I'm not showing the full project, because a) -- I still need to add a bit, and can't until I get some more fabric b) it's a gift, and I want it to be a surprise c) it will look cool when it's all done, but right now, it take imagination to appreciate the wonder of it.

Anyhow. I had an idea I wanted to realize in fabric. I drew out my pattern on graph paper. In so doing, I noted repeated patterns -- grey-red-grey, red-grey, short red, long grey, long red, short grey being the most obvious.

I was using strips of fabric from a Moda jelly roll of red, and yardage of grey. The jelly roll is 2.5 inches by width of fabric. I cut several strips of gray to the same size. I also cut some grey yardage to a 6.5 inch strip. Because I only had red jelly roll, I didn't have the option of cutting wide strips of red.

With my strips cut, I did a quick guestimate on how many strips I would need for my pattern -- 3rd grade math here.

Stitched my strips together into units and pressed. Key in pressing is to set seam first (press the two strips as they come from the sewing machine, together. Then, while fabric is still warm from iron, lift top strip up while sliding the iron along the lower strip until you come to the seam, and keeping the seams flat against the ironing board, bring that top strip sharply over, making for a nice crisp junction, with no folds. If you are sewing more than 2 strips together, I find it is a good idea to press the first two before adding the 3rd strip to the strata. Pressing need not take long at all, specially if you a) have a good iron b) are set up conveniently to your machine, and with the board at the right height c) have plenty of practice.

Now take your pressed strips to the cutting board, neaten the end, then with the length of fabric to your right if you are right handed, use your rule to measure off the desired sub-cut. Note that I lined up the perpendicular line of the ruler with the seam between the two fabric strips. Cut your sub-units. The assemble the sub-units in your pattern, and stitch them together.

When this little gem is done, I'll post pics.

I can't wait to see what this comes out like!

This is intriguing :)

how interesting

Inspirations = Cherry House's city quilts (though I'm still waiting on the library hold to see more of the book than appears in Amazon preview pages) and a friend who has CP and uses a morse code device to communicate. That, and having 4 sons, who are not the frilly, sentimental valentine types.

RST

You're funny! I looked up a Morse Code message for my hubby today, still haven't decided how to use it for him.

THIS is how I learned to quilt, from Mary Ellen Hopkins of It's Okay (If you Sit on My Quilt, Because I can Make Another!) fame, way back in the very early 1980s! She was one of the first in the strip piecing, making block segments mentality and I've been so grateful I learned this wa to begin with.

It thrills me to see your graph paper pad out! I've had all the computer design programs since the very first one called PC Quilts (or something like that), but I still go to my favorite chair with color pencils and graph pad. You can visualize and re-create virtually any block in any size when you use this method.

Jan in VA

Jan, while I would love to get an updated and usable version of EQ again, I still use a graph paper tablet -- I can have it in my bag while I sit in the school pick up line, and sketch out ideas -- I'd forget by the time I got home and to my computer. And for a quick and easy project like this one, it probably is just as easy to do it on graph paper as it would be with all the fancy EQ features. Since my strips were precuts, I just used 2.5 strip width = 1 square. From there on out, very easy to set up.

I didn't take my first strip piecing class until about 1987, and I think the "method" was the Trudie Hughs approach. But it really goes way back farther, to Seminole piecing, which I believe goes back just about as far as the introduction of the domestic sewing machine (though without the use of the rotary cutter and self healing mat, it wasn't so widely popular).

RST