This is the first day of October and I would like to know where the summer went! I always heard that the older you get the quicker time flies by and so far that's my experience.
I admit that I love the modern quilt movement and I wholeheartedly endorse the use of pre-cuts. I also spend a huge amount of time watching quilting tutorials, especially Jenny Doan's from the Missouri Star Quilt Company. I also admire the gorgeous quilts that appear to almost make themselves when I watch the tutorial. Most often I have a slightly different experience...!
I'm currently working on a Circle quilt made from a printed layer cake and two solid white layer cakes. All you do is cut a 6" circle from the center of the printed fabric and place that circle on top of a solid white square and stitch 1/4" around the edge of the circle. The remaining "frame" from around the circle is placed on top of a second layer cake and you again stitch 1/4" around the circle. Sounds so simple and quick.
I sewed five blocks like this and after they were sewn, despite pinning everything in place, the circles were slightly poufy. Even after pressing I wasn't happy with them. I 'unsewed' all five blocks and spent about two hours yesterday pinning and hand basting everything in place. This should solve the problem. I also decided that there is no one thread color that will look good on all the blocks, so I will be using four or five different threads on the visible stitching.
I suppose simple patterns give us the challenge of executing them as skillfully as we can. The fabric for this quilt is Zoe by Jennifer Young for Benartex. It's rather retro in feel and the colors are primarily warm. The stack of circles is awaiting the arrival of another white layer cake. I hope this will be a quilt that doesn't need a border.
Things are extra quiet around here today because Miss Molly is at the groomer. I will vacuum while she is away because the Dyson and Miss Molly don't mix well.
I wish you all a terrific Monday blessed with Peace & Plenty ~~~ Barb
Hi again, I just watched Jenny Doan from MSQC do the circle quilt and decided I was going to use fusible webbing for both blocks. Then I will sew it. I know, it won't be fuzzy because I am fusing the whole thing down. Well, wait a minute! I can fuse parts of it and leave the outside unfused...where I sew 1/2". Hey, good idea. I thought when I watched her make that quilt so fast that there would be problems like what you are having...hence the fusibe web.
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