Tessellation Blues Quilt
 

Has any one else besides me, made this quilt?? It is from the magazine McCalls Quilting, Jan/Feb 2012 issue.
This quilt for me has been a real nightmare. I have used my ripper so much that my fingers are red and sore. The colors are blues/tans and creams, with two sections facing in(cream/tan) and two facing out(blues) with four of these sections making a 12 inch block. Each section has a matching piece either above, beside or below. This is the part that gave me the problem, even though I looked would get the wrong piece about half the time no matter how hard I tried. I finally had to put the quilt pieces on the floor so I would know where I was going which made my neck hurt from looking down. I did not put any borders on because I thought it looked better without. I still have to put the binding on. I love the quilt but the first two days it gave me an awful tension headache. If anyone knows how to scan the picture from the magazine, please do this for me.

Here's a link to the article and a picture of the quilt:
http://www.mccallsquilting.com/mccal...ellation_Blues

This is where a design wall (or floor) can be invaluable. ;-)
Even if you get the individual blocks right, something always happens on the way from the wall to the sewing machine.
Been there, done that. And I'm sure it will happen to me again.

Did you use the same fabrics (from the kit) or your selection?

Oh My I can see how it would be confusing! I love the pattern, but I know I would have been in a state of confusion. But you made it, is'nt that a good feeling. You should be very proud!!

This is one of those quilt patterns that you have to cut the five pieces of each block (large square, two strips, and two small squares) and pin them all together. Then arrange the pinned pieces on your design wall in the layout you want. Then start at the top left and work your way across the quilt one row at a time.

I tend to either use my folding table or my king size bed (if my 3 cats will leave things alone) and lay my blocks out row by row. perhaps you should get a grid pad and color in areas of each row and make your blocks looking at that.
good luck. .

No, I did not use the kit, but brought all the fabrics needed for the quilt. Thanks for putting up that link for others to see. I like my color selection better.
IdahoSandy

When looking at the block, it consists of an arrow, turned in different directions, with positive/negative color. Just remember that as you make the block.

You could make a copy of the full quilt (most patterns have the full quilt shown) then cross out the blocks as you make them. I would start with the top left square, then make the next square to the right, sew those two together, then make the next one to the right, attach, etc. and mark off each block as made across. Make next row the same way and attach to first row, etc. That way the blocks would not get lost in the shuffle so to speak, or out of order. Put a pin in left edge of first block of each row as you work across so the row, and the block, will not get turned around, you will know not to sew the next block to the wrong end.

Good luck. Love the pattern.

My quilt is all done now, but will remember the advice you have given here for next time. thanks

Pattern makes a great 2-color quilt!

Lovely quilt I love the blue

I have a hanging piece of heavy felt for a design wall. Anything laid on a flat surface is considered fair game to the cat menagerie. If I laid a quilt out on the top of the bed, I would have a constant battle pulling the pieces out from under various cats, all of whom would display their utmost displeasure at being disturbed! I can't leave the ironing board set up, either.

When I made a tessellation quilt, (since I do not have a design wall), I have pinned all the pieces to a sheet. I would remove and replace the pieces as I sewed. I could also fold up the sheet and place it in the closet out of the way. Everything would remain in place and I need not worry about quilt inspectors changing my design choices.

I was just looking at this pattern last night. If I were to make this kind of quilt, I would simplify it by putting all the blue patches for block A (blue leaves) in one stack and all the cream/tan patches in another. I would do the same for block B - the cream/tan leaves.

The patches would be random within the blocks, so I could make a bunch of blue leaf blocks and a bunch of cream/tan leaf blocks and just sew them together.

I don't have *any* design wall space. :)

I would love to see your finished quilt - I really love the indigoes. :)

The problem I had was the "wings" part that is either on upper or beside or lower section of the block. The 4 sections of each block, 2 turned out and 2 turn toward the center, so don't think your idea would work. I do not have a design wall either, that why I had to use the floor.
IdahoSandy

Here's a pic of the one I did - all in fall colors. The book I used, "Tesselations" had a page for each quilt drawn on a grid, and I used colored pencils to color it in to keep me on track. That made it considerably easier.

Your quilt is beautiful and love those fall colors. The one I made is in blues/tan/cream colors and it is brighter than what the picture shows in the magazine. The one in the magazine was too subdued for me. I can not sent a picture because I only buy those throw away cameras and they take for ever to take 27pictures. Have to buy a new camera, then find someone to teach me how to scan it in my old windows xp Dell computer. Thank you for showing me your quilt.
IdahoSandy

That's really beautiful! Love, love, LOVE those colors! :)

I think I'd have to make the blocks one at a time if I were going to try to make each leaf of one fabric, like this. Between the ADD and the lack of patience with things that need to be ripped out and re-sewn, I'd be frustrated at trying to keep it all correctly oriented.

As with the indigo quilt, I would go for a scrappy look. No tears or pulling my hair out while I'm piecing :D and you can chain-piece the patches and blocks. No worrying about which way the wings are going.

I did the same type of pattern, only just table runner size in fall colors. It is definitely one you need to lay out to make sure everything is in the right place!

Yes, I love that scrappy look and wings would be no problem(and this is where the problems started for me). I just brought a yard of blue fabric at the fabric store, just could not live without. If I ever make this quilt again it will be with scrappys.
IdahoSandy

I have not done that one, but I just finished a quilt with similar issues. I found it was easier if I posted a picture by my machine, sewed one strip of blocks at a time, and drew a line through each column as I completed it.

Yes, I think that might work, doing just one row at a time, where I was trying to do the complete block(4 sections). Good idea.
IdahoSandy

To make a quick design board get a plastic or oilcloth tablecloth that has the fuzzy backing. It works great for a design board. The fabric sticks to the backing and then when I need to quit working on it I pin the pieces and fold it up. If you don't have that you can use a piece of pink or blue foam insulation and if you cover that with flannel the piece stick and then you can pin everything by just sticking pins in the foam if you are afraid of something bothering them.
gmpatrick

Thanks for the tip on the oil cloth and I have seen this at Wal-Mart. It does have a grid on the back side, but it never occurred to me to use it in that way. Thanks from all us quilters.
IdahoSandy

I also did it
 

I did the quilt in red and black and the colors were superb. I did a little ripping but tried to make sure, using my wall, the blocks were correct.

Yes, I can see using just black and red would not be a problem, but I was using 12 different prints(6 blue, 6 brown/beige) with no wall. I did a lot of ripping.
IdahoSandy