Finally made the plunge and started my first bed quilt!
 

After doing a few years collecting quilting books and studying quilting patterns, watching You Tube videos and trying to gather as many tips as I can. Plus collecting together my quilting equipment. Hubby got me an A1 cutting Mat and Fiskars Rotary cutter as part of my xmas gifts and so I really felt it was about time I actually made a start.
I have 2 Children and I decided long ago that the first quilts I make should be for them. We sat down and discussed what style and what colours they would like theirs to be. To not over burden myself I have chosen to do just 3 colours on each and to do Tumbling Blocks as they both rather like them.

My Daughter Alex (12) has picked Red, Purple and Black. My Son Beren (10) Green, Yellow and Black.

I don't know, as yet, whether they will be full Tumbling Blocks or Pyramid style or how the borders will go but we will just decide upon this when we get to the design wall stage after I have made a huge stack of 3 colour 'Cubes'.
I ended up staying up til 5am Cutting out Diamonds. So far I have a stack of 106 Red and 106 Purple.
Will cut the 106 Black when I get home (they will be 3 and a half inch Diamonds. On the sides not point to point). Don't know how many we will actually decide on having but I can always cut more if needed and if not then I'll have spares to make pillow covers but I'll more than likely cut more to make those anyhow if I don't have enough.

I haven't even considered how it will be quilted yet. I think that's most likely something that we can think about once I have the quilt tops finished. I am happy that the kids seem pleased that I have started them. I have chatted on so much about wanting to make them both quilts that they can pass down to their children. Once I finish the 2 Tumbling Block Quilts then I have to make them both a 'Geek' Quilt each. Alex wants something 'Dr Who' and Beren something 8-Bit Game Style.
I'm really excited now. Just hope I don't mess it up :o. I've made Curtains, Kids Clothes, Dog Coats & Beds, Goat and Horse Rugs, Custom Fleece Hats, LARPing Costumes and Cosplay etc but this is my first patchwork quilt. I give it a couple of days and I'll most likely be begging for help and advice! lol

You picked a challenge with the y seams. There is a much easier way to strip piece using Marcie bakers method. You may want to try that for the second quilt. Good luck and have fun with it.

You really picked an ambitious quilt for your first one. I made a "Just Can't Cut It" for my first one. I had the same background you did, but didn't know beans about squaring up blocks and sewing that elusive 1/4" seam. I kept wanting to go back to a 5/8" seam. Now, I have a problem sewing anything bigger than a Scant 1/4". I really look forward to seeing your progress. Please post pictures as you go.

Sounds like you have a plan! If you really want to go with tumbling blocks, I would get a bit of fabric and do a practice piece, like a small table mat, to see if Y seams are for you. Hope to see some of your work!

Good luck! You seem to have lots of sewing experience with following directions, so you should do fine! Show us pictures if you can along the way.

Good luck! Can not wait to see them done.

If you have not found them yet, there are some great tutes for tumbling blocks without the "dreaded Y seams".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWpSETMbws4

Another one does it a bit differently but the same results (scroll down - she has three tutes to looks at)

http://scrapatches.blogspot.com/p/tutorials.html

You are about to start on a wonderful journey! I sewed all my life also, but quilting, well I finally found my niche. I do have to warn you though, it is addictive. There is a lot to learn, but I have enjoyed it all! Good luck with your first quilts, and just enjoy the process, you will make mistakes, we all do, but we learn from them too. Just have fun!!

Wow... you have chosen a challenging pattern.. I like your gusto !!! Have fun- cant wait to see the progress..

If you get several blocks done and decide not to do anymore, you could always applique them onto the black background. I would not cut all the black fabric up yet. Try this - take several sample pieces of fabric, cut your diamonds out, then cut card stock (or cards sticking in the magazines) and cut three diamonds out of the cards. Cut them 1/4" shorter on all sides. Use these for English piecing. Take the fabric and smooth it over the diamond card stock, fold it over all the edges, and baste it on with large stitches. After you have 3 done, lay them together to form the cube, and whip stitch them together. This is the English piecing method but it will give you another idea as to how to proceed. Both of your kids could do this easily. Some people do it this way to get them exact then applique the finished cube onto the background. Good luck in your quilting. Teach those children as you go too, because they grow up to teach others too.