BLOG 271

BLOG 271

Creative stuff continues to go on in the background, stuff that I may have touched on before but which is not worth repeating until further progress has been made. So this week’s blog is about a new piece of work that I am starting. Recently I was showing an Australian quilter how I used quilts around my home and it occurred to me that the only place I didn’t have a quilt was in the study. This is a functional room with desk, cupboards and computer but I think that a quilt draped on the back of the leather chair will soften the environment. All I need is the excuse of course so this is what the curtain and wall look like.

     Decor

 So to rectify this omission, I rooted about in my filing cabinet and this is what I came across which prompted me into action. I have chosen to make a simple lap quilt called ‘Picket Fence’ and it is a project that I must have taught ages ago judging from the handwritten handout. This project follows on quite neatly from my ‘Multi-coloured Dream Quilt’ because it uses the same technique.

       Picket fence

 These are the fabrics that I am going to use from my stash and the colours are taken from the wall and curtains. Here is the method: Cut the fabric into 2½” x 4½” rectangles. (At this stage I don’t know how big I am going to make the lap quilt but at least I have a good palette to make a start.)

 

               Rectangles

 To make one quarter of the block, lay the fabrics in the sequence shown.

              Sequence

 

Place the fabrics for row 1, RS together, at right angles to one another (this is the same technique used in my Multi-coloured Dream Quilt.) Draw a diagonal line from one corner to the other if it helps.

         Diagonal line

Sew along the diagonal line with a medium neutral thread and ¼” foot.

        Sew the diagonal

String-piece the shapes to save thread.

       String piecing

I have chosen to sew a second line parallel to the first and ½” away. I thought if the discarded triangles were already sewn, I was more likely to use them in the border.

        Second line (optional)

 Trim away the corner triangles by cutting between the lines of stitches and keep them.

         Trim

            Corner triangles

Press the seams in the same direction, the general rule being from light to dark.

          Press

Join the lines together in sequence to complete the square.

          The square

Repeat this process 3 more times and join the squares together in sequence to make the block. And this is what I like about patchwork; when the separate pieces go together, a secondary pattern often emerges. In this case a star is formed.

           The block