I trimmed all my blocks to size (i.e. using the ruler) before quilting Patti, and no appreciable difference in size after quilting. I have tried to use approximately similar densities of quilting, and where possible, in similar styles to Jane's (where I could see what she had done from the book, but not always so much of it). And if you quilt (machine or hand) like I have, you can go right up to the edge of the blocks because the sashing just hides your stitching in the seam allowance.

Don't forget I haven't put the backing fabric on mine yet, in fact it's still on its way here, I only ordered it last week. I wanted mine all in one piece and I'm just going to quilt in the ditch to attach the backing to the top/batting sandwich.

Rachel, what a romantic idea to do it like Jane did, good luck. I wouldn't wait until you have all the fabric, I would just make a start!

Rachel, I'm doing a different fabric for every block and trying to get as close as possible to Jane's quilt colors. Iv'e been using a FQ for each color so I can cut the plain triangle out of it too. Hope this helps and have fun!

Thanks that does help!! I can't wait to get the software, even though I am pretty sure I'll do civil war prints, it'll be fun to try out some different colorways too!! :)

Cheers!
Rachel

i am doing 2 different colorways myself and i love it. one is called scrappy happy and i am just using my stash or buying fat quarters. the other one is called red singing the blues and i am using as many different reds and blues as i can find.

welcome i know you will enjoy the fellowship of all these wonderful ladies as much as i am

Hi Lesley, well I was very interested to hear how you did your quilting, I just assumed you had the backing material on there and were quilting it together. So then you will put the sashing on, or have you already added the sashing to each block as well?. So am I right to say that you leave 1/2" of batting around your block or more, I would really like help on this as I think it will be too daunting to wait till the end to quilt it all and too heavy to handle even hand sewing.

Elle

Lesley...thanks for getting back to me on that. I just kept wondering about it. I don't think the blocks need really heavy quilting (just my opinion)...the darn piecing needs to stand out after I worked on it sooo hard :lol: :lol: :lol:

I knew you hadn't added the back yet and the more I thought about it, the more I decided that I didn't care that all the block quilting wouldn't show up on the back...or I might just go ahead and use a back on mine, then just finish it up with the sashing. Hmmm...more to think about. I won't be able to start quilting them until after the IRR is over...I just don't have time right now.

Elle....I'll have to find it, but on this thread somewhere....Lesley posted details about how she is quilting this...it is REALLY helpful! I'll go look for you.

Elle...Lesley starts talking about how she will quilt this one on page 210 of this thread...really good explanations.

Thanks Patti, off to have a read.

Elle

Thanks Lesley and Patti, for pointing me in the right direction to do this, I will get myself some batting, don´t know what we use at the club, but they have a huge bale of it and its cheap so next tuesday will start doing my hand quilting as Lesley is doing. I can´t see that it matters that much if the quilting doesn´t show on the back as long as it is attached through all three layers to hold it in place, just my 10 cents worth or una Euro as we say here.

I am dreading taking all that paper off though, any good tips out there, I have got myself an eyebrow plucker to get the little bits off, any other suggestions, I did think about soaking it off and I thought yuck there will be a mess of paper then and I will have to iron them all again.

By the way I have one more block to do and I have finished week 10.
Elle