Fabric Choices

[debra a.]

I know that some will be buying the wonderful fabrics from The Quilt Shows Kits but for others we have a huge stash and this quilt is suggesting that we use those fabrics is there any theme you might be using to like batiks, or civil war or just very scrappy.
I myself think I will just pick as I go along there is a wonderful focus fabric that does have a yellow background that I might be using and then go from there. I think I may be using alot of yellows and blues for some reason I can see this in the Ruffled Roses. This quilt looks like it could be very victorian
So what's your fabric plan??

[Margo C.]

Deb, you are absolutely right about this being a great stash-buster project!

My first version is totally scrappy. What I did was start with a "focus" fabric that had several values of 4 different colors, and then just pulled a lot of fabrics from my stash that reflected colors and values similar to the focus fabric. I usually buy fat quarters rather than yardage, and I save all any left-over pieces when I finish a project, so I have lots of little pieces. For this quilt I probably focused as much on the value (darkness or lightness) of the fabrics that I chose as much as I did the color.



This is the pile I started with, about 100 fabrics, and I used each fabric at least once. The kit fabrics are wonderful, but I'm really looking forward to seeing what other color combinations everyone decides to work with.

[debra a.]

Oh just perfect Margo thanks for the visual candy. I will have to take a picture of what I would like to start with!! Love your "collection" of fatquarters that you have!! and thanks for posting your lovely quilt it is great to have a different view of the quilt.
I love the idea of using different background values and like you I think along the lines of lights, mediums and darks to me all fabric goes together it is how you put it together to get the different dimensions. I buy yardages and FQ but have promised now to just venture into my stash for the next 2 years and not buy anything. I have many many kits, projects and fabric so I have many many choices.

You are right I love this group because you get so much different visual stimulation on the same design!!

Now are you having trouble sleeping?? my excuse is working and on break

[Margo C.]

Yeah...I figure that if I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep for 30 minutes, I'm allowed to get up and see if anything's happening here!

I hate when that happens!! And I won't have time for a nap tomorrow....I mean today! :?

[debra a.]

Margo on your Fabric choices I am able to click on the picture and blow it up but on your quilt I am not...do you have a picture that is not resized so that we can examine it closer..if that is okay of course.

[Margo C.]

Deb, check it now...

[debra a.]

ah much better now I can see all that lovely applique in the middle and plan my colors thanks so much :wink:
I just love it :!:
I am a basket fanatic I just did a wonderful civil war swap with 6 1/2in baskets but these look like they are 12in finished baskets I think with those basket blocks I am going to be very scrappy with the background fabrics on the top part and keep the continuity of the bottom part...geesh I must be getting very excited about this.

New years will not come soon enough :!: I just have to remember not to start anything else so that I can just finish what I am doing (Love Letters, from Black Bird Designs) and keep up with the BOM. I am not sure how everyone was able to keep up with the 2 BOM from this year with the piecing and the applique...maybe I can do this years applique and 2011...hmmmm

[Eileen K.]

Hi betweens Deb,
I just looked at your sewing room on webshots. You weren't kidding about not having to buy any fabric, were you? Wow!!

[Margo C.]

I am a basket fanatic I just did a wonderful civil war swap with 6 1/2in baskets but these look like they are 12in finished baskets I think with those basket blocks I am going to be very scrappy with the background fabrics on the top part and keep the continuity of the bottom part...geesh I must be getting very excited about this.

I hope you stay excited when you realize that these basket blocks finish at 6"x6"!! They are paper pieced, and fit together beautifully!

[Jo H.]

Oh Margo -- I'm not a very good paper piecer and the 6 x 6 inch blocks terrify me! :shock: :cry: I may need to practice more and watch Carol Doak's show again and again....and again. <sigh>

[Margo C.]

NO! :shock: JoJo, please don't back out! I HATED paper piecing before Sue talked me into trying it again, and now I absolutely love the accuracy of it! Especially with these little pieces in her designs.

If you want to play with it, go ahead and download Sue's PDF Introduction for the Ruffled Roses BOM. She shows you how to do her method on a little practice house. learn/all-boms

I must warn you ahead of time that the scaling is off on that PDF and the test square will NOT measure exactly 1"x1". Don't worry about it for the introduction, but you will need to pay close attention in the following tutes. This is a really good example of how important accuracy is. The scaling in the intro is only about 1/16" off. If you measure the house diagram, you will see how much you loose. It's supposed to be 4-1/4"! :shock: Accuracy counts!!

I must admit, though, that I have chosen to use a different method than what Sue does. If you would like to see how I do mine with the "Add-A-Quarter" ruler check out my Webshots album from the 2009 BOM here: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569453221xrxRqK

I hope you will try it both ways and see which one works best for you! Let us know!!

[Jo H.]

Oh I won't back out -- I am just a little anxious about those blocks. I just went through your webshots pics and will make the sample house using your steps. Did you really remove all the paper before connecting the blocks? I would have guessed that leaving the paper on would help with the matching of seams -- but apparently not because yours looks perfect.

[Margo C.]

Trust me! Margo doesn't do perfect! :wink: I do good enough for me! And yes, the papers are removed after the half-square triangles are completed. They are the perfect size and go together easily if you are careful with measuring, cutting, sewing and pressing, like Sue stresses.

Sue doesn't use starch in her projects, but I really like working with stiffer fabrics and think it helps me finish with a neater piece. That reminds me....I think I need to start a new topic!

It also helps to know how to stitch an accurate 1/4" seam allowance. If you aren't sure how accurate yours is, here's a link to a test!
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569415726bHNKHF

Just remember that accuracy counts! If you are as accurate as you can be everything will easily fit together, but don't worry, because Sue gives wonderful info about how to make the stuff that's not quite right fit together! You will love how her "floaters" work, and I'll bet that it's a technique that you will use in the future!

[Barbara B.]

see-quilts/show-and-tell-quilts/

Here are the fabrics I have selected for my 2011 BOM. When I bought the large pieces of batik at Hancock's of Paducah last April, I had no idea what kind of quilt I would make. This seems perfect! I "shopped" my closet for the smaller pieces. Last year pulled entirely too many fabrics from the closet so I tried to restrain myself with this one.

Haven't been able to figure out how to post photos here so the link takes you to the 2011 BOM Quilt Gallery, a good place to go!

[Barbara B.]

Regarding accuracy in paper piecing, I have found it really helps to use a finer thread--Superior Masterpiece is excellent as is the Aurifil 50 wt. I am at the end of a year-long class I've been teaching to make Sue Garman's Washington Medallion quilt, my "Joyful Journey" is the sample, and all 18 of the students were amazed how much more accurate they were with all this piecing when they used Masterpiece. Good thread is really worth it!