Balkan Puzzle PDF Instructions with Images (aka Chrun Dash)

Directions for a Balkan Puzzle Block (aka Chrun Dash) written Instructions

Recently here at Darvanalee Designs 

we have been running a class 

for my pattern that I designed 

a couple years ago ")

So i thought I would put up a post for one of my 

favorite blocks 

Balkan Puzzle 

now this block as been know as a Churn Dash 

but mine is called a 

Balkan puzzle 

each to their own 

what I call a Churn Dash was posted a couple weeks 

ago

 and here is the link for the tutorial on how to 

Cut and prepare 12 churn dash blocks in less than 2hrs 

http://darvanaleedesigns.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/how-to-cut-and-prep-12-churn-dash.html

Let's get sewing up this wonderful 

simple block 

                                                                               

     Directions for Balkan Puzzle Block.

                                              Fabric

The Balkan Puzzle Block uses 3 different fabrics.

Fabric A

Fabric B

One background fabric

Cutting the fabric

This Block requires:

	Sixteen 3-1/2" squares of background fabric.
	four 3-1/2" X 6-1/2" rectangles of fabric A.
	four 3-1/2" X 6-1/2" rectangles of fabric B.

Piecing the Block

	1) Lightly mark a line on the diagonal of the wrong side of the sixteen 3-1/2" squares of the background fabric.
	2) Place one of the 3-1/2" background fabric squares on top of one of the 3-1/2" X 6-1/2" fabric A rectangles, right sides together, with the marked diagonal line as shown. Sew on the diagonal line. Repeat with the three remaining fabric A rectangles.
	3) Trim the fabric 1/4" away from the sewn line as shown. Press the seam toward the background fabric.
	4) Taking the units created in Step 3, place one of the 3-1/2" background fabric squares, right sides together, and marked diagonal line positioned as shown on top of the unit. Sew on the marked line. Repeat with the three remaining units from Step 3.
	5) Trim the fabric 1/4" away from the sewn line as shown. Press seam toward the background fabric. The completed rectangle should measure 3-1/2" X 6-1/2".
	6) Place on of the 3-1/2" background fabric squares on top of one of the 3-1/2" X 6-1/2" fabric B rectangles, right sides together, with the marked diagonal line as shown. Sew on the diagonal line. Repeat with the three remaining fabric B rectangles.
	7) Trim the fabric 1/4" away from the sewn line as shown. Press the seam toward the background fabric.
	8) Taking the units created in Step 7, place one of the remaining 3-1/2" background fabric squares, right sides together, and marked diagonal line positioned as shown on top of the unit. Sew on the marked line. Repeat with the three remaining units from Step 7.
	9) Trim the fabric 1/4" away from the sewn line as shown. Press seam toward the background fabric. The completed rectangle should measure 3-1/2" X 6-1/2".
	10) Take one of the units completed in Step 6 and one of the units completed in Step 9 and piece together as shown. Press the seam allowance toward the rectangle which contains fabric B. Repeat with the remaining units. The completed squares should measure 6 1/2".
	11) Piece two of the squares completed in Step 10 together as shown being sure to have the pattern "spin" correctly. Repeat with the remaining two squares. Press the seam allowance to either side, just remaining consistent. The completed units should measure 6 1/2" x 12 1/2" inches.
	12) Piece together the two units completed in Step 11 as shown to completed the Balkan Puzzle Block. Press seam allowance to either side. The completed Block should measure 12 1/2" which includes a 1/4" seam allowance on all sides. please find the Instructions with pictures here :) :)  http://darvanaleedesigns.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/balkan-puzzle-pdf-instructions-with.html Happy Quilting ") N

December's Monthly Newsletter 2013

How to Cut and Prep 12 Churn Dash Blocks in less than 2hrs

This Crazed Quilter has been at it again ")

Have you ever wondered how some people 

are able to make quilts soo quickly

do often think to yourself it is not just possible

well today I am going to show you it can be done 

and done very quickly 

So here is how this all started 

after a customer came to me 

with a request for a Applique Farm Scene 

quilt with some nice patchwork blocks 

around the center...mind you with a deadline 

of the 14th of December 2013

so I thought to my 

(and yes i do have way to much time alone)

how can I do this and quick really quick 

as she not only wanted one she wanted 2 single 

bed quilts 

AUGH!!!!!!!!!!! came to mind 

I can't do this....

but after some serious thinking 

I though I can do this 

with Churn Dash as my patchwork block 

I ran this past the customer and she 

loved it ") 

so my next task was to get this done

so this is how you can have 12 Blocks prepared and cut 

 and ready for sewing in less 2hrs ") 

so this is what a Churn Dash Looks like ") 

 So lets get started ") 

you will need the following:

(***WOF*** width of fabric )

4 strips of Blue fabric cut (WOF)

4 strips of Green fabric cut (WOF)

approx 7 x 2.5 inch strip of Blue Fabric cut (WOF)

approx 7 x 2.5 inch of Green Fabric cut (WOF)

