D.Henson

TG - I’m going to make a red, black and white quilt. I plan on sending a piece of red or black with the focus fabric. However, you can make a block with all three colors. My request is to match the focus fabric.

quilt addict

Just checking in. I will not be participating this time as life just seems to get too busy. Maybe next one later this year.

Good to see some familiar swappers and some newbies. Enjoy and don't be nervous or intimidated.

Kass your work is amazing.

Prayers and support to you Jaba. Glad that you have a diagnosis and that it is early.

PamelaOry

Kass, that quilt is beautiful!

love the martini fabric D. Henson!

What size would be ideal for companion fabric(s)? I’m starting on getting my bags together and have plenty of corrdinating fabric to work with.

Ive been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster here... right before I signed up I had made the block of the month barn block from my sew sampler box and thought it turned out pretty good and I thought I was right on the 12 1/2 mark. Quite a confidence builder. Well... I remeasured and that darn thing is 12 1/4. *gulp*. All my confidence went right out the window. I was planning to do as someone suggested here and make each block out of my own fabric first to make sure I can do it. Simple blocks are acceptable right?

Im also wondering how much of a difference a scant vs regular 1/4 inch seam makes? I use my piecing foot already but was going to try moving the needle over 1 (once I figure out how to do it) and see if that helps.

GramE

Once you figure out the quarter inch, put a piece of painter’s tape from your foot all the way to the front of the machine. No need to eyeball it then. And be careful, my machine moves my needle back when I turn it of! Off by an eighth of an inch in 3-4 seams is a 1/2 in, or a quarter inch at least. You’ll get the hang of it.


Great Quilt, Kass. Looks woven.

Janice McC

Good Morning, PamelaOry. First breathe, release and ahhh. No panicking allowed or necessary!

The 1/4 inch seam is elusive for a lot of people. Everyone's machine is different, and there's no one right way. GramE's idea is a good one. I'd try that first. Put your needle down and measure approx 1/4 inch out and align some painters tape along that line. (Some people use an old credit card which has a little height so the fabric can butt up against it, or even a small stack of easily movable post it notes.) It needs to be as straight as you can make it. Then take two long strips, say exactly 2 1/2 inches wide, and sew with the edges of the fabric on that line. Stop after several inches and measure the seam you've sewn with a hard acrylic ruler placed on top of your fabric, not a measuring tape or the lines of your cutting mat. Is it 1/4 inch? Is it slightly less, a thread or two? If it's a thread or two less, you've probably found your "scant" 1/4 inch seam but the way to be sure is to open the fabrics, press and measure the size with an acrylic ruler. The piece should now measure 4 1/2 inches across. If not, repeat the process of setting the tape or credit card (or wing it using your eye if moving the tape is tedious) sewing slightly inside or outside the previous line until you find where you need to put your fabric on your machine to get the 1/4 inch or scant 1/4 to make your pieces come out to 4 1/2 inches. It may take several tries to find it. It may take 50 tries but once you've got the spot, practice, over and over, sewing with scraps until you are fairly confident you can hit that mark nearly every time. It's totally practice.

One other thing. For me, I think of the quarter inch line as the line on which I fold fabric after I've sewn them together. For me, it's almost never the sewing line. The seam takes up space so when you fold; a thread or two may be "lost" in the fold. I try to always use a scant seam. It just works for me. Usually. And I'm fanatic about measuring. I measure most pieces after sewing and pressing. If I'm making a block using lots of pieces, if each one is off even a 1/16 of an inch, there is no way my block will turn out the right size. So I measure as I go and if a seam is off, I fix it.

So don't panic, just practice your 1/4 inch seam. The more you do it, the easier it will become and it will be second nature in the not too distant future.

Janice McC

Also, simple blocks are perfectly ok to make and send; they’re usually “classics”. A few off the top of my head are churn dash, shoo fly, antique tile, friendship star. What are others you like, Boomers? Always make something you are fairly comfortable with when using another person’s fabric. The sample block idea is a good one.

terriamn

Pam one thing that will also help with your block I’d to measure each section before sewing. If you make a half square triangle that should measure 4.5” we all measure that but once you sew a row together, press and measure it. Much easier to correct your problem at this point.

D.H. Love the martini fabric

quilt Addict will miss you this boom hope you can stop by and visit

kass can’t wait to see what you can come up with for an irregular strip. Your wolf quilt is going to be a real beauty

sure I forgot something and will need to add another post

ibex94

Hi and great to meet you! You do know that you don't have to send companion fabrics, right? The only reason to send them is if you want ONLY those fabrics in your quilt.

Since you can't predict which patterns we are going to be using, I would send a full fat eighth of the companion fabric. And you can ask for the extra to be returned.

An investment that I made that I absolutely love is a 12.5" x 12.5" acrylic ruler. It keeps me on track throughout the sewing process and makes for an easy trim down after the block is wrapped up. I am getting better with my seams and blocks each time I try to make a block.

I encourage you not to reposition your needle. That may give you heartache down the road. GramE's method is a good one!

With regards to classic patterns, I love, LOVE, making the churn dash block. The Rail fence pattern is a great one to practice those scant 1/4" seams, too.

And ask lots of questions if you're worried about anything. This gang is a fun and supportive one. Welcome!!

sewbizgirl

Here is my second and final lap quilt from Quail blocks. Same look, but these are the other 9 blocks I received. I will post this in Quail too, but figured most of you were over here now.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]594939[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]594940[/ATTACH]

Love these blocks! So much fun to quilt.

travelinggramma

Great job Sewbiz - love the unique quilting of the blocks.