Hardly a big deal in the scheme of things, but by moving a single column of blocks from one end of the quilt to the other - hey presto!
I've taken your comments on board about keeping my layout fixed whilst I sew the blocks together along with those of big sister Helen. She emailed me & said 'How about laying out an old sheet on the floor ... and pinning them down ... then roll or fold up the sheet, & unroll next time you have a sewing session. Unpin a couple of blocks at a time & sew together, then pin back in position.'
But even better than rolling & unrolling the sheet, I found an old curtain rail, & a couple of hooks (I'm sure that you're all ahead of me here!) - so I now have the blocks pinned to a sheet hanging on the wall, along with a print out of the above pic, & now I'm all ready to put the blocks together...
Sounds like you have your own home-style design wall. I like that idea and may use it in the future. Thanks, Hazel and your sister:) I also like the layout. I think this will be a beautiful quilt.
ReplyDeleteJoanna - I came to say just the same thing!
ReplyDeleteLast week I was teasing Hazel about needing a design wall, looks like she has found one.
Hazel, here's another tip: I have a few ordinary sized safety pins with a length (only 6" or so) of BRIGHT red wool knotted through the hole at the end. You can't miss them, whatever they are pinned to. When sewing blocks into rows, I always mark the left-hand edge of a row with a "red flag" - otherwise it is far too easy to turn a row upside down and have the left-hand blocks on the right-hand side of the quilt ....
I agree with Bilbo, it's too easy to turn a row upside down between picking it up and putting it back - if you do that in the middle of putting a top together, well, the air can turn blue. Hmm, wonder how I know that?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea for a design wall too. One day I'd love one of those rather than a floor.
QuiltSue: thinking of a design wall for you . . .
ReplyDeleteon the wall above the sofa in your "sewing studio", could you have two hooks and when you want a design wall, hang a rod between them with a bit of cotton batting threaded onto it (make a casing in the batting to slide through the rod, and just fold it up in your Magic Cupboard {grin} when you are not using it?)
That's what I've done above the radiator in my sewing room and whilst it's not huge it is better than nothing.
If I was going to make a refinement to my 'design wall', I would run a second curtain pole or weights along the bottom, just to keep the sheet straight - it flaps about a bit at the mo.
ReplyDeleteSpare bamboo cane from the garden works well!
ReplyDelete