BLOG 402

Blog 402

 

I can always tell when I have just finished a batch of projects because I am usually at a loss as to what to do next. I thrive and work well when there is a deadline, just as I will fritter away time when there isn’t! There is no doubt that I am happier when I am creating so what I really needed was some thinking time. I started by tidying up my studio which in turn led to painting the walls and eventually I will attack the skirting boards when I have some more gloss. Whilst tidying, I was also sorting out my ‘stuff’ and making decisions about what I wanted to keep and what I was going to get rid of.

            Decorating

 

I have been running down my stock of cotton fabrics for a long while so that I can concentrate on Batik’s and Bali’s which I love to use for their intense colours and tight weave. Many of my cottons are small remnants, scraps and strips but the pic below shows what I have decided to keep in stock after a massive cull. The remaining fabric will be offered to those who make scrap quilts using smaller pieces.

                Cottons

 

From the remaining scraps, I cut 5” squares where possible and divided them into lights and darks. As I had many more darks than lights, I added to the light pile by using the reverse of some of the dark squares. Now I have all the ingredients to make a scrap quilt top using half square triangles and the method is simple and logical. Naturally much time is spent ironing and cutting the accurate squares in the first place, but once that is done it is a case of following a system by taking logical steps.

 

Scrap quilt Half-square triangles

 

 

                5” squares

 

1 Draw a diagonal line on the WS of the light squares.

            Diagonal line

 

2 Place a light square onto a dark with RS together and pin to secure.

            Pin

 

3 Set up the sewing machine with a ¼” foot and neutral thread. (I just happen to be emptying lots of spools with short lengths on them. I will put a full spool in the bobbin case and use these on the top of the machine so I can see when they are about to run out!)

           Spools

 

 

 

4 Sew a line of stitches on one side of the marked diagonal line, ¼” away. Feed the squares one after another under the foot, allowing the teeth under the foot to catch the next pair of squares. This lets you to sew with speed and it saves thread.

               ¼” seam

 

 

5 Without separating the squares, string feed them through again to sew a ¼” seam on the other side of the marked line. Press the squares to settle the stitches

            Second ¼” seam

 

 

 

            Press

 

 

6 On a cutting board, use a ruler and cutter to separate the triangles along the marked line. Each sewn square will yield 2 half-square triangles.  

                Cut

 

 

 

               2 Triangles

 

 

7 Pile the triangles with dark uppermost on the ironing board. Lift the tip of the dark triangle as you run the iron across the light triangle to the seam, thus making sure all the seams go from light to dark. This simple method produces the building blocks for this cheerful scrap quilt. More next week.

               Darks uppermost

 

 

 

             Press open

 

 

 

              Building blocks

 

 

We had a rare treat on Friday when the Red Arrows landed with panache at our local airport in Hawarden. They were staying there over-night before taking part in various flying displays locally. I like the way the pilots look as though they are caged; perhaps it was for their own safety!! !!! Yum!

         Red Arrows

 

             Caged pilots