1 x 4.5 inch square a colour of your choice

Rotary Cutter

Cutting Matt

Ruler

Water Soluble marker 

thread for project 

and Sewing machine 

Now on to the Fun Stuff ") 

1. we need to cut 2 strips of fabric across

the width of the fabric measuring 

4&7/8's of on inch 

now you will need to contrasting 

colours 

(i used Blue and Green Batik)

2. Now take you fabric marker and mark 

4&7/8's of an inch as shown in the image below

and continue this along the strip measuring from each line marked

4&7/8's of an inch 

3. then mark corner to corner...so it looks 

like the image below continue along 

the strip :) 

4. Now take your blue strip and place it onto of the 

green strip and take to the sewing machine 

Now we sew :) 1/4 inch either side of the 

diagonal line :) 

** refer to image below **

5. Now once you have done this 

take to your cutting mat and 

cut along the vertical line 

until you have your squares 

6. then cut along the Diagonal line 

on each square *refer to image below*

now you have your 1/2 square triangles ") Yay

7. now it is off to press your 1/2 square triangles 

first set your seams and then press open your squares

you will need 4 of these to make one 

Block **refer to the image below** 

8. Now we cut some 2.5 inch strips 

one blue and one green...we need to cut 5 of the blue 

and 5 green to make enough for 12 blocks ") 

**refer to the image below** 

9. take your strips to your sewing machine and sew them

together...and repeat with remaining strips chain 

piecing if you like ") this speeds up the process 

somewhat 

10. Now take your strips to the ironing board 

and set your seam and press open.

11. Now take your ruler 4.5 inch square and cut 

into 4.5 inch squares

12. Now the customer had picked out this fabric 

for the center blocks..but if it was my quilt I would have had 

a green square ( but that is just me lol)

anyway I am fussy cutting her so you can see in the 

image below that I have taken my 4.5 inch square ruler 

and placed it over where I wanted to cut...I Cut 12 squares

for 12 blocks  

13. now sort you piles into the following 

for each block

4 x Half square triangle

4 x green & blue strips

and 1 x 4.5 inch center square 

and there you go 12 Churn Dash Squares 

all cut and prepped and ready to sew together 

in less than 2hrs :) 

Happy Quilting ")  

Woo Hoo More Renovations on the Shop ")

With the hot weather closing in fast 

my hubby decided that we need to do

some speed Reno's 
 to seal up the tin  roof in the shop 
as it was radiating some serious 
heat...

so over the last 2 days while the 
kids were at school we got stuck 
into it ") 
 
so it is was off the the hardware store 
to get our supplies 

we decided to go with wool insulation 
and then we used a foil sheeting that 
held the wool insulation in place 
(not sure what it is called so we will call it blue paper LOL) 

yes I know very technical am.... hehehe

then we purchased so 9mm Ply 
varnished to seal it :) 

now that is some heavy duty insulation going 
on there apparently altogether that would 
give you a rating of 5 :) :) 

so here are some of the pics that I took while 
were doing the reno ") 

and yes I did get in trouble a Lot for 
using my camera  LOL
but if I don't take photos 
who will...and I would like to 
have some documentaion of the
whole process of building up 
my business from scratch

so here we are just starting 

as you can see the tin is exposed

              

above we started to put the noggins
up so we can put he insulation in ")


next we move on to the wool insulation :)
and to our relief it was not making us itchy

here you can see all the Wool insulation in
now we move on the putting up the
as I like to call it the Blue paper LOL 

finally we have all the blue paper up
there I go again being all technical LOL 


Next was the ply...now let me tell you
I know one thing I am not
cut out for construction  but I gave it
my best...and the I thought that my arms
were going to drop off

you tell by the pics here below LOL
not so good 

here we are nearly 

finished the lining of the roof 

this is on the second day 

we were starting to get a 

bit tired now 

but it was starting to 

come together ")

after lots of shifting this here and that 

there we maneuvered

around all the machinery 

And Finally we are at the end of the journey
we have put the last sheet up
after 18hrs of work
we done it
just have to put some more finishing touches like curtains
and hang some quilts on the walls
and get some joins sealed

but as you can see it has really come together
Nicely ")

thanks to the best Hubby in the world 

fabric and Long-arm machine

Class area

it was amazing as we were working
we could really feel the difference
in the heat reduction

Now all we have to do is install the Air-Con
and I can then say goodbye to Hot
working conditions ")

I can tell you
I am one happy Chicky right now ")

Happy Quilting


 

Monthly Newsletter

Busy Quilting up a Storm ")

Over the last few weeks 

I have been Quilting and Patchworking 

up a storm...

and thank goodness for that 

as the weather has really started 

to heat up...

so over the last 

couple weeks I have quilted 

a lot of quilts for cutomers and 

quilts for sale on my Facebook and MadeIt page ")

