While I am still putting the binding onto this quilt I figured I could write about how it was made.
Deb Strain has the greatest bee fabrics ever. This collection is called Bee Joyful and like her previous bee motifs, all the fabrics harmonize and go together without much fuss.
This quilt is made with: 1 layer cake, 1 panel, Bee Hive Damask for the binding, cream for the economy blocks and black for the borders.
I cut the whole layer cake into 5" squares and made 4 patches using the method shown in this video from Me and My Sister. I paired up a light and a dark to make the 4-patches as scrappy as possible.
A nifty way to move small pieces from a cutting table to your sewing machine is to slide them onto your ruler and transport them.
I trimmed all the 4-patches to 4" x 4" - and to add some interest - took that 4-patch and turned six of them into economy blocks.
2 squares of cream 5"x 5" fabric were cut once on the diagonal to make 4 triangles and sewn together like any other economy block (or square in a square). I have a picture tutorial HERE (but with different measurements).
Because I made all the 4-patches BEFORE I did any math or layout - I had to seam rip apart some units to fill in under the economy block. This made my rows have an odd number of squares and those unpicked little squares didn't have any seam allowance since they were already trimmed.
Bottom line - keep some spare larger pieces to help fill in spaces for odd sized rows. Start with the 'fancy block' first and do the math for the pieces around it. I did it backwards and it was a learning experience.
Like all panel quilts - there is a chance that even though you measure - things don't always line up. I thought my panel was straight and my rows square - ha ha ha! They weren't. The left side came out perfectly - the right, not so much.
So, I added a black stripe on the top and bottom of the panel unit and did some 'creative' squaring up. Because I added two black stripes to 'frame' the panel portion - I stopped the 'drift' and the lower borders had a chance to become straight again. Bottom line: where things didn't match up, I trimmed and overall it looks just fine.
Always good for a laugh when things go wrong yet again. I thought I would use painter's tape to help me quilt on the diagonal since my squares weren't all aligned to make a nice grid. After two rows and the tape flying off the quilt - I realized if I continued with this method, I had to re-position one piece of tape EACH TIME! Heck no.
I got out the chalk and marked the lines 3" apart. It came out so nicely and Part Two will highlight the finished quilt.
I made a lot of mistakes with this quilt, but nothing that the seam ripper or extra trimming couldn't fix. Don't get discouraged if things go awry. Things go wrong all the time and there is usually a way to 'fudge it' and make it work. Just looking above I can see where I trimmed and my blocks didn't meet the black border ... oops ... but overall it's a pretty quilt. I learned what not to do and this fabric is telling me to BEE JOYFUL - so, I will!
Materials:
Bee Joyful by Deb Strain for Moda
Cream Numbers from Lucy's Crab Shack
Cotton Couture black by Michael Miller
Warm and White batting
Dimple Dot minky Marigold / Hawthorne Supply Co.
Aurifil #2314
February 2020
Hi, I am new to your blog, I feel like I discovered a gold mine. Thank you for your comments on your steps when making your quilts. I would like to know how you did the curvy line on this quilt after marking your lines 3” a part, is it a stitch on you machine?
ReplyDeleteHello Gigi - what a wonderful comment to read and thank you so much. I am glad the blog helps you and am always here if you want to contact me with more questions.
DeleteI have a stitch on my machine which is a wavy line stitch or as some call it a 'serpentine". But if your machine doesn't have that - go into the top of the blog under 2014. That will lead you to quilts using the zig zag stitch. I tried all ways to do it - small zig zag and longer and wider. All were effective and there are close up pictures so you can see how nice it looks.
Just remember that whatever stitch you use with your walking foot - the smaller and narrower it is - the more thread and slower your quilting will be!
Thank you again for the kind words - and sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
You're quilt is beautiful! I have a jelly roll and panel in this fabric that I wasn't sure what to do with... I hope I can modify your design to work... What were the finished dimensions of your quilt?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the sweet words - the finished size is 54" x 56.5" - and the finished quilt is pictured in Part 2. I did add a black border to frame everything which works well. Just go to the right side bar and click on Bee Joyful. I think this type of design is perfect for your jelly roll. Email me if you need any help and pics are always welcome :)
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