Barb_MO

Well Amma, get busy and get to eating, get that plate cleared. :lol: :lol:

Thanks for the suggestiong of splitting the tutes into sections.
Will do that.

Barb_MO

You can use smaller pieces and according to what size you want, even fewer fabrics.
I'll post a picture for you...give me until tomorrow. I need to get some posting done on the cutting & sewing and my sister is coming to visit in a bit so want to get the cuting & sewing post on so Colleen can work while I visit with my sis.

Barb_MO

Will get the cutting tips up for you all now.

Barb_MO

Elaine. When you cut your strips cut from the fold across to the selvage side. If you are careful, you can stack to fabrics and you the process will go faster...or do as I do and fold my fabric end to end. Get a straight edge cut and cut two strips at a time of one fabric.

Elaine716

Thank you so much. Played all afternoon with arranging the fabrics. I think I have it just right. You are so great to help us. I have started sewing strips together. I hope I will be ready for the next step. I am sooooooooooo excited to get going on the entire quilt. Thanks again for your help. :D :thumbup:

Barb_MO

Betty, Iron you strip sets in opposite directions. for strip sets #1 you can iron the seam up toward #1 fab. Fab #1 has two sets, iron both of those in the same direction.the on the next set (#11) iron all the them down. Alternate the up and down ironing.
Once I get a set ironed, I lay it down with the wrong side facing up....and at a glance over to it reminds me if I need to iron the next set up or down.

Barb_MO

Since we have already talked about cutting the strips and sewing them into sets. Before I go on to adding the new message thread for cutting strip sets & sewing them together, I wanted to add a couple more things here.

Some of the things I have told you to do may seem elementary to you....you have already done lots of strip piecing and ironing your seams. You have chained pieced many quilts, so have I. With 11 fabrics and 11 strips from each, you have to developer a method so you will not make the mistake of picking up two strips and sewing them together on the wrong side...say getting fab #1 on the left and #11 on the right when it should have been the opposite. Or sewing half your quilt together and find that you left out a fabric in your strip set.
Or, cutting all your set that should have been 3" you cut them 3 1/2" because you didn't have you note on them telling what size to cut.

I've done all these things.

Next message, with pictures, I'm going to recap the process of getting your strips ready to make your strips sets, and sewing those together and ironing them.

Barb_MO

After you have cut all your fabrics you should have them stacked and arranged in order left to right fab #1 through fab #11 as in Photo #1
From these fabric stacks you sorted according to earlier directions for your strip sets.

Notice I had the fold at the top...I did that because it makes it easier for me to pick up a strip from the stack and I want to keep them folded until I take them to the sewing machine.

You will have seven stacks now, ranging from 3 sets to a stack to 1 set as in photo #2
You only have seven strip sets because that is all the colors that will ever appear at the top fabric in your quilt sections.
Notice that strips are still folded and the fold at the top.

Take one stack at a time to the sewing machine. I have an old sewing machine in an old cabinet, so I have space to lay my stack right there beside me. At the sewing machine you should lay the stack down, this time have the folds at the bottom.
At the folded end pick up two strips, fabric # 1 & fab #2, grasp the cut ends with other hand and drop the folded end. Now work your fingers in (photo #3) and take hold of the inner two ends.
You will have your two strip right sides together, you can let the other cut ends drop down, one to the back and one to the front (Photo #4). Give it a little shake to straighten the strips and you are ready to put it under the presser foot.
You will chain piece through the end and have fab #11 left. Cut your chain from the machine and open out the last on and turn it over right side to fab #11 and sew together (photo#5)

Now cut the chain off the machine....don't cut these apart or iron them. I pull the chain from the back of the machine and start letting it fall to the floor on the right side of me. I drape the chain over my lap and cut the first set off the chain and open it up and place it right side to the one that is in my lap. Place those under the presser foot and sew to the end.. After you've sew a few stitches you can cut those off your chain and leave the rest in you lap for the next set.
Any time you have an extra in your lap at then end, cut the chain from the machine and sew it to the one in your lap.

Barb_MO

That's all for tonight folks....unless there are any more questions.

colleen53

hi barb. are you doing your next tute on cutting the strips?..