...here are just a few that 

I have completed with many more

in que for Quilting ") 

here is Amanda M. of Kingaroy Qld...this one was made for her little boy...it is a basic Double Irish Chain worked around a Spiderman Panel...then she embroidered spiders in the plain red centers and then here at Darvanalee Designs we Quilted it with Spider webs the end result

looks like the spiders are crawling over the web ") 

 

This one was made by Debby.S.of Nanango

This quilt was for her Grandsonand I have seen it in its newhome and it is much loved indeed...here at Darvanalee Designs we put a Dinosour Quilting pattern all over the picture on the right shows the pattern on  the back of the Quilt ")

this one was done by Faye of Murgon QLd

 here at darvanalee Deisngs we quilted 

with a all over pattern called hippy Kitty's 

I just love the Cats ")

The Next few Quilts I have made and quilted 

for sale you can find more over on my 

Facebook page ") 

www.facebook.com/DarvanaleeDesigns

but here are just a few for you to look at ") 

 

 for all he pricing details 

you can visit the following pages 

www.facebook.com/DarvanaleeDesigns

and 

https://www.madeit.com.au/Main/Store?storeId=8496&userId=51523

Happy Quilting ")

 

Let me Introduce Myself

As I am starting to get some followers

I thought I would take the Opportunity to 

Introduce myself 

so here goes ") 

 My name is Nicole Reed and I am a ‘machine quilter for hire’ based in Kingaroy, in Country Queensland, Australia. 

I operate this service using a Avante Q18 HandiQuilter Quilting Machine with the Q-Bot computerised system. Quilting with a computerised system is good news for my clients because the results are better. 

My machine produces even, regular stitches and stitches-out a precise and accurate design. 

A wide selection of quilting designs are available and so finding just the right pattern to suit your quilt will be an easy choice for you.

I have been quilt-making and crafting for many years, so my knowledge about all aspects of patchwork and quilting is extensive and I have been helping other quilt makers complete their quilts since the year 2009. 

I am passionate about quilting so rest assured I will treat your quilt with the highest regard. I aim to produce the best possible result.

If you are looking for a quilter to finish your quilting project, you can be confident that here at Darvanalee Designs you will receive quality service, at a fair price and the work will be completed for you in quick time.

You can see more of my work on My Facebook 

www.facebook.com/DarvanaleeDesigns

If you have not commissioned a machine quilter previously, I will be happy to explain all aspects of the quilting process.

I can help you finish your quilts by machine quilting the top (in either a light custom style or an edge to edge design) and then, if you want, bind your quilt so it is ready to use. This can be very useful for those people who like to make the quilt tops but don't have the time or the inclination to quilt them - these are the quilts that end up stuffed in a cupboard, never to see the light of day again.

Wouldn't it be better to have your quilts finished so you can use them? Or give them as gifts? Or even so you can have the excuse that you need to make some more!! Actually, you don't need that excuse - having more than one quilt in progress is a good thing (though my husband would dispute that!).

I would love to meet and hear about how you came to the world of quilting..

leave your comments below ") 

Happy Quilting ") 

First Timer ")

I have been at it again....

Yep you guessed it 
 Quilting 

Some Might ask... Do you ever stop?? LOL 
well in short NO ") 

this Quilt was Dropped of by a Local 

Business Owner here in 

Kingaroy Qld 

This a First for Janelle 

Janelle is self taught in Patchwork

she came to me hoping that I would be able to help 

her finish her quilt....

When I seen this quilt I thought 

WoW!!! that is a lot it bite off 

for a First pieced quilt....

and "My Lord" it is big 

  

                                                 so here is it is being loaded into the machine

                                     with a few minor adjustments 

                           I am ready to quilt it...  

 

next we have to pick the design 

after going through what seemed like 

100's of pages...we Finally decided on 

this design...as there were a couple of 

rookie mistakes...we thought this 

pattern would hide them well ") 

   now that the machine and the 

quilt is all set I am ready to start quilting....here is a close up of the design

at the beginning of quilting...we also chose to use a variegated thread...

we used a colour called "Mocha Toffee" lovely rich browns 

 

 It took 15hours in the end to quilt....it is a all over edge to edge designs...It has hidden all the rookie mistakes that Janelle was worried about and as you can see 

it  turned out just Gorgeous ") 

  Janelle took delivery of her quilt

on Friday night....and I can honestly say she had the biggest  smile I have ever seen... in total there are approx. 3197 small 2 inch squares individually pieced together. Now Janelle is adding another few hundred squares for the binding and it will be all finished..not bad for a First Timer!!!! ") A job well done By Janelle ")

you can find more of what I do over on Facebook/pinterest/Instagram 

just follow the links...

don't forget to like the pages and or follow me ")  

www.facebook.com/DarvanaleeDesigns

http://instagram.com/darvanaleedesigns# 

http://pinterest.com/darvanalee/ 

                            

Happy Quilting ") N