09 January 2009

Tutorial spiderweb


As my first blogversary is coming up this month, it is time to get creative. I would like this to be a little gift to all of you who would like to try my take on the old Spiderweb. It is a celebration of the web, and sharing. So I would like to share with you how I make my scrappy Spiderweb blocks. Please read through the entire tutorial before you start. I will try to answer any questions you might have. Please post your questions as comments to this post.


step 1: Your first important design decision, choosing a fabric for the base. This will be the stars, or the background of the spiderweb patter. I chose a solid white: Kona White. You might chose different.

step 2: I cut my base into squares of 12.5"x12.5". Then I make two cuts on the diagonals and end up with 4 triangles. The longest side of each is 12.5". These 4 triangles will later form one block.

step 3: Now I mark each triangle. I fold the long side in half, and make a mark (using a pencil) 1/4" away from the edge along the fold. Then I measure 6" from the 45 degree angled corners and mark with the pencil. The triangle will now have tree marks. Take your ruler. You will draw a line with your pencil 1/4" from the two marks (the 6" mark and the middle of the 12.5" mark.) The line will be on the 45 degree angle corner side of the marks. Repeat with the other side. These two lines will be hidden in your finished blocks.


step 4: Find some scraps for your strips. This is your second important design decision. Decide on what color scheme you will be using for your strips. Again, there is many options. I have restricted mine to using mostly scraps from designers like Heather Ross, Denyse Schmith, Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett. Feel free to choose otherwise. This will be an important decision in the design of your quilt.

Assemble your scraps. I cut them into strings of different width; minimum 1.0" - maximum 2.0". You might like smaller and/ or wider. I advise you to sew a few blocks before you cut into all of your scraps. The length of a useful strips is 5". You may precut a few or just use your scissors as you go.



step 5: The fun starts!!!! Take your first triangle, aka base triangle. Choose a strip from your selection. Put the strip right sides together on your base triangle along the line you have marked. Make sure the strip covers the base triangle. Sew with an 1/4 " foot along the side so that the seam is crossing two of the tree marks you made on your base triangle. (Important: The line you marked will line up with the edge of your first strip when you use a 1/4" foot.)



step 6: Fold over your strip and make sure it is covering the base triangle. Choose your next strip ( I prefer some contrast in colors) and position it right sides together, on the first strip. Make sure it covers the edges of the base triangle. Important!!! Fold back your base triangle before sewing the sides of your strips together. You are not supposed to sew the 2. strip onto the base triangle, only the 1. From now, you use the base triangle as guide to make sure your strips are long enough to cover the base triangle. Keep adding strips until you have covered your base triangle.




step 7: Choose your first strip for the other side of the base triangle. As in step 5, sew this to the base. Go on like step 6 until you have covered the base triangle. Your base is supposed to look something like this:





step 8: Press with your iron(I use steam) and turn your base. Be careful to press and not stretch. It will look a bit like this:




Now, using the base triangle (white fabric) as a guide, I cut the edges:




Then I cut away the excess base triangle, one side at a time:













step 9: After making 4 of these triangles I sew them together to form a block;






Tip: Be careful not to stretch the triangles out of shape before they are sewn into blocks. I think is important to chose a sturdy fabric as the base.

Happy sewing, folks ...

49 comments:

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

it looks so fun! nice tutorial!

Anonymous said...

wonderful tutorial Thank you very much !

Di~ said...

I love it! I can't wait to do it! THanks to you!

Shari said...

Congratulations on your blogversary! Thank you for a great tutorial!
Cheers
Shari

Clare said...

Great tutorial - happy blogversary.

Elizabeth said...

These blocks look awesome. (Also your kitties are adorable!)

Ann Marie said...

Thanks for the tutorial. I've been meaning to make a spider-web quilt for years, and I finally have. Thanks for the inspiration. I enjoy your blog and seeing what you are doing. Not sure how I found it, but very glad I did.

Unknown said...

Such a wonderful step-by-step tutorial. Thank you so much.

Valerie said...

What a wonderful tutorial ---- I dislike paper piecing, but wanted to try my hand at a spiderweb. This made the blocks come together SO quickly. I'm likely in the "advanced beginner" category of quilting, but like to stretch myself. This is such a fun block... Thank you!

Ariel said...

Thank you for a great tutorial! I am currently part of a virtual quilting bee on flikr with Mari, one of your quilting friends, and we are using your tutorial for my blocks! THANKS!

machen und tun said...

what a great tut, i wanted to know how this is done for some time now, being a novice in quilting. the way you describe it sounds like so much fun - i will try it very soon, thanks so much!!
claudia

Locket Pocket said...

What a fab tutorial! Thank you for explaining it all. I'm going to try it out soon. Lucy x

Aimee said...

