Wednesday, June 20, 2012

WIP it - smart or possibly lazy

I'ma go with smart. I wanted to get to work on my LCS quilt today and after sewing a few of the jelly roll strips together and using the painter's tape as a guide, I wondered if there was an easier way to make sure my seams stayed at 1/4". It came to me quickly as it's something I do when I've got to make the same cut on pieces of cardstock multiple times. I used a cardstock guide to butt the fabric up against. It worked like a charm. All I had to do was make sure my fabric was sandwiched together correctly.


I got all my LCS strips sewn together and then cut into squares. I started to lay them out and have discovered that my math was bad and my quilt will not be wide enough and will be extra long. I've already devised a plan to fix that, but it requires purchasing more fabric. No big deal, just not what I had planned. It happens I suppose. I'm still pretty excited for all of it to come together. I'm already planning out and buying fabric for my next couple of quilts.


I restarted on this hooded cowl for my old roommate while we were in Milwaukee this weekend. It was the wrong size. I was almost finished with it and had to pull out ever single stitch and start over. The goal is to get it finished this week so I can start on the second piece I need to make and then I can drop both in the mail and be done with them. I don't really do much crocheting in the summer. I think it's too warm out to be handling yarn. I've got a lot of crocheting to do though as I'll be vending in August at a fashion show.


Last WIP, I started doing cross stitch again. A chevron wall hanging to go with my chevron quilt. Not really, but since chevrons seem to be all the rage right now I thought, why not. I printed out some graph paper and created the pattern. Easy peasy. I have another design that I drew up that I'll start on after I finish this one.


I thought a lot today about what colors I wanted to use on the Beginner's Quilt Along quilt that I'll be playing catch up on tomorrow. I'm thinking grey, orange, teal/turquoise and white. The only thing I've bought so far is the white, so that's the only color that is a definite go. I'm pretty sure that's what I'll stick with though. I might throw in a fifth color though. Maybe a limey green. What do you think?

Also, I'm still on the fence. Move quilting to it's own blog or keep it here? What do you think?

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

11 comments:

Tessa @ TheSewingChick said...

I can't wait to see how it turns out. Just bought myself a LCS layer cake, it is so cute. I have a hard time getting 1/4" seams with pre-cuts because of the pinked edge...may have to try your cardboard idea:)

Melissa said...

Thanks! Isn't if the cutest fabric. I think the only prints I don't like are the ones with the names. I just treated the tops of the peaks from the pinked edge as a regular edge. Seems to be working out for me. Hope that helps.

Kelly said...

Cute fabric and great idea to use the cardboard :)

gale said...

Smart. They sell things to do the same thing as that cardboard so you're saving $$ too. If your seams are not quite right, google "scant 1/4" seam". That might be the problem-when you open up the fabric to press it, you lose a tiny bit of each seam so you actually need a tiny bit smaller than a 1/4" seam.

Melissa said...

Thanks! Paper bumpers are my sewing best friend now. Probably my favorite tool. ;)

Melissa said...

Well, you know how I like to save money. I was looking at new sewing machines the other night that had decorative stitches and computers. I think I might be saving up to buy a new machine. *smh* Any recommendations?

Anonymous said...

Card stock seems more stable, but sticky notes can be stacker higher, LOL!

Melissa said...

Ha! I actually glued a couple pieces of card stock together for my bumper. Reminds me I need to buy some post it notes.

Marsha Cooper said...

I'm not sure what you are doing with the card stock and tape as a guide but it would be interesting to learn.

Melissa said...

The card stock bumper is my quarter inch guide. I bump the fabric up against it when I'm sewing to keep my lines straight. I find it easier than trying to follow the line with my eyes. :) Thanks for stopping by.

JOY @ http://joysjotsshots.blogspot.com/ said...

I also see that your pressure foot edge is the scant 1/4 inch that would work for quilts. That's what I used even on the machines that won't let me move the needle over just a tad to make a full 1/4 inch.