Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Quilt Beginnings

From Pam

I showed you my fabric color palette; now I'll show you what I've started doing with it.

I'm going to use these seven fabrics on an old traditional quilt pattern that I've always wanted to try. It was important that a couple of the fabrics be very light in color and you'll see why later.

First I cut the fabrics into two inch wide strips. I sewed them together, one of each fabric, in a specific order for the first group. Then I sewed the seven fabrics together in specific (but different) orders for a total of four groups.





After carefully pressing them flat with all the seams facing the same direction, I cut them diagonally (at a 45 degree angle) in two inch wide strips.




                  The four groups of cut strips.





I then sewed the strips back together in a very specific order. Can you guess what traditional pattern this is going to be? Only seven more of these to make....

This method of cutting and sewing strips of fabric is called "strip piecing". It makes a quilt made with tiny patches much easier to make accurately and certainly is much more efficient then one (diamond) piece at a time.



I accomplished two of these in one evening. All my corners do not match perfectly but....I'm not going to enter it in a quilt show so I'm giving myself permission to not be perfect or it may take all the fun out of it.

I'm excited to see it progress!



Tonight the girls are doing their homework--- same lesson, different color.


2 comments:

  1. Do you see me jumping up and down? Well, I would if I could write like that... This is absolutely gorgeous! And you work so fast - amazing. EAGERLY AWAITING next installment.

    Compliments to the young ladies on their subtle shading.

    Blessed Ash Wednesday to all.

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  2. So that's the trick behind getting all those little pieces lined up so nicely. I alwyas wondered about that whenever I saw a quilt of that pattern.
    It looks lovely, Pam.

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