Wednesday, February 4, 2015

APQ Quilt Along Update

I've been working away on my quilt for the Go Four It Quilt Along that's in the April 2015 issue of American Patchwork and Quilting.  For those of you still looking for the magazine, it officially went on sale February 3, I bet it will show up this week.  My grocery store gets new magazines on Tuesdays, I would check today!  If you're tired of looking for it, or live in one of the many areas enjoying an enthusiastic winter, the Fat Quarter Shop has the magazine for sale online.  (click here)

As I mentioned in my last blog post, out of the three 4 patch patterns available in the magazine, I decided to use the Rainbow Rows pattern by Lissa Alexander and go with the alternate color option project which is a wall hanging.  


And this is what I got.  I thought this looked a little on the busy side and also thought perhaps going with a lap size instead of a wall hanging size would improve things.


Which got me this.  I'm not saying I don't like this layout or my fabric choices, but I am saying it doesn't look like I thought it would.  So I've decided to think about these blocks and try a different pattern.

This is Buried Treasure by April Rosenthal.
Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2015 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

The magazine lists the skill level as intermediate, but I believe the blocks are very easy and think a confident beginner would have no trouble piecing this quilt.

Since I thought my first sew along effort was on the busy side, I decided to stick with just three colors for my Buried Treasure, just like the pattern, even though I was really tempted to add some yellow, grey and turquoise to my pink, orange and green.


 I think all these fabrics are by Bonnie and Camille for Moda.


I'm feeling better about this pattern, the blocks are going together perfectly and the colors are very cheery.  I think I just may be a white background kind of girl.  The pattern calls for cutting squares to piece the 4 patches but I made strip sets instead, my 4 patch blocks are more accurate whenever I go with strip sets.

One thing that helps me piece the Floating Star blocks is the Folded Corner Clipper template.


By lining up the bottom of the background fabric on the appropriate line, and the bottom and sides of the print square on the appropriate lines, I'm able to cut and piece very accurate blocks.  The Folded Corner Clipper is by Prairie Sky Quilting. (click here to purchase)


And see that little triangle bonus block that is cut?  I've been running those through my machine the same time I sew that block.  I also press them while I'm pressing the Floating Star blocks.

And now I have this.


Half square triangle units.  They're currently around 1 3/4" but I plan to trim them to 1 1/2".  And I already have a plan for them, remember the Shower Shuffle quilt I made using Camille's Craftsy shuffle block video?   I plan to make a mini shuffle quilt using these pieces.  (Lifetime Quilt Number 122 details here.)

I'm not the only person working on these projects, check out the links below for more inspiration.

April Rosenthal, Prairie Grass Patterns
Barb and Mary, Me and My Sister Designs
Bonnie Hunter, Quiltville’s Quips & Snips!
Camille Roskelley, Simplify 
Debbie Roberts, The Quilted Moose
Edyta Sitar, Laundry Basket Quilts
Jane Davidson, Quilt Jane
Jo Morton, Jo Morton Quilts
Kimberly Jolly, Jolly Jabber
Linda Collins, Quilts in the Barn
Lisa Bongean
Lissa Alexander, Moda Lissa
Shea Henderson, Empty Bobbin Sewing
Sherri McConnell, A Quilting Life
Vanessa Goertzen, Lella Boutique
American Patchwork & Quilting staff

AllPeopleQuilt.com/blog

There's also inspiration on instagram using #apqquiltalong.

If you're working on one of these patterns please send me a link to your blog or pictures via email, I love seeing all the different ideas for these patterns and you may be just the inspiration someone else needs to join the fun.

7 comments:

  1. Love both of your versions. I was gifted the same ruler by a friend and absolutely love it. I never was a fan of drawing the line and sewing next to it....that was time away from sewing. :)

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  2. This quilt is going to be incredible! Do you think that the easy angle would do much the same thing as the clipper does??

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  3. I love your fabric selection for Buried Treasure - can already envision how beautiful they will look with this pattern. Unfortunately I hardly have a chance to get hold of the magazine for a reasonable price in my neck of the woods. And you gave me an idea what to do with quite a few HST's from Fig Tree fabrics left over from making their Saltwater Taffy.
    Tracey - too funny, my first thought was exactly the same thing: Why not use the Easy Angle ruler, it does exactly the same thing.
    Rena

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  4. Your amazing. How do you do it all so fast.

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  5. I love the first one ! Don't stop with it. I also adore the colors you have chosen for the next one . Looks like you will be making all three! Keep on sewing, I will probably start on Lissa's version soon.

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  6. boy, you are flying along!! Your first quilt is pretty, but the second is going to be stunning!! And I'm just getting started, but I decided to use plain, not print for the larger squares too. It's going to be for my hubby and I don't think he would love all the "low volume" background fabric! Do make sure you finish the 1st one: I'm sure it will be lovely when it's done and all quilted!! Hugs, H in Healdsburg

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