Quarter Circles: Day Two

My adult education class was on again.  

I brought more quarter circles to put together.  This time I stacked the pieces so all the same color fabrics were together.  Then I rotated thru the different colors. Some of the pieces went together perfectly, while others had odd stitching on the back or the seams became inconsistent.

I'm not loving working with these pieces as much as I thought I would. It's not just the actual sewing that I'm having a problem with, it's the colors. I really would like to have the background be a different set of fabrics that the quarter circle but the template for the AccuQuilt is set up so both shapes are cut at the same time.

But I have all these lovely pieces cut out so will challenge myself to perfect the stitching!

I searched again tonight to find some help with the piecing:

• I found this tutorial to help with sewing quarter circles:
  http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2011/06/running-in-circles-tutorial.html
• This one has many different layouts at the end of the post:
  http://www.stitchedbycrystal.com/2012/10/tutorial-quilting-curves-drunkards-path.html
• This post has a video that I can't watch now as DH is asleep:
  http://www.shecanquilt.ca/2011/12/sewing-curves-is-not-hard-seriously.html
• Another tutorial:
  http://charleydeeandme.blogspot.ca/2012/04/sewing-curves-tutorial.html
• Wonky quarter circles with consistent background colors (cool FMQ too) She started with same size but trimmed down to get the wonky look.
  http://flyingblindonarocketcycle.blogspot.com/2014/10/bloggers-quilt-festival-fall-2014.html
• Some longer pieces added to change the shape:
  http://whatarajaneloves.blogspot.com/2013/01/long-awaited-finish.html and
  http://whatarajaneloves.blogspot.com/2012/07/blocks-and-blocks-and-blocks.html

The Studio AccuQuilt is in the classroom again - hurray - so next week along with food for the potluck, I will bring fabric prepped so I can cut pieces up.  The decision to make will be on what fabrics to bring and what shapes to cut?

Template Name                            Rough cut   Cut results
50607    Super Strip Cutter 5.5 inch       15 x 26   1-5.5 inch strip (double check rough cut)
50047    Strip Cutter 6.5 inch             13 x 25   2-6.5 inch strips 
50062    Super Strip Cutter 4.5 inch      9.5 x 25   2-4.5 inch strips
50058    Super Strip Cutter 3 inch         10 x 26   3-3.0 inch strips
50060    Super Strip Cutter 3.5 inch      9.5 x 25   2-3.5 inch strips
50612    Super Giant Strip 2.5 inch        13 x 25   5-2.5 inch strips

50212    Square #1  5 inch by 5 inch     11.5 x 17   6-5.0 inch squares (2x3)
50284    Everyday Tote                     10 x 15   tote ends up 3"W x 12"L x 9"H (need pattern)
50297    Rag Quilt 6 inch by 7 inch       9.5 x 12   1-6"W x 7"H (15 cm x 18 cm) rag shape with 3/4"L x 1/4"W (2 cm x 1 cm) fringe
50220    Tumbler Block #2                   5 x 25   6-3 5/8"W x 3 1/2"H
50221    Tumbler Block #3                 9.5 x 24   4-6 1/2"W x 6 1/2"H

I cut a bunch of the smaller tumbler blocks a few years ago and found them to be really enjoyable to sew as leaders and enders to my more liberated projects, but I don't want to get tired of them.  Also it seems my friends are all having baby boys so all the pink that I cut out won't be used right now...

I did not prep the fabric last time I used the AccuQuilter so had to spend time ironing and folding to get things to fit.  I think it would be more time efficient to come with pressed pieces at the rough cut size...!

The teacher has more templates including the quarter circle (I think it would be good to add some print materials in my plain mix of yellows and blues), and she may have a whole circle template.  If she has the whole circle then I will make an abacus quilt.

In other things I've finished scanning another bankers box - only 5 million to go!  Ha ha.

My DH and I have been talking about getting new windows, but I can tell it's going to be something I research and decide on really.  Any one out there will experience on this?

Also, this comiing Friday we were asked to bring food for potluck for the quilting class.  I'm scratching my head on this too - ideas welcome!

: )

Quarter Circles: Day One

I attended the first and second session of local adult education class.  The second class brought the sewing machine and my box of Accuquilt cut quarter circles that I cut a while back.  I had I think five shades of blue and four shades of yellow.  With this template you have to cut both pieces at the same time, so that would result in a boring quilt I think....

I'm hoping the teacher will have the Accuquilt cutter in class with the template again so I can add some other colors or designs to the mix.  In the mean time I just grabbed two and sew them together.

I had to remember that you put the larger piece on the bottom.  I found that pinning at the beginning, middle and end helped a lot.

I pinned ahead about three blocks then sewed.

I tried to organize them once I got home, but wasn't really successful.  I have a ton of these pieces left to sew so can get organized for the next sewing session.  I'm think it would be fun to somehow have it organized so the darker outsides go up at a diagonal, and then then the darker insides go down in a different direction.

This is when it would be good to get the design wall out again!

 I also attended the first of three classes on using digital camera last week.  It covers a different slant than I thought it would, more looking at the different options on cameras then how to set things up for different kinds of photos.  I'm undecided on whether I will continue attending.  My battery is dead and needs replacing - guess if I can get one I will continue.

I'm up to date in my quickbooks work, now finally getting little things done so I can continue with the scanning and shredding and giving things away.  Right now our son and future DIL have decided to not make time to do anything with us, including even touching bases on everyday things. All this talk about joining families and friends isn't happening.  : (

The temperatures are really hot. I have to stay in one room all day with a fan turned on just to survive!  Glad I'm feeling well and getting things done and marked off the list!