For this week we will be adding another ring of squares to the quilt center.
Make 2 strips 28 segments long, add to the top and bottom of the quilt.
Make 2 strips 32 segments long, add to the sides of the quilt.
Step back and admire your handiwork!
(I can't believe I actually got this to stay up on my design wall.)If you are making a queen or king size (gulp!), keep adding additional rows of squares and sashing strips until you have your desired quilt size. (In other words, you are on your own now...sorry!) If you are following the twin size directions, that's where we stop for today. We have a few more rows to add to the top and bottom, but the center is complete. Yipee!
Last week a few of you mentioned that you were experiencing the same problems as I was with the strips being too long for the quilt top. My rows this week are worse than last week. Ugh. So, after easing everything in, I had some pretty wavy edges. Some sides were worse than others.
On the sides that were really bad, I went through on every other seam of the outside edge and sewed the seams at a bit of an angle in order to reduce some waves. I took a photo to show what I mean. (double click on the photo to enlarge it.)
The dotted line was my original seam line.
The dotted line was my original seam line.
The solid line is my new seam line.
I think the key here is to be subtle. Make sure you angle the new seam and that it meets the original seam or you will have some nasty tucks. It's not ideal, but it's one way to make your quilt lay a little bit flatter. Oh, you will want to press your seams again after this step.
Don't forget to add your progress shots to the flickr group.
Happy Monday to you!
I am not sewing along given what else I am up to thse days...but just love the wave admission and your sharing the fix it idea...these are the type of communications that make doing things together so important. ~Yes, this is taking more patience than I almost have. yes, mine is not perfectly square, yes, if you are going farther up the hill, making a bigger one or....my wishes go with you but I must stop here.~ This is encouragement for toher to try and do things they have not done before becuase teacher's are real and vulnerable. So your blog is, like a map, a great journey tool. Sweet.
ReplyDeleteAWwww...you just made me feel like a GREAT quilter! Since you did the same fix I had to do, I am VERY happy. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but my gorgeous quilt has some imperfection...that is so it looks like *I* *made* it.~ I promise nobody who is going to love this quilt like a quilt should be loved will mind. My niece is going to be THRILLED with this. THANK YOU, Thank you, thank you.~
Lucy~
Looking good! I'm still very behind. Today would have been my day to start catching up but my husband was home all morning. I can't sew when he's around. I always feel like I should be cleaning. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI clicked over to your flickr group -- there are some pretty cool quilts going up over there. I love this quilt -- it's looking wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI'm just about up to snuff here. got all but one strip made and that will happen tomorrow. And yes, i got one strip on upside down and couldn't figure out what went wrong at the end. then i remembered your hint about matching up the squares with zig zags, i found my mistake, did some frog sewing (ripit, ripit, ripit)and got that corrected. So tomorrow i start fresh again, sewing and matching. hopefully i'll get a camera next month and will take a picture of my quilt top which i LOVE!
ReplyDeletewow! very impressed with all the quilt happenings going on here and in the flickr group. You all are amazing! Thanks for the tip on helping the top lay a little flatter - that should come in handy for me some day!
ReplyDeleteBack in the day, I was one of your daily readers/admirers. I was crushed when you decided to quit the blog, but I would check back from time to time just to make sure you hadn't changed your mind. Apparently, it's been a little while since I've checked because I see you are back, and I am delighted to see you.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been quilting for a few months because we have a friend of my daughters' living with us right now, and I gave up & tore apart my sewing room to accomodate her, which I was happy to do. But when she finds a place of her own, I will turn back to you for the inspiration you brought me before you left.
I'm so glad you're back!
Jeri
jcleveland03@comcast.net
Just found your wonderful and generous quilting block. What beautiful quilts you make. I'm a brand new blogger and will definitely be joining your next quilt-along (its a new concept for we Australians!).
ReplyDeleteMine is turning out fine. Your directions are simple and easy to follow and...well, I'm happy with the results. Looking forward to a finished top in two weeks.(I should finish step 8 today)
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased with the quilt so far....I am finally caught up, although I did find myself saying out loud the other night, "I don't think I will ever do one of these again...". All those little squares, all those points to line up...OMG! I AM having fun, though. Thank you so much for your great instruction, I LOVE your blog!
ReplyDeleteI am a beginer quilter and i have been following (reading) your quilt along for a while now. You make it all sound so simple that i have decided to join you for the next quilt along whenever you announce it. I love your circle quilt tutorial too and i am planning to make a baby circle quilt now.
ReplyDeleteI am now two weeks behind, because I left Jill's house last Wednesday and have been doing the high school reunion thing (last weekend) and the traveling home thing (three days of this week). Home now and am playing catch-up -- but not with quilts. I hope I can catch up before you guys finish! Jill, of course, is caught up. That's how she rolls. =)
ReplyDeleteI finally caught up last night. While it is about 2 inches bigger than it is supposed to be, it is at least square. And so pretty. Thanks for doing this.
ReplyDeleteI'm not in the quilt-along, but am wondering if your trouble is because of what I heard recently of a "scant 1/4 inch seam"? It's actually a tiny bit less than a regular 1/4 seam, because of the fold and thickness of the seam when you open the fabric. With only a couple seams it might not show up, but with a bunch of seams trying to fit up to a pre-measured strip, the difference could be astronomical.
ReplyDeleteThats a pretty quilt.
ReplyDeleteWhat great inspiration you provide through your quilt-alongs! I've only really made one quilt and it's what I called, "Let the fabric speak to me" process. After promising to use all those denim scraps and old jeans and bottoms of pants cut off to make shorts I finally ventured out in to the big wonderful world of quilting. I ran in to the same problem making everything square and match-up, then decided to just let the fabric do its own thing rather than forcing it to comply with someone else's standards. Guess I should stick to crazy quilting next time!
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I really, really love the way your quilt is turning out and will keep track of your blog for future projects. One of these days I'll make good use of the dozen or more quilting books I've got on the shelf and you might just be the inspiration I need!
Thanks for sharing~
Sharon
Hello from Argentina!
ReplyDeleteIs very very beautifull!!!
I love your blog!
Hugs...
That 'scant' quarter inch seam strikes again! This is a fabulous quilt and I will make it one day! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI am preparing to make this quilt! eek! Never done something like this before but I am excited, if not late to the party!
ReplyDeleteWhat would you do if you are going to make this a big square quilt rather than a rectangular bed quilt?
I want to make it a park/beach/whatevs quilt.
Would it be good "as is" just keep doing the same thing until it is the size I want and then adding a backing and binding and all that?
Great quilt! I am a seasoned quilter and have had scads of pieced borders not fit exactly. To fix it, lay the finished border on the quilt and measure how much too long it is. Say it is 1/2 inch too long; you need to alter enough of the border seams to equal 1/2 inch, usually four or less. pick a random piecing seam and make it a scant 1/8 inch larger by sewing right next to it. Do this to another two or three seams, laying the border on top of the quilt after each adjustment to see how you're doing. Voila, the border fits and you can still match up seams from the previous border with very little stretching or puckering, if any. Give it a try next time you have wonderful pieced borders!
ReplyDelete