S is for Scraps

You almost wouldn’t know that I’m a dedicated quilter. We’ve had such a glorious autumn this year that I’ve spent little time at the sewing machine. It’s been a week already and I can’t believe that I haven’t announced this, but I have in hand an advanced copy of my latest book, S Is for Scraps. It will probably be in stores the 2nd week of November.  Click the green link below the cover photo in the side bar for a preview of all the projects in the book.

 I have not gotten back to the borders on the 6 quilt tops I want to enlarge.  But I have made a few more blocks for the quilt I started last week.  I can’t say I’m real excited about it. These prints are just too busy for me. I've been adding a few more blocks with the darker more solid background. Naturally that is what I'd add. I like high contrast. A few more blocks and I can call it done.

I wanted to show you how I cut them out.  In Kim Brackett’s book Scrap Basket Surprises she instructs you to place 2 rectangles at right angles to each other and sew them together on the diagonal to make the 2 trapezoid unit. I prefer to cut and sew trapezoids.

 
I already knew the strip width was 2 ½ inches.  Then I use a half-square triangle ruler like the Omnigrid 96. This ruler requires that I use the 3 inch line. The hardest thing about cutting trapezoids is to always remember to cut with the fabric right side up and not folded.  Otherwise you will get the mirror image, and with trapezoids pointing in both directions your pinwheels will spin in 2 different directions.  Usually when I cut boo-boos like that, I make the blocks anyways.  But then those blocks are donated to church.  I guess I’m really only concerned if I’m short on fabric.

Another session of Quilt As Desired is about ready to start, and I have room for one more.  If anybody local to me is interested or knows of anybody that would be interested in joining me in learning to quilt,  give me a call.  These classes are handled a lot like classes at quilt shops where you work on what you want, and the teacher helps you.  Sessions usually start with show and tell, then I give a demonstration of some technique or pieced block.  Then you are free to make that block and do a sampler quilt or work on your own project after that.
 It's back to the borders for me. Sew long.