following the direction of the previous seams.

 Now here's where it gets fun and interesting... Cut the block twice horizontally and twice vertically measuring 1 1/2" from the center seams. It's helpful in this step if you have a small cutting mat you can rotate or a mat designed to rotate like a lazy susan (yes they make them).

 Leave the corner squares and the center block alone. Don't move them an inch! Now, take the center section of each side and move it directly to the space on the opposite side. Don't rotate the pieces as you move them. Here's the best part, the seams are already pressed so each piece should "nest together" beautifully.

Here's where it can get a little tricky, but go slow, breathe and you'll be just fine.

Stitch the rows of the blocks together. Press the seams for the top and bottom rows of the blocks in the same direction as the center seam of that row. Clip the seams in the center row to press each half of the seam allowances in opposite directions of the seams in the adjoining rows.

Then, sew the rows together to create the block clipping the seam allowance at the marked X in the diagram above to complete the rotating seams. I know this may seem like a lot of extra work now, but later on it will be worth it, I promise! You'll have 56 blocks measuring 8 1/2" square at this point.

 So why on Earth did you clip all of those seams and press this way and that way? With rotated seams, you can line up your blocks dark-to-dark and light-to-light without worry of the seams being too bulky. No matter which way you lay out the blocks and rotate them all you like, the seams will match up on all four sides each and every single time. I promise it'll make stitching the top together so smooth! That's the key to this layout, match dark corners together and light corners together. That's it! Lay out the blocks in a 7x8 setting.

Another little tip for you, when I finished all of my blocks I threw them one-by-one into my dryer for a few minutes without heat. Then I pulled them out and started laying them down. I didn't change a thing! The dryer automatically tosses the blocks and mixes them up for a more random look without the work!

From this point I sewed the blocks together in rows pressing the seams in opposing directions from row to row and then sewed the rows together.

And there you have it, a 56" x 64" top ready to be quilted.

 I love how the look of the quilt changes depending on the distance you view it from. Up close you notice the glitz and glam and metallics. A bit further back you see the rich and vibrant fabric colors, but from far away this quilt almost looks "rustic" or "cozy" if I may...

 Now to think of a quilting plan... I have one of the gold prints ready to go for a backing, but I think the quilting needs to fit the Art Deco vibe. Come on back next week to see my thoughts and my quilting plan. Then don't forget I will be sharing how to cut, prep and make bias-cut binding the following week. It'll be wonderful!

But the only thing more wonderful is a chance to win some fabric! Leave a comment below to be entered to win a yard of Charleston fabric (you get to choose the fabric). Tell me in the comment which fabric you'd choose - you can view them here - and don't forget to leave me your e-mail address so I can tell you when you win!

Visit all of the stops on the Blog Tour for more chances to win fabric and to see some amazing projects using this new line of fabric:

Monday, July 20:

Shayla Wolf, Sassafras Lane Designs

Tuesday, July 21:

Leslie Meltzer, 50 Sq Ft Studios

Kim Buffington, Make Something/Dritz

Wednesday, July 22:

Rebecca Silbaugh, Ruby Blue Quilts (that's me)

Thursday, July 23:

Kim Brackett, Magnolia Bay Quilts

Lee Chappell Monroe, May Chappell

Friday, July 24

Jessica VanDenburgh, Sew Many Creations/The Straight Stitch Blog

If you'd like to read more about this new line of fabric, head on over to the SewTimeless blog here. It's really an interesting story! Also, to see more inspiration with this line, and seriously, like you really need another excuse to peruse a bit more on Pinterest, head on over to the mood board for Charleston by REVIVE here!

Don't forget to comment below to enter to win some fabric! A winner will be chosen this Saturday! And make sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway on the SewTimeless blog to enter to win a Fat Quarter Bundle! That's a lot of chances to win! But, if you're not feeling lucky or you just can't wait to get this fabric in your hands, check for Charleston at your LQS. It should be at a store near you already! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! -Rebecca