Keeping blocks in order off of design wall
#31
I use sticky notes or even cut pieces of paper...I put like 1-A, 1-B, 1-C, 2-A, 2-B, 2-C etc, and I always pin it to the upper left hand corner of the block...not to the edge, but down in to leave plenty of room for the seams and for pressing. I am not sure how it would be to iron the sticky notes with the glue on them, so I always fold it down and stick it to itself and just pin them to the blocks. I do try to keep my blocks straight, but it is not big deal if they get out of order because I can tell which row, what position in the row and how the block should be oriented if that matters.
#32
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Carroll, Iowa
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I use pins with letters glued to them. Went looking for the flower pins but refuse to pay the price I found them at so made my own using baby bracelet beads and straight pins with the yellow balls on the ends. I stuck them upsidedown on my ironing board with a letter threaded thru them and added a drop of non washable Elmer's Glue. Let them dry and you're good to go. While making a bargello quilt they came in handy keeping the rows in order. I made 8 sets of these pins and have given a few out as I doubt I'll ever need 8 sets. Got the beads and extra pins at WalMart for about an 8th the price they wanted for the flower pins.
#33
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#37
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I use scraps of muslin fabric that I pink the edges. I used a permanent marker to write row numbers and block letters. I pin them in the upper left corner of each block so that I know which is top of block. When I no longer need them-after the quilt is assembled I put them back in order and store them in a plastic container until needed again. I have found that keeping everything in order-from the cutting process until the top is put together is important to me. So I use lots of labels and lots of pins to hold them in place. As I cut I make labels that coordinate with the cutting instructions and then change the labels on sections of blocks, then the blocks, etc.
#38
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,061
The plastic tabs from bread/potato bags can be numbered with a Sharpie and pinned though the opening to your blocks. If you have a fairly wide and long piece of batting you can lay your blocks out in order and roll it up and take it to the sewing machine. You can lay out a whole quilt top on a flannel sheet and roll it up and work on one row at a time too. I once made a "book" with twos pillow block (about 18 inches square) for the "cover" and "back". Inside I laid out some pieces of slick fabric and pieces of fluffy batting alternately. The pieces of the block stick to the batting and you can lift the slick fabric without disturbing them and sew one block at a time from each "page". It is also convenient if you need to take them with you to work on them .(The pages are sewn inside the cover and back by simply sewing the side you want to be the back through all layers close to the fold.
#40
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Horse Country, FL
Posts: 7,341
Smart idea! Thanks for sharing it!
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