Thursday, November 13, 2014

How I Quilt - Centering Triangles

I've made a good bit of progress on my Sunnyside quilt - as a matter of fact, it's finished! I finished it last week sometime (or maybe even the week before??) but as I've been working day shift lately, it's dark when I get up to go to work and it's dark when I come home, so alas, no pictures yet. Soon, though!

One of the steps of this quilt involve ending a column of piecing with a triangle, which becomes the corner of the block. (Here is a reference for the finished block, in case you've forgotten. Which I wouldn't blame you for...)


Sunnyside

There are lots of different ways to make sure your triangles end up centered, but here is how I do it:

Fold it in half lengthwise and finger press...

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Line up the point of the triangle with the press line...

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Chain piece the crap out of that ish...

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Hey look! You're done! So pretty and symmetrical! Makes it so much easier to square up these blocks!

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Hopefully I'll have a change to photograph this quilt over the weekend. Maybe I'll baste it too?? Let's not get ahead of ourselves...

Friday, November 7, 2014

I finished something!

I actually have a finish for Finish-it-up Friday! I really have a couple things to show you, but this one is actually done AND photographed!

I made a pillow top out of mini charms aaaaaaages ago, and it sat on my design wall forever while I contemplated how to quilt it. Like ages.

I found this picture of it's early stages on my Flickr. Taken in MARCH. Don't judge...

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So it sat, and sat, and sat... and then divine inspiration came in the form of a blog post from Christina at A Few Scraps. She actually has a book out that is ah-may-zing, so you should get it. And she has no idea that I even exist, much less rave about her book, so you can trust my honesty!

So I saw that post, liked the design, and just sat at my machine and went to town. I didn't draw it out beforehand (maybe I should have!) but I think it turned out ok anyway. I have to say, when inspiration strikes, I don't have any patience!

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I even managed to quilt it and make it into a Real Pillow on the same day! I know, right??

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Doesn't she look so pretty next to her friend? Charlotte approves, though I don't have photographic proof.

I even started a little something else the other day, that I'm super stoked about. I've just hit a snag until more background fabric comes in the mail!

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Thursday, November 6, 2014

Socktober!

Here's a little knitting update for you, in honor of the end of Socktober! (a little late...)

I finished these purple lovelies, and as soon as they were done I put them on and now they're waiting to go in the wash. So you've have to forgive me for using an old photo...

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The dye lots were also REALLY off. The labels said they were the same, but the blues are VERY different!

I also started these! I've been referring to them (it?) as the green monsters. I'm doing a seed stitch rib pattern, and I actually tried starting two at a time, but it stressed me out, and since this is supposed to be FUN, I pulled one off and I'm just working on one at a time. I'm totally ok with that. Maybe I'm just not meant to be a two-at-a-timer!

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I'm also making really good progress (so far!) on my Color Affection. I'm a few repeats into the second contrast color, but I have to tell you, I've literally fallen asleep while knitting this TWICE. Hundreds of plain knit stitches at once is apparently like Ambien to me. I'm super stoked about getting this done this season, but I'm glad I started another pair of socks, to break up the monotony!