Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Sew-In with Modern Girls

Last weekend's sew-in was great! We were a small group of 10, but mighty in quilting abilities and production!

Even though I thought I was going to work on my medallion quilt, after checking over the instructions I realized I needed to measure the quilt top to add appropriate-size coping strips before I could sew scraps for the last border. That's too much thinking for a sew-in!

So, I worked on a couple other things. The most progress I can show is on my Circle of Geese foundation paper-pieced blocks. Thanks to Penny who brought along her portable design wall, I had a chance to look at arrangement possibilities.

If I sew them together his way, I'll have five gray background blocks and four white background blocks. Notice that all the red geese are at 12 o'clock high.

If I sew them this way, there are five white background blocks and four gray background blocks, and the 12 o'clock high geese are various colors. Which version do you like best?

I'm pretty sure I'll arrange a combination of the two: five gray background blocks and four white background blocks as in the first picture, and various colors at 12 o'clock high as in the second picture. 

Drat. If I'd taken along enough gray solid, I could have finished the last block!

The best part about our sew-in was getting acquainted with everyone. It's really pleasant to be around younger members of our MQG and hear them chat about their babies and toddlers. 

As we were sewing, I noticed a couple of them using their phones to take pictures of their laid-out quilt blocks. After sewing a row they're refer to the phone picture to make sure the blocks were in the arrangement they meant them to be. I asked if they'd like to learn the method I teach, in Stitchin' Mission beginner quiltmaking classes, for keeping blocks in orders. They kindly indulged me, and oh how I love teaching moments like these! I enthusiastically put on my teacher hat to explain the concept of blocks arranged as columns and rows, like a spreadsheet, and how to chain-piece columns together to make "a web." 

Crystal and Emily caught on right away. Here they are with their webs. I'm very proud of them!
Crystal
Emily
From this point, they had only to sew the rows together to complete their quilt tops. Yay! A quilt top in hardly any time at all! We were all proudly grinning by the time they were done. Excellent job, girls! Great fun. A super sew-in, MQGers! Linda

9 comments:

  1. Linda, great to read about your sew-in and seeing that you really enjoyed it. I sure would also have, if I would have been able to be there! ;-))

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  2. those flying geese are great - I like the mixed colours at 12 noon and I'd love to learn about that method for keeping blocks together - I number those flower head pins and then use a pin in each block !

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  3. Looks like a fun weekend. Glad you could share some of your experience with the younger members.

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  4. Neat quilt and looks like a fun group. I think I like the second layout better. Something about the white block in the upper left corner really caught my eye. Very nice.

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  5. So what is the system? I am always messing up blocks order.

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  6. Love the flying geest blocks, for some reason, my eyes feel more restful when looking at the first arrangement, where the reds are all in the 12 O'clock position!!! I too would like to learn about webs!

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  7. Hi, Linda. Your flying geese quilt is going to be smashing. I vote for the gray blocks in the corners (first arrangement) because the gray blocks anchor the design and make the white blocks dance. Have you tried a diagonal arrangement? That could be interesting as well.
    best from Tunisia,
    nadia

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  8. Love your blocks. Either setting looks good to me.
    Great quilts the girls are working on.

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  9. Those blocks are soooo cool looking!

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