Its been a long week here full of the standard highs and lows. Cooper’s cricket team won the U14 Grand Final yesterday after an undefeated season. It was so lovely to see this hard working group of boys take out the flag after so many years playing together. For a moment I got sad wondering what I would do with my Sundays now – until I remembered football season is just around the corner lol. We are a really sporty family and I wouldn’t change those early mornings and revolving travel mugs for anything but a few weeks of sleeping in past 6 is also going to be very much appreciated.
And of course our big shock was finding out Abby had totally ruptured her ACL ligament in her knee and needs surgery asap to repair it. Its been really hard for her managing her first week of University on crutches especially as she travels over an hour each way. We are hoping she doesn’t have to defer this first semester but that will depend on timing and recovery. She is trying her best to stay positive and not stress about the details but it is hard for her to know she is unable to play netball for 12 months, the poor love. Noone needs to see a photo of a banged up knee so here is one of her loving on Charlie instead.
So in amongst a week of crazy it was lovely to sit down yesterday and knock off all my Block Bs for our quiltalong – so excited that next week I finally get to piece this quilt top and see it all come together! We are having a lot of fun in our Facebook Group and it has been wonderful to watch people’s quilts start to take shape, especially for those who are less than confident in their ability. I hope they are starting to realise that quilting is not as hard as they thought! Here is some photos they have shared with me showing their wonderful blocks in progress – I really want to own each and every one of their quilts so far lol.
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There are more pieces in Block B than Block A but I still follow the exact same process I talked about in last week’s post where I select my strips and then chain piece. I really to find it the best way to make sure the fabric is evenly mixed through the quilt and also to leave you able to stop and start as you choose. All my tips and tricks really stay the same as last week however here are a couple more to help if you need:
- Don’t stress, don’t stress, don’t stress! This quilt is both beginner friendly and extremely forgiving. My aim is for a finish you can all be proud of and this is the perfect quilt for that.
- When lining up my squares I pay attention to the fact some edges stretch and some don’t as you move around the block. It can be really easy to finish up with edges that dont line up especially if you are using a shorter stitch lenght. I combat that the best way I can by lining up the strip up the top and starting to stitch. As i get around 2/3 of the way down the block I line up the ends and hold them tight as I sew. I may even stretch one slightly to make sure it all lines up. Only slightly though of course! Now keeping them held together I sew to the end. You could pin each strip as well if you like but I hate pinning and only use it when it is an absolute necessity. I prefer manipulating my blocks while I am sewing.
- Not all strips will line up perfectly and THAT IS OK. I promise that your quilt will look amazing and that it happens to the best of us. I use what I personally call “a line of best fit” when that happens. I line the strip up properly at the time and along the edge of the block. I start to stitch, line up and hold the bottom as above and then follow the line of the strip keeping everything straight. Some edges of the block may come out or go in a bit but your block will automatically square up as you go. Just be careful to always catch enough seam and not to warp your block by stretching anything too far. It requires a gentle but firm approach.
So with that said here are my Block Bs for our Quiltalong. I am so glad I used the quilt panel in this even though it meant being a bit creative with my inner blocks – that art work is just so beautiful. We have talked in the Facebook group about how to adapt to slightly different size squares so you can make the most of your fabric at all times.
Now lets get onto the fun task of discussing our Winner from Week 3! They are the lucky recipient of an issue of their choice from One Thimble Magazine. Perfect timing too because a new one dropped only yesterday! Congratulations Ruth from kilnofintention – please email me at hello@piccolostudio.com.au and we can arrange to get an issue to you. I am so excited to see your quilt finished!
This weeks prize comes to you from the lovely Susan at My Fabricology . Susan has donated this gorgeous bundle of Art Gallery Fabrics to one lucky Quiltalonger (yes that is definitely a word hahaha). My Fabricology is a fabric and notion store based in Perth, Western Australia and they have so many pretties! There is always someone to help you select the perfect fabric too if you need the help which I love. And of course if you can’t pop into their studio there is always the option to shop online as well, the excellent service level remains exactly the same!
To be in the running for this week’s prize simply share a pic of your completed Block Bs with the hashtag #lemonsqueezyqal. It is not imperative you follow My Fabricology to be eligible but it is definitely a nice thing to do and will make me happy. I will share the lucky winner in my Week 5 blog post next Sunday so make sure you pop in and check.
And we are done for another week! I am going to be back in the next couple of days to release my Kaleidoscope quilt (I know I know – FINALLY!) and also to show you my cute make for the Quilters for Koalas swap on Instagram but in the meantime lets all get sewing – we have some pretty blocks to make!
Sarah x
Our Quiltalong runs for 6 weeks to the following timetable:
Introduction Post: Sunday 2 February – What are our plans?
Week 1: Sun 16 February – Welcome to the Quiltalong and Fabric selections
Week 2: Sun 23 February – Cutting our fabrics
Week 3: Sun 1 March – Making our first lot of blocks (Block A)
Week 4: Sun 8 March – Making our Block B blocks
Week 5: Sun 15 March – Laying out and assembling our quilts
Week 6: Sun 22 March – Finishing off
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