Blue Bell, Are you going to use your 'tiny bit' soon? If so, it's all good. If not, take a pass and stay with us.

Blue Bell...so fun, my friend, that you will join in. We’ll cheer you on. It is a lovely feeling to see the years of beautiful collecting produce something even more beautiful!

I had to purchase backing for my BH mystery, today. I don’t have any large bolts of anything that would match cuz I’ve powered through using my bolts of stash last year!! Good for me....and, while in the LQS, all I bought was the backing even though I was surrounded by some much beauty...much of which I haven’t seen because it’s been months since I’ve been in a quilt shop. So...patting self on back!!

Welcome, Blue Bell! Like others have said, stay and join us. We are a wonderful group and support each other through our buys and finishes.

K & I worked on my Ripple quilt today. It needed sashing & cornerstones & we finished 2 of 7 rows. I've calculated 8.85 yards will be out of our stash when it's done. The fabric for sashes is from K's, & the backing is a sheet I bought for the purpose last summer. I didn't plan it for this particular quilt, I just got it so we would have a back for 1 of the many quilts we had on our list to do.

I started the Debbie Brown January color block quilt. I had enough blue scraps for all the color blocks and enough cream and white scraps for all the sashing. I may have to hit up yardage for the borders, and definitely for the backing, but it will all come from stash. This is a great pattern for sitting and doing mindless sewing, which I find to be very relaxing. So whittling down scraps and stash and getting some mindless relaxation in at the same time- I'd call that a win. Oh, and I also learned a new to me technique- webbing a 16 patch. Don't know that it’s any faster than my usual chain piecing method, but it seems to make getting all the intersections to line up easier once it’s time to sew the rows together.

I think it is going to be fun doing these monthly color block quilts.

Rob

Oh, and I also learned a new to me technique- webbing a 16 patch.


Can you explain what webbing a 16 patch is, please??

Mmunchkins- the webbing technique is a way of keeping your 2.5” squares all attatched as you sew them. To do it, you start out with your 16 patch laid out next to your sewing machine. Step one: Take the first two squares from row one and stitch them together. Then without breaking your thread, take the first two squares from row 2 and stitch them together. Without breaking your thread, take the first two squares of row 3 and sew them together. Without breaking thread, take the first two squares from row 4 and sew them together. Step two: cut your thread and pull your joined together rows out of the machine. Now, sew the third square from each row to the second. Keep everything still together and after stitching row 4’s third square cut your thread and remove your work from the machine. Step three: add the fourth square to each row. Remove from machine. You now have four rows with four square each. The rows are joined to each other at the corners of each square in each row. It’s like when you’re chain piecing individual squares, only it is the rows that are chained together. Step four: flip row one over onto row two and stitch, do the same for each row.

hope that helps.

Rob

Great job of explaining webbing, Rob. Our church leader showed us that trick quite a few years ago. I thought it was an interesting concept and have used it since then except I often divide my top into quarters to web first.

I’m hoping to finish a donated UFO top tomorrow and then work on the horizontal sashing between my 2.5” rows.

I first saw webbing via Eleanor Burns several years ago. I use it when sewing finished blocks together as well. Currently have a FG strip quilt of 5 strips webbed together waiting for me to cut the vertical strips to go between each FG strip...no lost blocks or strips, they are all neatly sewn together. I'd post a pic, but having trouble getting pics uploaded.

I'm taking a pass on Deb Brown's QA, cut working on 2.5" scraps. I want to make a 6" star block that's similar to my maverick red stars, but not wonky using my country fabrics rather than brights. So I am cutting squares and triangles using the tri rec rulers of Darlene Zimmerman for a 6" block. My EQ plan is calling for 63 blocks...I have 50 cut from just 2.5 squares and strip scraps! Just 13 more to go.. EQ shows all the same fabrics, but mine will be scrappy and not sure about border and sash fabrics...will check stash when I get the blocks together.