I had been cutting and sewing the star blocks one at a time. I like the quick finish of one block and then moving on to the next one. But it occurred to me that this might not be the best approach when time is of the essence: I want to finish this quilt before early November.
So I changed my method. I cut all the pieces for all the blocks, then sewed the pieces assembly-line style.
I'm not keen on production lines. It seems like joyless sewing. But it is probably quicker.
Star points about to have the second point stitched. They look like flying geese before they're sewn into the blocks.
Nine of the centers. The other three are already in the stars.
Centers with star points pinned to two sides, ready to be sewn.
And now I have just 18 12½" seams plus pressing to finish the blocks.
It's true that shouldn't take long, but time is a precious commodity just now. Still, I'm sure I can finish these stars by the end of the month.
Do you prefer to sew blocks individually or cut all then sew ll?
--Nancy.
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I like to get everything cut, but then sew up one block at a time. Like you, I have used the assembly line method when working on a deadline, but it is joyless to me, too (I like your choice of words).
ReplyDeleteYou are using very rich, vibrant colors on this quilt, and I am excited to see it come together.
Thanks for sharing your process of cutting everything out, Janet. Do you do this only for your tiny quilts or also for large quilts?
DeleteI'm looking forward to seeing how this quilt will come together, too. The blocks are made and I'll post soon (as soon as I respond to the rest of the comments from the Blogger's Quilt Festival posts).
me i am usually too impatient to cut everything first...i usually cut enough to make up a few blocks to see how it's going to look, then i go back and either cut more or all...
ReplyDeleteMaybe lack of patience is part of the reason I don't cut everything first, too. But I do like to see one block finished before deciding whether to make more.
DeleteI tend to cut everything, then begin stitching each block, one at a time, though sometimes I'll sew two in tandem, to keep my version of leader/ender going. If it's a difficult block with lots of hst's I'll lay it all out ahead of time and just work on one block, laying the sewn pieces back in place to make sure nothing gets turned-round backward.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your process, Quilting Babcia. I like the leader/ender method with blocks for the same quilt, too. Sometimes I'm more successful at keeping it going than other times. I have to lay out difficult blocks too, often pinning sections together, then sewing and pressing them, then laying them out again. These days I'm going for simple blocks!
DeleteI make a trial block first, then I cut 4-6 blocks at a time. Usually I then put them together a few at at a time. I d never cut out a whole quilt! What if I couldn't finish or didn't choose to? Such a waste of fabric.
ReplyDeleteI was interested to see how you made this block. I'd have just done a sew and flip on the corner of the main square. Your way is much nicer.
lizzy
lizzzz.d@gmail.com
Hi, Lizzy. I think I'm more like you, cutting and sewing a block for a sample, then a few more at a time. I've never cut all the fabric for a whole quilt. For me it would be so boring to (seemingly) never-endingly sew, sew, sew.
DeleteI actually did place small squares on the corners of the four center squares and stitch diagonally. Then I cut the under corners off and pressed the seams open. (I nearly always press open. It's too hard to hand quilt through all the layers of pressed-to-the-side seams.)
Depends on the quilt. If using a mass of one fabric or two, I will cut them ahead of time. If scrappy then it is one block at a time. And I love strip piecing!
ReplyDeleteYes, QuiltGranma, I guess it would depend on the quilt and the fabric one uses. I don't believe I've ever made a quilt with a limited number of fabrics but I can see it would make sense to cut for many blocks.
DeleteI love the warm, rich tones you are using for this sweet quilt! When it comes to sewing, I think I am in the minority among your readers. It depends on the quilt, but I love to chain piece. I get great joy from seeing the pieces pile up and the repetition is soothing to me. On the other hand, if I am designing a quilt as I go, I often sew one block at a time and let that dictate how everything falls together. So, I guess that means I keep one foot on each side of the fence. Hope it's a short fence! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karin. There are times when I prefer to chain piece, especially when I either don't want to think about anything at all but want to have my hands busy or I want to have time to think about something other than what I'm doing and still be accomplishing something. I agree it can be soothing.
DeleteTruthfully, piecing by machine is a bit tedious for me whether one block at a time or not. Though I have been made so happy when a block works out which always gives me hope. I wish I possessed your skill Nancy.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jocelyn. I remember my mother and grandmother stitching Dresden Plate sections together by hand, and I did a few, too. Times were slower then, I guess, because these days I can't imagine how long it would take me to finish one block, let alone a whole quilt, if I stitched it by hand. But I can certainly appreciate a completely hand-stitched quilt! Each one is a wonder to me!
DeleteI rarely pull all fabrics for a project before I begin. I pull some fabrics, cut for some blocks, sew some blocks, pull more fabrics, cut for more blocks, sew more blocks. It's always fun to see the variety of ways people prefer to do things.
ReplyDeleteI usually choose to do them one at a time to keep from making mistakes. Sometimes, on a pattern I know well, I will make a stack of them, but the idea of cutting out enough for an entire quilt makes me run for some other activity. My brain won't accept that much confusion!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm like you, Susan, when it comes to cutting out all the pieces for a quilt in one go. I think it would drive me to distraction to keep them straight, especially if there are many blocks and they are small.
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