Cathedral Window

Yesterday the Chix in the Stix got together for what Audrey likes to call "a fun day" (right Tammy? Thanks for reading my blog :-D) Of course we had alot of fun and once again some great food. Dolly made a VERY YUMMY Greek Tortellini Salad, if you would like the recipe, email me and I will share it with you.

I taught the "Chix" how to make a traditional Cathedral Window block but with a modern "twist". We made a 12" unit that can be finished into a pillow like this...



The blocks can also be made to look like this...

(click on the picture for a close-up if you would like)

I thought I would share with you on how we made the Cathedral Window blocks.

First you need to cut 9-9" muslin squares, be certain you cut these squares on the straight grain of the fabric, if the squares are cut seriously off grain then the blocks will not fold and press well.

Next you will need to cut 18-2 1/2" squares of a cotton contrast color fabric for the windows of the block.

OK now for the sewing part....

Shorten your machine stitch length to about a 2.2 or about 14 stitches per inch, this will eliminate any need for back stitching, which will not look nice in these blocks. Use a good quality cotton thread to match your muslin.

Fold one muslin square in half (right sides together if your fabric has a right side) and sew a 1/4" seam on both ends. Sew all 9 squares in this manner and they can be chain pieced.

Next you will trim the corner points diagonally (be careful not too close!) and finger press the seams open. Pressing them open will eliminate bulkiness in the block.

Note: All the pictures are "clickable" for a closer view.

Next you will grip one of the seams just sewn between your fingers in one hand then the opposite seam in the other hand and bringing them together, on top of each other, matching, with right sides together. The block will kind of look like a triangle now. Pin the seams together, matching them well, then sew a 1/4" seam across the top leaving about a 1-1/2" opening after the slightly stitched corner and the center. (see the picture below)

Clip the corners diagonally and finger press the seam open. Turn the block right side out through the opening and smooth the block out carefully and force the corner points out carefully. Press the block with an up and down motion and no steam. Steam and sliding the iron will stretch out the bias edges and distort the block. There is no need to stitch the opening closed, it will be will hidden within the Cathedral Window block.

Next you will fold the points toward the center of the block, so they meet. This will form a smaller block. Carefully press the block so you have creases on all four sides.



See how the unsewn opening will be hidden under the fold?
Complete all 9 blocks in this manner.
Once all the blocks are ready, they need to be sewn into a 12"--9 block unit.

To do this lay 2 squares next to each other with the seams up facing you, matching points and creases very carefully and sew right on top of the crease line. You will sew 3 squares for a row and make 3 rows. Once the rows are made, then sew the rows together to form a 12" unit of muslin squares. See the pictures below.

You now have a 12" unit that looks like a mess of loose triangular flaps....no worries, you did it right!
OK, now to neaten things up and finish up the Cathedral Window foundation.
On each square bring the points to the center once again and hand sew them in place with a small tack type of stitch, I don't like to leave the beginning and ending knot on the back of the unit but hidden under one of the folds on the top of the unit. Be sure to use a matching color of thread to the muslin and I like to use a 60wt cotton thread, it's strong enough and the thread "disappears" well into the muslin. It's up to you if you would like these tack type stitches to show on the wrong side of the foundation. If you are making a quilt you might want to consider not having these tacking type stitches showing on the back, for a pillow I'm not that fussy because the stitches will be hidden inside the pillow.

Once all the points are sewn down, you will have a nice flat unit, do not press the unit, you will run the risk of pressing unwanted creases in the foundation unit where you don't want them.
Now it's time to place the 2 1/2" contrast squares onto the foundation, these little squares are placed over the seams on the foundation unit. I like to use a temporary fabric basting glue to hold these little guys in place. (just a little dot of glue here and there will do) You can glue them all at once or I prefer one at a time especially when the fabric frays quite a bit.

Once the contrast square is in place, the hand-stitching begins. Again I like to use the 60wt fine cotton thread for this.

To start forming the edge of the window, you will gently fold down the folded muslin edge towards the center of the contrast block, this edge will form a gentle perfect little curve. Place an applique pin in this edge to hold it in place and blind stitch (applique stitch) the edge in place permanently, hiding the beginning and ending knot under the fold. Along the edges of the unit a contrast square cut in half (triangle) is placed in the window and edges stitched down around it.



When blind stitching the edges down around the contrast squares for a quilt, you can stitch all the way through to the back and create a quilted design on the back of the foundation. But for a pillow I like to stitch just the top layer or maybe just two layers, just short of the stitches showing on the back. Stitching through a few layers does give the piece a little more strength.

Once all the windows are "filled", it's time to finish the Cathedral window unit into a pillow using your favorite method, with or without a ruffle, whatever you would like.

If you are making a Cathedral Window quilt, you would make several of these 12" units, as many as needed for the size quilt you would like. Complete the windows in the unit but this time you would leave the points along the edge unsewn (un-tacked) to the center so that you can attach the second unit to the first and so on. When the units are attached (just like a row as shown above) you would then go back, tack down the points, cover the seams with a contrast square and sewn down the edges to complete the windows. The edges of the quilt can be traditionally bound with the edges filled in with contrast squares like the pillow or the windows left "unfilled" like the black Amish style unit I showed you above.

I hope you will try making some of your own Cathedral Window blocks, the pillows make wonderful gifts, even a small wall-hanging would make a great gift! I warn you though if you like take along projects or like to do some hand-stitching in the evenings this project can be very addicting!!

If you have any questions about this tutorial please don't hesitate to send me an email, I would love to answer any of your questions.

I hate to say this part but I have to because I have noticed some of blog content and tutorials ending up in some local quilt shops.

Please know that anything I write or any photographs on this blog belong to me and are considered copyrighted. Please don't "steal" my information, my thoughts and make a profit from them. Yes ladies that even means teaching classes using my tutorials or blog information.

Quilt groups and guilds, if you would like to use my information please do not make copies in any form but use a link to my blog.

I love to share information here on my blog with friends and family for their own personal use. YUK! I hate saying that stuff but I had to.

OK!! Back to the fun stuff ...the pattern give-away is still going strong but it ends this Thursday so if you would like a chance to win a really "kewl" quilt pattern there is still a little bit of time to enter. You can find the info in my "PIF Gift" post here. Good luck to all those who enter!

Best wishes and stitches everyone!

EDIT: A blog friend emailed me and asked how the single block was made in the 3rd photo above. Sorry I forgot to mention that little block. It's called "Secret Garden" I haven't seen this block in a quilt before so if anyone has any pictures or links please let me know. I have seen this block used as decoration/ornaments and coasters. Here's a picture of how this block is made...

Instead of sewing the foundation blocks into a larger 12" unit, then adding the contrast squares; the blocks are left individual and the contrast added. The contrast square is cut just a "smidge" smaller than the base of the block about 4 1/8" or 4 1/4"; then placed underneath the triangular folds, then the flappy triangular points are tack sewn in the center, then the "petals" are turned back and sewn down with an applique stitch. If you click on the picture you can see the outside corners are sewn together with a tiny whip stitch and sewn up towards the center a little more than the traditional Cathedral Window block.

One more note you make a really different looking Cathedral Window quilt or pillow by substituting a print fabric for the muslin and use muslin or a solid fabric for the 2 1/2" square contrast.

Have fun!!