You wouldn't think an empty spot on my design wall would be cause for celebration but trust me, it is. This hole indicates my first completed block in the Midnight Garden quilt. More importantly it means I'm no longer avoiding this quilt (my shoulder and this quilt have both been a pain since mid-March).
The kaleidoscope corners were easier to cut than I had feared. Yay! But the deal was once they were on, they needed to be true and square: I could trim the middle of the edges to get a square block, but if I trimmed the corners it could mess up the kaleidoscope effect. I was thrilled when my test block came out exactly at 13¾" as it should have.
A second block turned out nearly prefect as well, and then I got to stitch those two together. Not perfect points, but pretty darned close (especially considering how many pieces needed to line up!).
My sister has challenged me to show progress: at least one finished corner set every day. I am attaching four kaleidoscope pieces at a time; pulling a matching set of four triangles off one design wall and adding them to four star blocks. It's not the most efficient way of piecing but it should ensure I have all the matching pieces together.
The raw star blocks are a slightly too big and not necessarily square because I cut the white and grey triangles bigger than they should have been. Better to have too much than a block that's too small! I have to trust that all my points are at 45 degrees and the right length - I'll discover if they are as I add the corners. I'm pleased the first blocks look promising.
Adding each set of triangles has taken 15-20 minutes to complete - that may speed up as I get in a groove. First I need to square the grey edges of those blocks and get the four points as close to dead center as I can. Then I pick which four triangles I want to add on, double check my orientation, pin them in place and stitch. When a block has all four corners attached, I can do the final square and trim the excess white edge.
I usually assemble the quilt top by sewing together rows of blocks then sew the rows together. This one? I plan to stitch blocks together as I finish them. The thought of chain stitching blocks in the wrong orientation gives me the chills! Will it guarantee I keep the pieces together in the right order? We'll see. This approach will also give me time to consider the transition to the border blocks.
Sharing with:
Melva Loves Scraps - Sew & Tell
Quilt Schmilt - To Do Tuesday
A Quiltery - Put Your Foot Down Thursday
It sounds like you have good plan to get your quilt all pieced together. Just take your time and I'm sure it will come out great. I hate when there are a lot of points to line up. Sometimes, putting rows together takes longer than piecing the darn block!!
ReplyDeleteYour blocks are looking amazing, Sally! Sounds like your plan for going slowly and measuring carefully along the way is working. I really like that kaleidoscope effect!
ReplyDeleteWhew! Such a challenging pattern. But I have always admired the accuracy of your quilted blocks. Even more so after the time I spent making a single rectangle of a specific size for that memorial banner - you would have laughed at my fidgeting and remeasuring and pinning and ironing! One rectangle!
ReplyDeleteAnd to think I was pleased to get one string block finished, LOL. These blocks of yours look so intricate; I am amazed by how this is all coming together. What a quilter you are Sally!!
ReplyDeleteDifferent blocks call for different methods. Good for you for figuring out what works for you. I would be thrilled if my points matched as well as yours. This going to be a stunning quilt!
ReplyDeleteThere are a bunch of us out here in cyberland that understand your excitement and celebration of that empty space on your design wall. Well done! Thanks for sharing in my Sew & Tell party.
ReplyDeleteI just read back and see why you are so happy to be at this point! It's always hard when a project calls for a restart so good on you (with cooperation from your shoulder!) to push through on the block re-do. I'm glad you found the Kaleidoscope cutting and piecing easier than you thought. I'm getting ready to start a "K" project -- and even though my blocks have less pieces it helps to know it can be done. This will be gorgeous when you get them assembled into a top and well worth the effort!
ReplyDeleteOh my! This is beautiful and very complex! I love it and your plan for assembly makes perfect sense to me. Thank you for linking with ToDo Tuesday and sharing your amazing kaleidoscope. Hope you’ve had another week of fabric fun and your shoulder is behaving. 😁 Carol
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