Saturday, June 13, 2015

Pet Project Show #24




My self-imposed rule for using prints that show as solids is 
becoming less defined. I have started adding fabrics that have more color mixed into them. A book called Colorific by Pam Goecke Dinndorf is the influence. Color seems to be the most interesting thing about quilts for me, but I have so much to learn. I keep turning to new resources to find out how ways to use it effectively. Even blending in tiny amounts of color that appear elsewhere in the quilt are helping to tie the palette together for my eye.

Above, the salmon has small yellow flowers, and below the grey is pulling in the teals and greens. If you squint hard, which we often do picking fabrics, it still shows as mainly a solid. Also, the above block is about 12", while the one below is only 6". Viewed from a distance, the 12" color will have more color impact to you.



The other thing repeating itself during construction, is how the Moda pattern suggests assembly. I think the instructions are rather typical. We tend to construct smaller blocks or units that can then be sewn all together without a Y seam. It made sense to me, but I kept seeing another way. 

What I Was Seeing and Thinking

Can you visualized the 3 pieces on each corner made up of the navy square and 2 half-square triangles? They make a triangle unit. Sewn together by themselves, I have greater control over the precision. I sew non-bias edges to the square making a flying 'goose' only with a square. If I construct this way and sew it to the unit inside, my bias edges aren't as likely to distort. 




This 6" was not a candidate to try it on as it only had 2 corners that could be broken down. I was not as pleased with the end result, but will blame it on my laziness with pressing. 


The HST should have all been pressed open, but they were so little! I thought I could get away with a little cheating, and pressed to one side. I'm sorry, but it shows in the end result.

Look above at the smoothness of the 2 horizontal seams above. No puckering, and they lie flat. Now compare them to the vertical seams. See the puckering? Me, too. I am trying to decide if I should redo it, but I have definitely learned my lesson.



I picked a block I could experiment on. This will be a large corner block with many pieces. What I'm showing is just the interior of the block.

The sewing diagram showed sewing flying geese for the top and bottom HST. Then HST units at the corners would be sewn to the same flying geese units to make up right and left columns. Those columns are causing me the most problems as they are not coming out straight.

I did this instead.





I pressed everything open.


What an amazing difference in the trueness of the block!
I was astounded, and then perplexed. 
Why?


My wall looks like this now.



And in my policy of full disclosure, I did a quick run to my LQS to buy a few more 'oddities'--colors I wouldn't normally keep in my stash, but needed to keep going. They aren't a mixture of color like I was trying above, but more of the one color only theme. I'm excited to use them today.



Can I leak a little of my secret to you? 
I have tracking numbers now. 

Linking up with~
Sew Can She




Thank you to each one of you who link up with the Pet Project Show. I love to see your work here!


Come on, Doxie Girls.
It's Saturday, and time for the weekly 


Pink Doxies 

Pet Project Show. 

Pet Project Show

Add your link here every Saturday-Monday. 

Rules


Do we have to have rules? 


No worries! It's EASY.



1. Use the blue 'Add Your Link' button (below left)
to upload a picture of something you've created 
in the past week. Any kind of handiwork--
share it now! It can be a work in progress, 
finally finished, or even your fab new fabric. 
Whatever it is that inspired you to create this 
week, we'd like to see it here. 

2. Please link to a specific post, and not just your
blog address. It makes it easy for anyone following 
your link to find the project.

3. Provide a backlink to Pink Doxies with a link in
your post, or pick up our Pet Project Show
button in the sidebar. Copy the code, then 
create a Pet Show widget with 'Add by HTML' 
on your Layout page.

-OR-
1. You can link up to your Instagram. 
Click on the Instagram icon at the bottom 
of the link up screen. The URL of your Instagram 
feed will be your link. 
Please hashtag #pinkdoxiespetproject


Either way you link up, remember it's a party
here, so schmooze with the crowd! Visit others 
who've linked up. Leave a comment so they 
know what you like about their work. 

Don't miss a post! 
Follow me on Bloglovin' or by email. 

The Linky Party starts now, and runs until
Monday, June 15th at midnight. 
Spread the word, and tell all your stitchy friends.
*The first Saturday party of each month will
feature several of the Doxies and my
favorite link ups.
By linking up, you are giving permission for me
to post your picture with a link back to your 
blog or Instagram account. 



7 comments:

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

I like all of your blocks - and the new colors will be fun too!

Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts said...

Yay for tracking numbers - doing the happy dance here! I have just started pressing some of my seams open on certain blocks and I like how much better my blocks look. Don't know why, they just do. I still prefer to press seams to the side so they can nest when matching seams but I am learning to use open seams in certain blocks.

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Oh goodness, I must just add - I'm always so surprised after pressing my blocks, they always look so much better, I should do it more often!

evaj said...

Better late than never, a link from Sweden / Hug Bambi

Debra said...

Love the new fabrics you have added! I am always torn on pressing open or closed. I like your process on which to use.

Jayne said...

I usually let the block dictate how I press the seams. They can be a hot mess or if I take my time, not so bad! Great post!

Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty said...

I go back and forth on my pressing preferences. If I plan to stitch in the ditch, though, pressing to the side makes the subsequent stitching much easier. : )