Me-Precision Piecing?
It’s been a long time since I have done precision piecing! This has been increasingly obvious as I have worked through my Saw Tooth Star piece. Saw Tooth Star-how hard can that be? It’s one of the easiest blocks to piece!
I’ve been making new blocks for my Saw Tooth Star because I’m not happy with some of my really poorly pieced old ones-many were misshapen and, I wanted to refine my color choices a bit too. So now I have TWENTY FOUR orphan blocks, just waiting to be used….where?
So here’s my confession: it is taking me 80 minutes to piece a Saw Tooth Star with its mitered surround-ridiculous! I am going back to Piecing 101, dusting off my skills and squaring up after each step. This is something you shouldn’t have to do on such a simple block but I’m being anal, sometimes shaving off a thread or two. I want a perfectly sized block, just for grins. I think it’s that I’ve been working whole cloth for awhile and it’s actually nice to have something so tangible to work.
An essential part of the audition process is the music stand-really! It’s so dog gone handy: it sits right next to my design wall, aka the busy hallway to the bedroom, it takes up little floor space, it sits at whatever height I need it and I can move it with one hand! Super handy and more useful than you can imagine-beats a stationary table any day.
I also love my Cheryl Ann’s Design Wall-I pop it up when I need it and store it when I don’t. The shock-corded poles (like a tent) make it easy and it goes up in a flash.
Design and color are my weaker points and this rather traditional quilt is challenging me on both fronts-that’s exactly why I am making this rather traditional piece. I am not at all surprised that I have 24 extra blocks for a simple 13 block quilt-this is how I learn.
Once the center is set, how will I set and finish it? I see some scallops in there somewhere but I can’t tell until the center is set and begins to speak. I like the idea of the curves against the linear, almost masculine center. In the dream world I live in, I hope to finish this by Christmas-ha!
My camera is still in the shop and I’m using Duct Tape Nikon in the meantime-hence the quality of my photos. I don’t know how to use it, so it just languishes in my purse. It is so hard living without my camera-oh woe is me, giggle!
My organized stash has really been useful as I work through this process. It used to be the case that when I worked on a scrappy quilt like this I would experience “fabric explosion” with fabric everywhere as I auditioned pieces. With my more organized stash, I just take down a labeled box, peer through the lid first to see if it’s worth opening, paw through to get what I want and go from there. It’s easy to return fabric to its place and audition more. This is the extent of the mess from my journey-not bad.
Once I’m done with this I have so many more projects. I want to try fabric postcards and freeform piecing and there’s my Lilly of the Valley quilt I can’t wait to start… So, you got any great ideas for me on what to do with twenty four Saw Tooth Star blocks that are not necessarily well-pieced and don’t necessarily go together??? Please, do tell!
Back art? Just a thought
Yes! I think some will make it back there and I’ll STILL have some left for some other fun.
This is so informative for me as a non quilter. I use quilting techniques in garments sometimes, but that’s as long as my patience holds up!
Hi Jenny, why not make a lap size quilt with them and donate to Project Linus (or some local charity, women’s shelter, senoirs home, etc). I bet the recipent will love it.
Carol from the class in Paducah
Hi Carol! Great idea-I have enough to do that and still play with some more.
Maybe a donation quilt. Instead of the striped frames, you could sash with some wild orange/pink/blue print. Glad you are enjoying your back-to-basics experience and sharing it in such detail!
Gotta play with that thought-wow, wild multi color print?! I’ll try it!
I’m all about cut ’em up and make something abstract out of them, but it would be a shame to waste all that precision piecing. If another star quilt isn’t your favorite idea, is there a need in your life for a bunch of tote bags? Easy to make and use up the blocks, good for gifts…lots of projects like that out there. Nine block small quilts for charity? Rayna Gillman has a new book out about free form piecing, and she is known for using old blocks and making new projects. Might be worth a look. The main problem is going to be getting tired of working with the same block over and over…maybe they will need to marinate a bit!
How funny-i just got Rayna’s book and I love it-is it even possible for ME to cut up blocks, abstract them and make them into something cool?? My brain is steaming from the overload….
Deb & Kris can give you “permission” to cut up anything and make into something fun. Wonder what they would do with “left overs?”
Oh, I’ll have to ask their permission-I’m guessing they will say “yes, cut those suckers up”! I have resolved that I must do that for at least a few of them, just to do it. Wow, working in abstract-my brain is overheating again…
HAH! I love it!! The process can be messy but fun!! I’ve got a lap top stand just like your music stand! I couldn’t live without it either!! GMTA!!
Whatever you decide I’m sure it will turn out amazing! I’d sash the uneven blocks then turn them at different angles and cut them square..
I had to look up GMTA-yes indeed, we do! I think I will end up cutting some of the blocks. I started to cut one up last night-I just couldn’t do it! I am a long ways from being abstract.
hmm… those sawtooth squares seem like baby blanket material to me. ;)
Imagine that…
At least one block becomes your signature block on the back.