Great tutorial - I like this sooo much better than paper piecing. Thanks!

susan said...

i found you tute thru katy, its a wonderful tute, and i fear i will be jumping on the bandwagon and making my very own! thanks!

machen und tun said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Corrie said...

excellent, thank you!

Cath Ü said...

This looks like something That I will be able to do.. thank you... my friends who are patiently trying to teach me to patchwork will be impressed when I show them what I have made... well I hope it will turn out for me...LOL
cath Ü

Rose said...

So the two triangles that you cut off afterwards, the white ones, do those just end up as scraps?? Great tutorial, nice alternative to paper piecing which I have never done.

Cathy @ CabbageQuilts said...

Wow Marit, great tutorial, I just know I'm going to have to make a spidey quilt. Thanks for showing the how to. A big Congrats on your first blogging aniversary too xo

Abby and Stephanie said...

LOVE these spiderwebs. Amy at Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts sent me.

bellsjo said...

Thanks for the tutorial - these are so much fun to make!

Anonymous said...
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the Campfollower said...

Such a fantastic tutorial! It is so much more simple that paper piecing. I hate ripping all the paper off. Very simple to follow! Thank you.

leslie said...

is this block is 12.5 unfinished? thank you.
leslie

Jennifer Blosser said...

Thanks for this great tutorial! Anna Michelle linked it to me!

Can't wait to recycle my scraps!

Jennifer
www.sewitsmidnightmama.blogspot.com

Jennifer said...

i wish you had a visual for step 3. that's a lot of directions and i have no idea what to do!

Bridget Martinelli said...

I love this pattern, it reminds me of umbrellas on the beach, back when I was a kid at the Santa Cruz boardwalk, all of those old umbrellas that you could rent for the day, so much color on the light background. Love it!

geni said...

Great quilt!
Thank you for the tutorial.
Greetings from the Netherlands.

quiltmom anna said...

What an interesting way to make a spider web quilt. Thanks for sharing your excellent tutorial.
Regards from Western Canada,
Anna

SewCalGal said...

Excellent tutorial. Definitely goes into my favorites list!

SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

Lyckligs-Cozy-Cottage said...

Hello, just want to tell you, that I show my spiderweb quilt-tablecloth on my blog, which I sewed thanks to your tutorial! It was so much fun! Thanks so much!
Many summer greetings
Gisela

ferne said...

Happy Blogaversary! Thanks for sharing this fun tutorial can't wait to try it!

Barb said...

What a great way to use up those scraps...just love it.. Congrats on your bloggaverssary...

Theodora quilts said...

very nice,and simple enough the manner in which you explained it ,I am going to make 4 triangles just for a start to see how I do .

Hsu-Yin said...

oh wow! i'm going to make one this afternoon :) thanks for the great post

miss~nance said...

I have been wanting to do a spider web quilt for ages but couldn't work out how. TY for your tut. Now I know how to do it.

blessings

Gail

Scrappy Raven said...

Great tutorial. Thanks for the photos and clear instructions.

CapitolaQuilter said...

What size does the final square measure once the four parts are sewn together - just want to make sure I am truing up correctly. Thanks

Elly D said...

Great Tutorial! Thank you so much! :)

Jenn Hoff said...

Wow, this is beautiful!
So, I have a question. Because I am brand new to quilting, I don't have any scraps yet. Do you think it would work to sew a bunch of long strips together, and then cut triangles out from those strips so I don't have to cut my fabric into tiny scraps first?
This is gorgeous- thanks for the tutorial!

Karen said...

So glad to come across this tutorial. My stars don't have the points that yours do, but I love how it turned out. Thanks!

Theodora quilts said...

Hello Marit I had seen this tutorial a while probebly last year as you can see from my comment, well I started one then and set it aside for a while,just these last two weeks it was calling me finish me finish me and I must say it is almost finished I will be sewing up the blocks this week and I must say it is looking good I will be posting it ofcourse ,thank you for the tutoria.theodora

Julierose said...

Great tutorial--I have found a problem truing up the triangles when the second first base strip crosses over the other side's first strip--and if I pull out the stitches, I get a hole in the front!! What am I doing wrong???Julierose

soloelamor said...

nice tutorial will have to try it.

Margreet said...

Thanks for such a great tutorial!! I love this block! Very good explanation! Hugs, Margreet

Annik-Snor said...

Very nice and it looks funny to make, have to try and make some

Okorn Family said...

I make mine the same way - only using a slightly larger square. I am adicted to making these fun quilts. Will teach classes at guild. Thank you for the tutorial. This will help my students.

Chase said...

What type of paper did you use? just plain white paper? or freezer paper? I can't wait to make this quilt. Thank you for the tutorial.

Net said...

Can you give any info on fabric yardage, how big the blocks end up being, etc. Thanks. Can't wait to try this.