Wow - Fabric Story

At our guild meeting our BOM queen was talking about the next block and mentioned that the checkerboard border was difficult until another member told her about a trick she knew for 4 patches.  You may know this one and even who came up with it (if you know please let me know so I can give her credit).  You make two sets of your fabrics as photo one. Iron them with the seam to the dark fabric



. Now lay one strip on top of the other - right sides together, so the seams nestle (will look like the second photo- here the top strip is turned back to see what the 4 patch will look like ).

 

Normally now I would cut the strips into sets to then pin and sew together in assembly line. Instead I draw a line on the strip to make the patch the size I want.  In this case 2" .  You see a dotted second line 1/4" to the right of the 2" line  - only needed if you don't have an accurate 1/4" foot.  I do, so I drew only a 2" line to mark my segments. (this is a little different than shown with the block but works for me.)

 I then sewed 1/4" in from the two inch line for a scant 1/4" seam. 

 



 

When I had sewn all the seams on the strip this way, I then began to cut the segments apart at the 2" line I drew.  Pressed the segments open and got 4 patches with a perfect join in the middle.  Love it!

Now off to finish the few four-patches I need doing to finish my Easy Street tomorrow.
I'm linking with Esther's Wow and Connies Free Motion Quilting by the River.  So see their goodies.

Design Wall Monday 2/25/13

I went to a workshop this weekend.  It was for art quilting, specifically jackets.  I opted, like quite a few of us, to make a tote using the same technique.  This is as far as I got:

Now I just have to put the tote together - the tedious part is done.

My Applique Thursday giveaway is still open.  You could win a pattern pack.  Check it out - two posts ago.

I'm linking to Judy's Patchwork Times and Lyn's BOMs AWAY.  Check them out, too.

Stash Report 2/24/13

First, giveaway still ongoing. Go to the previous Applique Thursday post - nice pattern pack.  Then, off my design wall and ready to go to the next St. Anne's member for sandwiching is this charity quilt top that I had as blocks on my design wall a few posts ago:

 

This top was made using the Disappearing Nine-Patch technique. Now for stashy info - went to a workshop and used 3 yards of fabric for that.  Donated a .34 yards of fabric to the Guild, and used .01 yard to work on my newest Forget Me Not BOM block.  Here are my numbers:

 

This week:  in 0.0 yds.; out 3.35 yds.

Stash YTD: in 3.0 yds., out 13.60 yds.
Donated this week: .34 yds; YTD: 8.09 yds

Net for 2013: out 10.6 yds.  Small increase up - that's good, but I should be nearer to 16 yards by now for my goal, so I'd better make something big soon.  How are you doing?  Go on over to Judy's Patchwork Times and tell us about your destashing.