Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Some Fabrics just make me Smile!

I am so excited about working on this quilt for my mom, and that excitement just ramped up a few notches when I opened up my new jelly roll of Tradewinds by Lily Ashbury fabric that I talked about on my last post.  I've already made 10 blocks and ran out of fabric.  So I picked up more fabric, not exactly the same kind, but similar colors.  But when I opened the new jelly roll..... OMG!

This fabric is so luscious and yummy it makes me long for a bowl of tropical fruit!  See what I mean?

Before I opened the jelly roll ^


I see that wonderful 'mango' color... and my mouth waters.. really!
This is such a joy to work with this fabric!









Even my scraps are happy!  
I saw a very cute paper-pieced umbrella on flicker somewhere...
 I think these scraps could make a very cheery umbrella! or ten!  :D


I sewed the wedges 2x2 in the order I wanted them on the 'plate'. 
It worked much better than when I sewed all of one print and sorted out the order after the fact.
Another view of the wedges joined together on my ironing board.  I also clipped the folded edge on all of them for easy turning.

One tip I can share... (and I don't have a picture that demonstrates that yet) when I sewed the blades (with the points) together I started sewing about 1/4 inch down from the top and backstitched to the top, and then continued down to the end of the blade.  Doing it this way the threads are 1/4 inch from the top which hides the start position and the thread ends, and makes the points that much prettier and cleaner.  I learned this after making ten blocks (200 blades!)... so I know of what I speak.... and like my Dad always said, "when all else fails, read the directions!"
The directions were right on the cardboard the wedge template came with!



This is the first plate in the new fabric.  
The wedges are machine stitched together, but I hand sewed the plate
on the background fabric, and then hand-stitched the center as well.  
This fabric is easy to hand stitch too!





The purple & yellow thingy is a seam ripper) I used to keep my place on the circle of fabrics. This is next to my sewing machine. I'm just going around the circle stitching the tops of the wedges. I alternated the "pow" fabrics with the 'duller' ones ~ none of these prints are boring! And I put them next to fabrics that had at least one common color.  I'm liking the results.
P.S. some of these wedges even have the wrong side showing.



  

Just had to share my 'happy fabric'  :D

1 comment:

Kati from Kati's Quilting said...

Yeah... these make me smile too! Your Dresden looks beautiful with these fabrics.