Take the 62 strips (or 31 if you are using a jelly roll) of colored fabric and the 62 strips (or 31) of background fabric...
sew strips together in pairs, one background and one colored. 1/4" seam allowance will be used throughout this project.
Press the seams toward the colored fabric. Repeat for all the remaining strips.
sew strips together in pairs, one background and one colored. 1/4" seam allowance will be used throughout this project.
Press the seams toward the colored fabric. Repeat for all the remaining strips.
If you are using scraps, charms or layer cakes, make 490 pairs of squares: one colored and one background square per pair.
I was going to stop there for this week, but I was so anxious to get going on the assembly that I worked ahead a bit.
Take two sets of strips, line them up on your cutting board...
trim off the uneven edges...
cut segments every 2.5"...
cut segments every 2.5"...
take two segments...
pin them together and sew...
Press the seam to one side. Now you have a little 4 patch, which is the center of your quilt. You can stand back and admire your handiwork. Isn't it cute?
Using the background fabrics that you have labeled with the measurements....
add the 4.5"x 2.5" pieces to the sides of the 4 patch.
Sew together and press.
add the 4.5"x 2.5" pieces to the sides of the 4 patch.
Sew together and press.
Add the 8.5" x 2.5" pieces to the top and bottom.
Sew together and press.
Sew together and press.
That's where we will stop for today. We will cut the rest of our blocks next week. I was just so anxious to get that little center done that I had to assemble it right away. It's exciting to see the quilt start to take shape!
As always, feel free to add photos of your progress to the quilt along flickr group. Thanks for quilting along with me!
22 comments:
Great tutorial, makes me want to break my rule and start another project. Maybe in a few weeks!!
While I have a few too many projects ahead of me that I need to finish, I think I'll find my way back here for this one. Very nice! Love the fabrics you're using.
Nice tutorial you make it seems so easy! I can't wait to get caught up with you. I really like the fabrics you are using.
Well I am one of those using charm packs for this. I am just chain piecing them. It isn't that bad...
Printing this post out right now because I get to spend the whole weekend at my friend's cabin in Yosemite sewing into the wee hours of the night. Yay! This is on my list of things to do.
So I'm SO excited about this QAL , that I've been stalking your blog all weekend with the faint hope that you might give Step 2 a bit early. Alas, here it is, just as I'm going into my hell week of day jobs (see my post http://stitchywitchysisters.blogspot.com/2010/06/what-ill-be-missing.html). I guess I'll have to wait til the weekend, like most normal people who Have A Life... I'm so pathetic. I can wait, I can wait...
Oh! I'm gonna be so behind--but I promise to catch up. Got my Hope Valley in the mail, but we're leaving on Thursday for Illinois(are you busy--could we meet in the middle? I realize it's doubtful and this was a last minute trip, but I thought I'd ask!) Anyhoo--any tips on how to turn this into a queen size? Should I just cut all of my 25 fat quarters into strips or should I do some math? And I'm pretty sure that I have no hope of my corners matching!! But I promise to try!
So excited to start this next step! The in-laws are in town so I might not get to it right away but I'm pretty sure I'll have it done by next Monday. Can't wait to see everyone's pictures. Thanks again!
ohhhh I love all the photos to go with the steps - now I just need to get my little butt into gear and cut my fabric!
so glad I have a jelly roll as 490 little squares freaks me out!
Corrie:)
I am actually almost done sewing all my strips together -- since I started last week. Doubtful that I will stay caught up for very long, but at least I am for now. Thanks for doing this for us.
I'm just enjoying this QAL from a distance. Hat's off to the folks who are making 490 pairs. That sounds overwhelming. If I were doing it, I think I'd take the easier, softer jelly roll way out.
Love watching, but difficult not to start with you! Gotta finish other projects, darn it!!
Hmm, now I get to obsess on what two colors I want for the center blocks :) Random is not a strength of mine.
You are a wonderful designer and write awesome tutorials! I'm so glad you're back to posting on your blog. I'm thinking this would make a great graduation present for our favorite babysitter.
Are we supposed to cut all the double strips into 2 1/2 pieces so that we end up with a bunch of 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch strips? Didn't know if you just want us to do that for the 2 that make the center square or all of them.
melissa,
no, you don't need to cut all the strips into pieces yet, unless you want to get a head start. :)
aj
Thanks AJ! Think I'll wait so that I don't have a bunch of little pieces to keep up with til next week.
Posted my progress on blog today,and in flickr group.
Well the in-laws are taking a lot of my time but I managed to get almost half of the strips sewn together this morning. Hoping I can get caught up before the next post.
Hate to be a bug, but this block doesn't seem to look like the drawing from the first QAL post. In the drawing, the colored squares touch on two sides, with this block they are bordered on all sides and do not touch! Did you change your mind or am I thick?
Leona
i was on vacation all week, and dying to get started, so i cheated, and only did what i had to do to get the block sewn. i'm now working on the rest of the strips. :)
leona, it looks like the original drawing to me.
Ahhh! now I get it, this is only the one center block! I assumed it was for all the blocks. Thanks, Kelly, your blog entry cleared it up for me. Good thing I did't do all the pieces this way!
Leona
i actually helped someone...yay! :) glad you didn't do it all that way, either.
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