I started this one last weekend. I have friend whose daughter is having a baby and I just couldn't resist trying a new pattern with fabrics from my stash. The baby's due in April so I'll have to get moving!
I've been collecting 4 1/2 inch squares for about 3 yrs now. I wanted to use them in an "I Spy" quilt. I just haven't been able to find the inspiration or the layout I liked well enough to do it. Realizing there's a baby coming in a month was part of the spark to get me moving. The other was the pattern "Building Blocks Baby Quilt" by Cindy Lammon which I saw on the Moda Bakeshop site. I love the simple graphic nature of the block and the layout.
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Along with my 4 1/2 in blocks I had these fat quarters that I really liked. I was saving them for something special but I didn't know just what. |
After reading the pattern I realized I didn't have enough fabric to make the 20 blocks it called for so I made a few adjustments to the size of the block but I think it's coming out just fine. I'm using the bigger block which started out as a 10 inch square and finished as an 8 1/2 inch square. The off-set of the inner block is not as obvious as in the original pattern. I think next time I would change the smaller strips to 1 1/2 inches instead of the 2 inches I used in this one.
One technique (of many!) that I still have to work hard at is "scrappy". I admire scrappy quilts when I see them made by others but I always have a hard time making them myself. I much prefer planning my color selections and placements. I did discover that using the stack and switch method helps me to do a bit of both at the same time.
You can see at the top of the photo I have the block pieces stacked and laid out for sewing. I laid out some of the additional 4 1/2" squares on my table. This lets me have the option to change out the middle block if I don't care for the combination that comes up next in the stack. I'm pretty happy with the results.
By the end of the first night of sewing I had all the blocks pieced together. I was careful to do the piecing all the same on each block so that I was left with just a half inch to cut off the two long strips.
Guppy wants to know why we're staying up so late, it's way past his bed time. He thinks laying on my cutting mat will force me to stop and go to bed. Tonight he's right!
Stay tuned for more on the Baby Quilt.
2 comments:
Did you tape the blocks to the wall? Guppy looks tired.
No tape, just the magic of the reverse side a vinyl tablecloth! A cheap trick I got from my sister. I bought a vinyl tablecloth and pinned it to the top of the closet door casing with the flannel backing facing out. Blocks stick to it like magic. You can move them around to your hearts content or pin them in place. I usually do a combination of both, moving during the layout phase then pinning when I get it just right. Probably wouldn't need the pins but the cats think the pieces are toys. They pull them off up as far as they can stretch. One final hint, you can roll up the cloth the pieces stay in place because they don't stick to the vinyl! I have some "cubical wall clips" at the top and just clip it up out of the way when I need to get into the closet.
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