Quilt Magic!

So I've gone from this pile of fabric...







cut...










pieced...








cut again...







then TA DA!


Quilt magic*!

The instructions have very helpfully pointed out that there will be a mini block left over - good job that this was mentioned - I would have been worried! It is this attention to detail in the instructions which gives you so much confidence to get stuck in.

*yes, you're right - there's a block the wrong way round on the bottom row. Well spotted. What do you want - a prize?

Concentration!

Isn't this brilliant fun!

Although I must say that I nearly turned blue in the face from this exercise, holding my breath with every double-measured, triple-checked cut of the big friendly squares.

No rhubarb wine for me whilst this was going on!

But it was well worth the effort, as I have ended up with a pile of sixty-four identically sized mini blocks, all ready for a spot of quilt magic...

Smug!

Being picky about piecing these big friendly squares this week and ensuring that the centres are an accurate 4" - resewing where necessary - has certainly paid off! Ha!

I wonder if there should be a note written at this point in the instructions saying 'Oi! You! Before you go any further, have you checked your seam work??'

Although on reflection, this rather crosses the line from the instructions being clear and straightforward to being really bossy, so perhaps not.

But why is accuracy important here? Because the next stage of this project is to get the cutter out and slice the blocks into four identically sized mini blocks...

A Productive Evening

I've spent this evening putting these lovely big friendly squares together. I love this cleverly designed pattern, there is no fiddly messing about!

I would have done more, however, despite having washed, ironed and starched the incredible shrinking cream fabric before I started - it continues to shrink when pressed.

Grr.

It means that I'm re-piecing the green-cream-green strips as I go with a skinnier seam in order that the cream centre block measures the full 4".

It's paying off, though, as I'm not having to force the strips into matching up, and the size of the big blocks are spot-on, which I'm sure will help when it comes to the next stage.

And I'm being extremely cautious with the iron!

A Rainy Afternoon

After yesterday's flirt with disaster when I nearly made a mess of cutting, today I am enjoying myself tremendously piecing my cut fabric.

I've had a lovely afternoon sewing, listening to the radio with heavy summer rainstorms outside, made all the more stress-free by the clarity of the instructions in the pattern.

Excellent fun!

A Close Shave!

Yesterday's task was to cut all the fabric ready for my next project - and what a delight it is to have all the fabric cut ready for sewing for the whole quilt!

I did narrowly avoid DISASTER, however, which taught me a salutary lesson in concentration.

The 'shopping list' of fabrics is sensibly in the order of most to least needed; the cutting list in the order of fabrics needed. So far so good! However, the fabrics that I am using are different in colour to those listed - except two of my colours are similar to those used, but - crucially - I'm just not using these for same parts as they are in the pattern.

Even though I had taken a copy of the instructions and crossed out all of the instances the given colour and substituted the colour of the fabric that I am using, I still very nearly cut the wrong set of strips for a particular colour (compounded by the fact that my instances of scribbled 'green' look remarkably similar to the scribbled 'cream').

Spotted just in time - note to self to keep concentrating, and not pour a glass of rhubarb wine until after all the difficult bits are done!

The Morning After!

My lovely new quilt is very warm indeed - something which will be of terrific benefit in the depths of winter, but with the current very warm spell has meant that I have totally overheated and slept very badly for the past couple of nights.

I've endured this rather than not use the quilt, though - I'm that delighted with it! Nice to see that Domino has given the quilt his seal of approval, too, along with a light dusting of cat hairs.

And onwards and upwards - to the next project!

Although my lips are most definitely sealed with regard to the design (all being revealed in due course, people), here's the fabric that I plan to use.

The more observant will notice that I've had a rush of blood to the head and am using a fabric which has a slight pattern to it. I know how to walk on the wild side!