While on Bainbridge Island last weekend, at Ester's Fabrics, I fell in love with the print you see above. I had promised the hubby a One Block Wonder after the start of the new year with all my Christmas projects behind us. Now, if he had been home and we'd been shopping for him this may have all turned out very differently. Of course, out with a girlfriend on my own, I fell in love with this fabric. But how could you not?! American-made and the concept originally hand painted this fabric is a gorgeous blend of florals and geometric shapes. I just couldn't pass up the color! Plus, it's a panel fabric, which is perfect for the One Block Wonder.
The minute I got home I threw it in the wash and ironed (BIG mistake by the way). Neti helped with the ironing process.
With the One Block Wonder you cut by the panel repeats. I layered six repeating panels "perfectly" on top of one another. My excitement in washing was soon squandered when I read you shouldn't wash the fabric prior because it has a hard time shaking out and aligning. Oops. See! I needed a practice run! Plus, I'm just making a lap size quilt, nothing huge.
Once you get the panels aligned, you cut them into strips, like you see above. Then each strip gets cut in to 60 degree triangles. I did all my cutting last weekend and started sewing the triangles together to make hexagons. It takes your gorgeous fabric and turns it in to a kaleidoscope effect. How gorgeous are these?!
When I was sewing with the Seattle Quilt Guild one Saturday past there was another girl about my age who was building one of these quilts. Knowing that the hubby wanted one I quickly asked if she'd learned any shortcuts and she had! See the safety pin keeping my two hexagon sides together? Well, that allows me, when I'm finished, to chain whole rows together as opposed to having to awkwardly sew whole hexagons together. Genius! So I followed suit.
While I was stationed at my sewing table going back and forth between machine and ironing board the hubby had brought in his moped IN TO THE LIVING ROOM! I was totally for it. It's cold outside and this gives us a chance to hang out while working on projects together. It's drained of all fuel, oil and everything. He pieced the engine together on the coffee table and began wiring for electrics.
The cat got quite the education in how a Peugeot works, and exhausted, ended up sleeping on a plush piece of fabric as I pieced hexagons.
It was an incredibly rewarding weekend of sewing. It's going to take awhile for me to get through these triangles. I'm kind of daunted by the thought of doing a king size quilt at this rate. Our little projecting family went to bed happy at the end of the weekend. And yes, the Peugeot is still in the middle of the living room.
No comments:
Post a Comment