QT Black & White #5

Well, I finally made it with lesson #5. I have been really slow this week trying to get this up. And promise to do better next time. Don't forget to save all your scraps and miss cut pieces. We will start to use them next time. Here are the next 2 blocks:

This is Flock of Geese
and is found in Judy Hopkins 501 Rotary-Cut Quilt Blocks
Page108

And the second block

This is Magic Triangles from Around the Block With Judy Hopkins
Page 84

I did some looking last night and you can still buy both books, you mite have to look for a good deal on the Around the Block book. She also has about 3 more block books that are oldies but goodies that I have never seen before. But remember there are many books out there that have just blocks in them, many with the same name and some blocks have more than one name to too.

When you go into your sewing room how do you find your sewing area? Do you have threads everywhere, little pieces of fabric scatter around that you have sewn on, or do you find more than 1 quilt project at any given time? Check this picture out and see what you do or what you would like to do?

If you choose the 1st one then you are on your way to getting lots done with your time. I start with a basket of pieces that I pins together while watching TV with my husband. Picking up one or two and sewing them to end off those threads when you are piecing your quilt you are working on. I have use my thread to the very best and kept my sewing room clear of those threads everywhere. I picked a project that I really don't want to sew but still want to make, like that drunkards path. Sometime when I don't have anything to do or just feel like sewing, I will sew up a bunch of them. I press them when I press my other project and before long I have made a freebie quilt. The next pictures will show you the ending off and the freebie project I am working on right now. I have a design wall that is about 9 X 10 that I have covered with Warm 'N Natural. For now it is just staple to the wall, maybe one day I will put a wood molding around the edge. My fabric sticks to it very well and I can get away from my project and look at it straight on. You can click on the picture to make it larger.


Tips in scrappy piecing. It doesn't seem to matter how hard you try to do scrappy, when you get it all done and quilted, you set back and look and there they are....the same 2 pieces of fabrics sitting side by side. Because I don't like the headache, this is what I do.

1. use as many different pieces of fabric as you can.
2. cut some of each of the fabric pieces.
3. get a tray or one of your large square rulers and play cards with you fabric and layer different pieces together and use up the pieces you have cut out. I normal don't use the same piece of fabric more than twice.



4. take the tray over to your sewing machine and just sew. Enjoy your time because you aren't worried about the sets you are sewing, you have already sorted them out.


5. find a happy space to iron. I have my iron as far away from my cutting table and my sewing machine as I can put it. It gives me a chance to get up, move around, work out the kinks, and I enjoy my sewing more. I have my music playing there in the corner. Sometimes I get lost in the music. You can see that my spray starch is right next to my ironing board.

6. when you press, press again like you are playing with cards. Do a row, push them to the side of your ironing board and press an other row. After you have fill up your ironing board, cut the threads and make stacks. Pick up the stacks in a different order than what they lay on the ironing board and this will mix the sets up more. I have laid a piece of muslin on my ironing board so you can see what I am doing better. I like having a bright and cheerful ironing board cover.


7. get that tray out again and re stack the next set, not putting the same fabric together.
8. enjoy your sewing again.
9. Press and repeat again until you get your blocks done.

I like to work on about 6 to 8 blocks at a time because it will give me a better mix up of my fabrics. Doing it this way you don't have to think as hard and maybe by not trying as hard you will have fewer same fabrics setting next to each other.

Don't forget you can ask questions on the comments or show us your blocks by using Mr. Links and ENJOY.