Browsing "Older Posts"

5 free DIY face mask patterns and tutorials

By Hatun Comak → Thursday, April 9, 2020

Now it is recommended all people to wear face masks in public not only to protect from coronavirus but also slow the spread of coronavirus. Homemade masks are not as effective as surgical masks but they are better than nothing when there is difficulty in finding surgical face masks. As long as you use 100 % cotton and thick fabric with two lines covering your mouth and nose, they will be protective and preventive for daily use when you go to the supermarket or take your dog out  for a walk. It is a good idea to make a few masks so that you can switch them occasionally and wash them.

Are you ready to make your own mask? There are several ways of making a DIY face mask. Here I collected a bunch of free fabric face mask patterns. You can choose one of them and start making your DIY face mask.





















Stay safe and well!

hunter's star quilt pattern and tutorial

By Hatun Comak → Friday, April 3, 2020


Hello, everybody. Today's project is making hunter's star quilt in a super easy way.The original hunter's star quilt was designed with diamond shapes but now we are able to create the same look with half square triangle units and square patches.

Hunter's star quilt  may seem confusing due to its layout. Each quilt block is actually a combination of four different patchwork sections which are rotated and then joined for a larger quilt block. When the blocks are sewn together, a secondary design emerges.



This is the first time I made a hunter's star quilt and I pretty liked it.I also prepared a tutorial for those who would also like to make one. In this tutorial, I have tried to make it as simple as possible with easy-to-follow steps and clear instructions. I hope you make use of it and enjoy it.
I used two fabrics for this hunter's star quilt pattern; one is dark and one is light. With the use of two fabrics it will be less confusing.
Ready?

Here we go!


The image above shows the process of making the hunter's star quilt pattern. You can use it as a guide, as well. We start with making the individual units for the hunter's star quilt.

  • First of all, we need to prepare the half-square triangle units (HSTs). There are some other ways of making HSTs, but in this way you can get eight HSTs at a time. So it is a practical way of making HSTs.
  • Cut 7 3/4 by 7 3/4 inch light squares.
          Cut 7 3/4 by 7 3/4 inch dark squares.
  • Take a light fabric and mark it, using any kind of marker that don't bleed into fabric. The image below will help you undersrand how to mark the fabric. 

  • After marking the fabric as shown above, match the light fabric with the dark one and align the  squares, right sides together and all edges matched. Secure with pins to avoid shifting.
  • Sew along 1/4" from each side of each line. Press the sewn square.


  • Cut apart HST units. Cut the exess pieces. First you cut through the lines as shown above and then cut again each piece in half as shown below.
  • Press the seams of each HST unit and you will have eight HST units. Each is 3 1/2 inch squares.


  • Now it is time to sew the hunter's star quilt. Take four HSTs. Arrange them into two rows as in the image below. Check the angles.

  • Sew the units in each row together and press the seam allowances. Join the two rows and press either direction. The joined HSTs should measure 6 1/2"×6 1/2"
  • Cut a 6 1/2" light square and sew it to the right side of the HST patchwork. Press seam allowances towards the plain square.

  • For the second piece of patchwork unit, arrange the units as shown in Figure 2 or the image below. Sew the units together. Join the rows and press the seam allowances.  Again it should measure 6 1/2"×6 1/2".
  • Sew a matching 6 1/2" dark square to the left side of the patchwork. Press seam allowances towards tbe plain square
  • . 

Join the two patchwork patterns together (Figure 3). Press seams. The new block should measure 12 1/2" × 12 1/2"


The last step is to combine the hunter's star patchwork. Gather four of the 12 1/2" × 12 1/2" square blocks and arrange them into two rows as shown in Figure 4.

Sew the two blocks in each row. Press seam allowances. Join the two rows and press the seam allowances. The large quilt block meaures 24 1/2 inches square.

Hunter's star quilt pattern is finished. When more of the blocks are combined, it looks gorgeous. Depending on what you plan to make with hunterr's star quilt, you may need to make many of the blocks. Whatever you make of it, enjoy the process!