Storing Prepped Block Pieces for Hand Piecing

Following on from the post on how I prepare for hand piecing quilt blocks like the  Glitter blocks with acrylic templates, once the pieces are cut out, this is how I organise them. I use a mix of the plastic pockets from old spiral bound Paperchase notebooks and zip pockets.  The smallest notebook plastic pockets are perfect for storing the fussy cut centres before they are assigned to a block.  They're also good for keeping the acrylic templates together. 

These are A5 pockets recycled from old notebooks and are divided in the centre.  Each pocket stores all the pieced for a single block. I stack up the pockets and hold them together with Clover binding clips.  This also stops the pieces sliding out.  

I then use a mini zippa bag to store the clipped pockets and another to store completed blocks. These fit into a larger zippa bag with a mini sewing kit (needle book, needles, a few tiny pins, bobbin of thread and snips) and everything will lie relatively flat at the back of a rucksack ready for travel.

This is a travel project for me, for train journeys, holidays and weekends away so progress is slow but now I have an effective preparation method, I always have a few ready to go!

Preparing for Hand Piecing Using Acrylic Templates

I've found using acrylic templates has sped up my Glitter Block making no end so I thought I'd share how I use them.  It is a simple process but I know everyone does things a little differently so this is how I do it, if you have any further tips, comment and share!  The Glitter block is designed by Jen Kingwell and can be found in her Quilt Lovely book. The templates are available from Pretty Little Fabrics and Trims (currently sold out) and also from Jen's Amitie shop in Australia. 

Starting with the small square as it is the easiest shape to work with, I place the template on the reverse of the fabric and use a Sewline ceramic pencil to place a dot through each of the corner holes- these are ¼" in from the outside edge.  These dots act as an anchor if the template slips around at all.  I then use a small rotary cutter, 28mm or even 18mm if you find that easier, and cut along the straight edges of the template until the square is cut out. 

Next, I then use the template to add the seamlines to the reverse of the fabric piece just cut out. In hand piecing, the pencil lines are added for accuracy so you don;t need to constantly check your ¼" seam allowance.  You could just join the dots but as there's a little room in the holes, the dots can be a little out of line. Instead, I use the acrylic template and line up the edge of the shapen so it almost touches with the ¼" line on the template.  This allows for the space your pencil line will take up.  Drawn the line extending beyond the dots.  Repeat for each side until all the lines are drawn.

For the shapes with angles under 90 degrees which which are shaped on the templates to avoid dog ears and bulk, I draw around these points, rotary cut the longer straight edges and then use small scissors to trim around the points.

The templates are flipped over to provide the mirror image shapes on this block.  I am using a fussy cut centre for each of my blocks and I've found it much quicker to spend a bit of time with suitable fabrics and cut multiple centre squares; I match up the coordinating fabrics with each centre another time. 

As with all quilt blocks. I think about contrast, scale and variety when I choose the fabrics and a little story telling too around the fussy cut centre.  Here's the block, prepped and ready to be pieced.  I'll share how I organise the pre-cut blocks for travel tomorrow!   

SaveSaveSaveSave

Small Piecing Steadies The Mind

When things are all getting a bit much, I'll often turn to something contained to escape from it and regain a feeling of control.  Sometimes this manifests itself in a keen desire to clean the bathroom. The smallest room in the house, the least amount of clutter and it's quickly restored to a satisfying level of cleanliness with the feeling of a job well done.  For crafting, I've found myself making less clothes recently, despite a need for some items, and more attracted to small patchwork piecing.  I started making Glitter quilt blocks after I interviewed Jen Kingwell's for the release of her beautiful Quilt Lovely book and my aim was to hand sew the blocks sporadically on train journeys and weekends away.  The downside to this was it did take me quite a well to prep each block.  I traced the shapes on to template plastic but despite my best efforts, I would lose one of them from time to time, plus seam allowances needed to be added so I would procrastinate the prep task for another day.  Sarah and Penny at Pretty Fabric and Trims posted a picture of Jen Kingwell acrylic templates including a set for Glitter and I thought this would be encouragement to nudge my progress with this project.

They are pricey- maybe it's the cost of importing them from Australia?  The Glitter set is the cheapest  but I do think you have to feel motivated to splash out.  I have found them very useful though and they have sped up my prep.  I draw around the edge on the reverse of the fabric using a Sewline pencil and add the dots at the corners. I then join the dots to create the stitching line and cut out either with scissors or a rotary cutter and ruler.   I'm not sure if this would work for me so well for the curved sets, I think I'd prefer a window style option for that.   I tried rotary cutting with these templates and that worked too.    The edges feel rough, they do not look laser cut and I'll confess this concerned me at first glance but actually made no difference when using them.  They were worth it for me.  I wanted something to hand sew- this project is the equivalent to a Liberty hexagon quilt that just keeps on growing - and I've made more progress this week than I have in ages!  I just love the canvas that each block provides for me: a fussy cut for the centre, two contrasting prints to surround it and a low volume or a dark background to finish.  It rests my mind and there's that satisfaction of completion when another block is cut out or sewn together.  Ahhh. That's better...

SaveSave

Blogger Bundle Close Up

My blogger bundle arrived from Fat Quarter Shop a few days ago- what can I say, I love it!

With this bundle I was aiming to create a balance of light/mid/dark tones, plus some text and feature prints.  I think I did it.  One print is missing- this Sweetwater print was one of my choices but supplies ran out at the shop so I think I will buy some and add it in.

The Heather Bailey ginger buttercup print is such a great colour with its yarrow gold and the graphic flowers- perfect for fussy cut English Paper piecing as it can create kaleidoscopic effects.

This made me laugh, I wasn't expecting this particular style of presentation! (picture from the Fat Quarter Shop).

And this is where the bundle is going, into my ongoing Glitter quilt.  I am fussy cutting each centre with various novelty prints in my stash and mixing this bundle along with anything else that comes to hand.  All hand pieced and a real pleasure to sew.  The variety of fabrics keeps my eyes happy when sewing the same block over and over.