A Third Week of Quilting
I'm beginning to look forward to Tuesday evenings a lot: I get to go to my quilting class. Last night, it was time to start sewing quilt blocks together. So during my lunch break on Tuesday, I spent sometime trying to decide which fabrics went best together.
I started by getting out my blocking board and pinning up all the big squares I had cut out in no particular order.
The idea was for me to move the squares around until I had pairs together that I liked for the larger quilt blocks. Since the board really isn't large enough for full blocks, I just put the color pairs that I liked together side by side.
The fabrics that ended up together are in pairs, starting from the top left. One thing that proved challenging for me was trying to make sure that the fabrics that I put together didn't all have the same depth of shade. It was very easy to want to put light fabrics together and dark fabrics together. But the contrast is important to making things stand out. I actually found that some of my experiences playing with hand-dyed yarn were helpful working with these batiks -- I put fabrics together, sometimes just based on a small amount of a color in one fabric that was more dominant in a second piece.
I thought by having a plan before I got to class that I'd be able to knock out a bunch of the full sized squares in no time.
But all I was able to finish was these three. However, by the time I'd finished the third block, I had some insights into how to speed up the process by using the chain sewing we were shown in class. I'm going to have to be efficient here at home since I'd like to have all of the blocks ready to sew together for the final class.
Tonight I felt like I had a little breakthrough with the machines -- the sewing machines are not seeming quite so scary any more. In fact, I was struck by how nice it was to just sew these pieces together and how fast it goes when you compare it to knitting each section of a log cabin square. It's nice to have a simple project to work on during the learning process, as well. Even though my sewing is by no means perfect, I'm getting pretty good results and I feel like I can actually finish this project and end up with something I really like.
They're coming along nicely! I think you did a great job with the colors.
It's interesting to see another viewpoint on sewing and sewing machines. I learned to sew very young; I literally spent my toddler-years under my mom's sewing table, and picked it up myself shortly afterwards. Seaming fabric has become natural to my mind, and so I am constantly fascinated with the way knitting creates the fabric as the garment emerges, rather than cutting a finished fabric and molding it to shape.
Keep up the quilting, and post lots of photos!
They're coming along nicely! I think you did a great job with the colors.
It's interesting to see another viewpoint on sewing and sewing machines. I learned to sew very young; I literally spent my toddler-years under my mom's sewing table, and picked it up myself shortly afterwards. Seaming fabric has become natural to my mind, and so I am constantly fascinated with the way knitting creates the fabric as the garment emerges, rather than cutting a finished fabric and molding it to shape.
Keep up the quilting, and post lots of photos!
Love the colors!
Quilts made of fabric are much much faster than those made of yarn.
Those look really good! I definitely have a fear of sewing machines, I'm always certain that I'm about to suck my fingers under the needle. Glad to hear this may not be a permanent condition.
Wow, it's looking great. The class sounds like a lot of fun!
Chain sewing really does help. I used to like to make one block at a time to get the gratification quicker of seeing a completed block, but now I do them all at once just sewing the same parts for each block in a row like an assembly line. It goes much faster. I love how it looks so far, those colors are great!!
I have a closet full of quilting material that I've not put to the needle for the simple reason that the layout of the fabric is always more appealing than a quilt block! I guess knitting appeals more for the simple fact that it is regimented in that I have to produce orderly rows of stitches to reach my goal!
Taught math too long I guess.
Looks beautiful, love the colors!
I think you have a great eye for color, you seem to really be able to put different shades/patterns together really well (in your knitting too)!
You've inspired me, I'm going to have to search and see if there are any quilting stores here in Nashville.
I love your colors! You're making me want to learn how to quilt, and I can't afford anything new right now. I suppose I shall have to live vicariously through your learning experience. :)
That color combination and arrangement is so soothing and peaceful.
Oh it looks just beautiful! You must be so proud and rightfully so.