Fall Quilt Block Swap due October 15th

[elsiebb]

Oct 15th seemed so far away in June! I still have just the first two blocks done, 14 to go. I've spent the summer building a new chicken coop instead of sewing... thought I'd have the coop done by the end of August, but alas, still not done. Tonight I painted the coop doors, then spent an hour in the sewing room. I now have 4 more blocks cut out. Here's a picture of what's been occupying me.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Oct 15th seemed so far away in June! I still have just the first two blocks done, 14 to go. I've spent the summer building a new chicken coop instead of sewing... thought I'd have the coop done by the end of August, but alas, still not done. Tonight I painted the coop doors, then spent an hour in the sewing room. I now have 4 more blocks cut out. Here's a picture of what's been occupying me.

Wow! That is so very cute! Good job! It looks great.

 

[fenrosie]

It's a chicken palace! How lovely.

 

[Cknldy]

Beautiful! Okay here's my address so you can build one for me Just joking but it is a beautiful coop.

 

[majack]

Hi, I've just finished my first block for this swap. Please tell me it gets easier. Sooooo many triangles an seams to match. Not to mention lumpy bits to machine over. Has anyone else had these problems or is it just me? Am I just a triangle hater?

 

[Cknldy]

Hi majack. Try doing it with squares instead of cutting triangles. For the inner quarter-triangle-squares, cut one 4 3/4" yellow square and one 4 3/4" blue square. Draw line from corner to corner on back side of one of them. Place right sides together, sew 1/4" from line on one side then 1/4" from line on other side. Cut on line. Now you have 2 half-square triangles. Pick one and draw line from corner to corner on back side. Place them right sides together with blue triangle on yellow triangle. Seams tend to 'lock' together for good fit. Sew 1/4" from line, both sides of line as before. Cut on line. Perfect quarter-triangle-square! All that is left is to trim down to 3 1/2" square. Make 3 more of these and you have the center.

 

[Cknldy]

For the outer half-triangle-squares use one 4 1/4" yellow square and one 4 1/4" blue square. Draw your line, sew 1/4" from line on both sides and cut on line. Trim to 3 1/2" square. Ta da! No cutting triangles and lining up corners I'm a visual learner so I can post pics if you want.

 

[Cknldy]

Hi, I've just finished my first block for this swap. Please tell me it gets easier. Sooooo many triangles an seams to match. Not to mention lumpy bits to machine over. Has anyone else had these problems or is it just me? Am I just a triangle hater?

No one ever sees the sweat and hard work put in- but you have done a great job on this! It is all in whatever technique works best for you as there are many ways to do almost everything in quilting.

 

[majack]

Hi cknldy,

That's exactly what I did do but even then with the seams locking if you don't get the quarter inch seam exactly right you end up with truncated points. Then when you sew on the flying geese you have to match up the Vpoints in the stitchery (if you know what I mean) and sometimes that means you can't just willy nilly sew a quarter of an inch at that point in the seam. The truth is I am a triangle hater no matter what! I don't think there is any hope for me.
To make things worse, I've got up today to no hot water and the milk has turned to yogurt. It's cold and it tastes fine so I don't know what has happened. Today is a sewing day at a nearby 'guild' and I am going to cut out all the pieces for these blocks if I can ever get my hair washed. Oh, I am such a grouch today. And I had such a good time at European Patchwork Meeting in Alsace last week. I wish you could all have been with me. I saw some stunning work. Look, I'm already feeling better just thinking about it. Maybe there is hope.

 

[Kassaundra]

The block is beautiful, but triangles are a pain in the..............................................