I'm sewing along with Patty of Elm Street Quilts and Kristin of Simply Everyday Handmade in their Hand-Pieced QAL. What fun! Nine blocks, 6 inches each and basic designs to sew. There are block tutorials each week (and some videos) to help you along, too. I've been hand-piecing since I started quilting, but I enjoy watching the videos to see if I can pick up a new technique.
We have the choice of 2 layouts: this one in the coloring page, or an on-point version. I'm leaning toward the on-point layout, and have done the math to be sure I have enough background fabric.
My coloring page was supposed to be a guide, and I did not intend to follow it exactly when I did it, but I've found it very easy to "see and sew" from it! Six more to go from here, but I have the feeling I'll do just as I colored.
We're working on block 3 this week: Flying Geese. I am not a fan of flying geese units. One side is always too small. I try all the tricks to make it right: triangles cut big (so you can cut it down to size), sewing on the outside of the drawn line to account for the folding... and still, I end up with a unit that somehow is too small (one side, but sometimes both!) and I have to sew another. I tried avoiding them at one point, but then I decided to just sew as many as possible and become a master flying geese maker. I'm still working on that! Meanwhile, I cross my fingers and hope for good-sized geese!
We have the choice of 2 layouts: this one in the coloring page, or an on-point version. I'm leaning toward the on-point layout, and have done the math to be sure I have enough background fabric.
My coloring page was supposed to be a guide, and I did not intend to follow it exactly when I did it, but I've found it very easy to "see and sew" from it! Six more to go from here, but I have the feeling I'll do just as I colored.
We're working on block 3 this week: Flying Geese. I am not a fan of flying geese units. One side is always too small. I try all the tricks to make it right: triangles cut big (so you can cut it down to size), sewing on the outside of the drawn line to account for the folding... and still, I end up with a unit that somehow is too small (one side, but sometimes both!) and I have to sew another. I tried avoiding them at one point, but then I decided to just sew as many as possible and become a master flying geese maker. I'm still working on that! Meanwhile, I cross my fingers and hope for good-sized geese!
I came home from work on Monday and cut my fabric; sat down at the kitchen table with some coffee and began sewing. By dinner time I finished the quadrants and I sewed them together this morning. One of the geese units is wonky and I don't like how it looks. I may re-make this block since I finished so early...
Here's the 3 so far. I decided to not trim until I assemble the quilt, so the blocks are 'natural.' And the photo angle is odd--the blocks are square, in real life!
This has been a very relaxing project--hope you are sewing along!
This has been a very relaxing project--hope you are sewing along!