"Color My World" Questions Answered
Here are two commonly asked questions answered.
Click here to go to the Forum. It's also a great place to see everyone's progress.
Could you tell me what the length of the seam should be when I join small house 1&2 and 3&4...ie from bottom of door to top of background?
Barbara writes in the FORUM:
I have been asked repeatedly for size measurements of two small houses sewn together. This is hard to do and explain in a way everyone will understand so this is how I choose to explain it:
Place two houses sewn together on an ACCURATE cutting mat--not all mats are accurate. This is Quilters Select. Place the center seam on any inch mark.
The bottom edge, from outside to outside, should be about 4". Do not take the curve into consideration.
The top edge, from outside to outside, should be about 8", without any thought to the curve.
I say "about" because I can't give you a mathematical answer like a 4" finished square should be exactly 4.5" before being sewn into the quilt.
Seam allowances and pressing the seam OPEN and flat will be the important issue here.
I did ask Wendy to provide a finished size template for use in comparing the sewn houses but that was not to be.
You could cut out the paper templates, tape them together exactly on the sewing line to see what that looks like. I haven't done that. And if you don't tape them perfectly--well, that won't be right.
These photos are of small houses 1 and 2, I don't have any extra 3 and 4 houses made and am out of town teaching for a week so can't make them. But they should be "about" the same as 1 and 2.
All I know for sure is: my 1" scale line was accurate and all the circles were round and all the rings fit together as they should.
Could you please clarify the Layout Guide for the Trees Template?
Barbara writes in the FORUM:
I asked Wendy Williams to clarify the Layout Guide for the Trees Template. As I have said--it is ONLY a guide for placing the trees. It is NOT a guide for finished sizes of Small Houses sewn together.
Here is my discussion with Wendy:
Wendy, PLEASE ADVISE ME: Is the Layout Guide for the Tree Tops EXACTLY accurate for the two Small Houses sewn together, or simply a guide for placing the tree tops?
Her answer:
The layout is the size without seam allowances. It is not meant to show the sizes of the Small Houses, just to give some idea for the placement of the tree trunks. The tree trunks can be different each time, it is a guide only. It is s placement guide only. They don’t need to trim the blocks.
I hope this answers the question about the Layout Guide. Do not use it to compare your Small Houses. Use the size of the accurately printed Small House patterns and an accurately sewn 1/4 seam allowance when joining all the Small Houses into a complete circle.
