A New Start

I feel like it has been ages since I started a new quilting project. Which is weird because I made that quilt for John last week. But that top was cut out already, and half pieced. I didn't have to think about it. No pondering required. Today I started a new project and I have to say I am loving the feel of it, the cutting, the planning, the sewing. And this has to be finished quickly so there won't be a big hiatus halfway through making it while I drift off and do something else.

I took my jelly roll book -

And my Etchings jelly roll -

I decided on the Garden Trellis pattern, at least to start me off. Once I have the basic blocks cut I may decide to then do my own thing with them. I am undecided at this point. Following the pattern is dead easy, and it reminded me that I should use my quilting books for planning my quilts more often. Because this taught me how to make a simple block in the most incredibly simple way.

Most of you probably already know all about how to do this and are rolling your eyes at me, telling me to get with the program. But for me it is brand new, so please indulge me and I shall show you the easy steps I followed.

1. Take two contrasting strips and sew them together, then press seams to dark side.

2. Repeat the above stop, and when you have two sets of sewn together strips place one on top of the other -
right sides together, dark side matched to opposing light side. Sew quarter inch seams on both sides of the length.

3. Get your Omnigrid 98L cutting triangle. You don't have one?! Either do I. I got my 9.5" square ruler.
Place the 45 degree angle that runs diagonally across  your ruler on the edge of the strip.
Match the corner of your ruler to the edge of the fabric. Cut along the angle as shown above.
Slide your ruler down to the opposite edge to create the next triangle and continue cutting triangles until you have as many as you can from the strip. You should get eight.

4. Carefully remove the small line of stitches along the point of the triangle.

5. Press open and you have a perfect little 6" square.

6. Have a play with various layout like this...

... or this...

... or this.

7. Sew more strips together to make more blocks.

And that is as far as I got today. Though I can brag that I have clean loos and a lot less thread ends on the floor. I even have a clean cooker top! I would call this another great day.

Susan