Sunday, January 6, 2013

January Project

Today I had the shop all to myself, my children were making the dinner as a special treat for me! Sew, what's a girl to do but start a new project with new fabrics.  First, the inspiration for this project came from a pattern in a new book that we ordered in for the shop.  Simply Fat Quarters, a book using all fat quarters and background fabrics; an assortment of both traditional and modern quilt designs. I am using Riley Blake fabrics that just arrived before Christmas and a few others that go perfectly with it!


The most important piece of advice that I can give any new quilter is read the instructions all the way through.  Just looking at a picture of a block and assuming that you know exactly how it's going to go together is a big mistake.  I decided that I was going to use 1/3 yard cuts and make a couple of extra blocks out of two of the pairs.  You see, the pattern calls for a whopping 24 Fat quarters and I only had 10; 24 fq yield 12 blocks, I need to produce 12 blocks so with only 10 fq/5 pairs I need to get two bocks per pair and in the case of two pairs I will need to get 3 blocks.  Does this make sense?  Here is where reading the directions thoroughly comes in handy!!!  I mistakenly didn't understand that all of the 2 1/2" squares are going to be used for a pieced border, I was rejigging my cutting and having a panic attack trying to get all of the squares cut.  When I went to sit down and sew my first test block, lo and behold the 2 1/2" squares weren't used. If I had read thru the directions I would not have wasted so much time having a the above panic attack!!!

Okay, now that I have everyone seriously confused and scratching your heads!  I have to cut the remainder of my fabric, I typically always make one block first before I cut too much fabric.  This is a protective measure, I want make sure that the directions are reliable and I don't need to fiddle with my seam allowance and it turns out exactly how it's supposed to.  Sew with the first block sewn and the results are fabulous, I proceed to cut up that gorgeous pile.  Another item, the orange appears to be very flash!  However, the orange does appear in two of the fabrics and it most definately will help the whole quilt pop.

Ta Da!!!!  Isn't this the lovely, so spring like.  I really enjoyed making this block, tomorrow I will be making more and will photograph some of the steps along the way and show you some of the other blocks.  I can't wait for tomorrow morning to arrive.
Happy Sewing!
Anne Marie

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