With this months Love Patchwork and Quilting magazine came an little booklet featuring 20 blocks made with Amy Butler fabrics. I decided that this might be a place to start, that if I made the blocks featured it would be a way of gaining some experience of sewing the shapes involved in quilting and would also give me lots of blocks to make a quilt with.
A new project requires new fabric, right?
I bought these lovely fabrics from the Quilt Room in Dorking.
I'm going to try and make 1 quilt block a week. I know that may seem like a small target but there's always something else happening, isn't there? I've actually managed 2 this week (mainly because the kids having started all their clubs yet!)
This second one is not quite right - perhaps one of you might be able to tell me where I went wrong? Basically, the purple strips should have met in the middle as a square but to do that, the edges of the block would not be square (I know they're not exactly square in the picture but I'm sure you know what I mean). 6 strips of fabric sewn together is not the same length as one strip so I don't know what I should have done differently. This is the picture from the book
As a first attempt I'm really pleased, even if it's not quite as it should have been! If you do have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.
In other news, I'm working on 2 projects for......next Christmas! Never too early to make a start, eh?
I hope you've all had a great "getting back to normal" week. I'll be linking up with Handmade Harbour, join me there if you can. Thank you for all your lovely comments last week - my husband was thrilled to hear that others were experiencing cupboard envy!
Love Natalie
well done with starting the quilt! looking good :) and wow working on xmas already eh- organised hehe x
ReplyDeleteI made my first quilt last year (well, I put the blocks together - i still have to quilt it). It's very addictive though don't you think?
ReplyDeleteIt really is!
DeleteThose fabrics are lovely. With one a week you will quite quickly build up enough for a quilt.
ReplyDeleteOh wow next Christmas already... that is impressive! :)
ReplyDeleteI share your fascination with quilts and would really like to have a go at making one myself. You seem to have started with some very advanced looking patterns and they look fab! I'm not too sure where you've gone wrong with the second one - geometry not a strong point... i'm sure it can be rectified though! x
Not sure - were all the strips the same length and width to begin with? I can only think that the seam allowances were unequal as when sewn up the strips together should have equalled the length of one strip? I like the fabrics you've chosen!
ReplyDeleteI think I can see where you've gone wrong. This may not be the way the book would do it but this should work.
ReplyDeleteUnpick the large square so you're left with four blocks, each with a purple strip at one end. Take one block and turn it so the purple strip is at the bottom, running horizontally.
Next take another block but this time with the purple strip at the right hand side, running vertically. Stitch this block to the bottom of the purple strip from the first block (can you see where I'm coming from) then put to one side.
Take the third block and turn it so the purple strip is at the left hand side, running vertically. Take the final block and turn it so the purple strip is at the top, running horizontally. Stitch the top of the purple strip to the other block (like before).
Finally take the two blocks together so the purple strips meet in the centre. All being well you should end up with one big block.
Hope this made sense. If not drop me an email with your phone number and I'll talk you though it.
Good luck xx
You've chosen some beautiful fabrics, I'm sure they will be very motivating to keep you on task. The pattern blocks look quite tricky, but you seem to have made a good start.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful material, well done with the pattern blocks - looks hard work. Hope you have a good week.
ReplyDeleteJill, Christmas Pie Crafts