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Sunday, April 3, 2011

SQ Paper-piece QAL - Week 3 (with video!)

(NOTE:  I just realized that for week 2 I talk about this being a 9x9" square and it's not! It finishes at 9.5"x9.5". Please translate whenever you read 9" that I meant 9.5x9.5. My apologies. To those that have already printed and enlarged their patterns, it's OKAY to finish this out using 9x9 inch squares. It just means more leftover fabric instead of not enough. I'm sorry for the inconvience.)

If you haven't grabbed your materials yet, there's still plenty of time, get your stuff and join it! There will be a surprise for one participant along the way.

Ah yes, it's time! I'm doing this 2 ways, with the written word and with a very amateur set of videos.

I'm apologizing in advance for the videos. I started with just me and the camera, then my son J decided to help by moving the camera for us but in the process, instead of keeping it just to my hands, he shows you that I'm wearing my pajamas!  So, in essence, my early morning effort to get this done and posted today has been found out.  We've shown you all my penguin pajama bottoms and old Army PT shirt. Sorry about that but I wasn't about to redo the video.

Okay so here is the VIDEO Tutorial Part 1. This shows how to start and put sections 1 and 2 together.

1) You take fabric for section 1 and put it right side together with the fabric for section 2 and line up the edges. Place them on your cutting board with side 1 on top and side 2 on your cutting board.

2) Place the pattern right side down over the fabric so the fabric for section 1 is under the actual section 1 and positiong the line that is between section 1 & 2 about 1/4" in from the edge of the fabric.  Be sure that each section line is also set approximately 1/4" inside the edge of the fabric. Pin in place.
3) Reduce your stitch length. For use with tracing paper, my stich length is reduced from 2.5 to 2.0.  For stitching with regular printer paper, I reduce the stitch size to 1.5.  (This helps keep stitches from being pulled when we tear the paper off.)

See these next steps in the VIDEO TUTORIAL Part 2.

4) Start stitching on the line between sections 1 and 2. Put paper up and fabric on the bottom. Go from the one end of the line to the other end and do not stitch over. However, take one backstitch at the beginning and end to help lock it in place.

5) Remove from machine, flip paper over and with fabric on top, finger press fabric pieces open.
6) Flip again and with fabric on bottom and opened up, carefully fold the paper along the line between section 2 and section 3. Using a ruler, cut 1/4 AWAY from the folded edge.  Discard extra fabric for use in another project.


7) Flip. Place right side of fabric for section 3 along side the cut edge of fabric 2. Pin in place.

8) Repeat steps 4-7 for each section. Be sure to follow the numbers.  After section 6, do not cut. 

See these next steps in the VIDEO TUTORIAL Part 3.

9) Go to section 7 and trim the fabric 1/4" away from the line for section 1 and section 7.  Then sew on section 7.
   
10) Next fold and trim along the line for section 8, sew, finger press open.  Flip one last time and trip around the quarter edge of each edge line.
 Make 4 blocks this week.  Be sure to post pictures of your blocks on our Flickr Group!   Questions can be answered here or through the discussion board on the Flickr Group, as well. If you post them there, others, besides me can also answer. :)

Cheers! Beck

7 comments:

  1. Well I guess I better move my butt then for this challenge. Im at the "I've washed and pressed my fabric stage". I have visions of me running between here and the sewing room for every single step!

    I'll try to get stuff done this week but I have a house guest coming and a workshop all of next weekend so I cant promise I'll be on track by next Monday.

    Great video's Becks. I think I can do this!

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  2. I've always sewn the "imaginary" 1/4" seam allowances at each end of the numbered line (rather than back stitching.) Is there a "don't do that!" reason for sewing only the line?

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  3. Laurie in ME:
    I'm not sure I understand what you are saying so I want to double-check. Do you mean when you are sewing the line between section 1 & 2 you start 1/4" behind the line in the beginning position and go 1/4" past the line once you end?

    If that is what you are saying, I'd say that if it works for you, and you like doing that, then don't stop. I just did not learn that way and would be afraid that in some of the blocks sewing a quarter inch past the end of the lines would interfere with the next sections. In this block, if you sew 1/4" past all the edges, you aren't in any trouble because the big section 8 block will cover the meeting points of sections 1-7. I do think it just adds to the number of "small" areas you have to pull paper out of with all the angles you create with the extra stitching.

    Did that makes sense?

    Beck

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  4. I love to paper piece. I'm not doing the challenge but I like to follow along.

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  5. Oh and Becks..I've seen you in your pj's plenty of times so your cruddy old tee and penguin pj's didnt bother me. Plus I dont scare that easily.

    I am about to start cutting fabric to make my first block...no doubt you'll be getting an urgent skype call in around an hour....

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  6. Thanks so much for doing the videos. They are really helpful! I guess I gotta cut some fabric now.

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  7. Great tutorial thanks for sharing it with me it helped me a lot.

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