More From a Beginner Quilter

 Time for an update on my quilting journey. I collected another 10 inch square of the required white fabric and cut a 10 inch square of some fabric that caught my eye at a recent swap and sell session.

While at my local stitching group I asked for some tips and tricks for sewing this particular block - a disappearing pinwheel variation. The best tip was the apply some spray starch to the blocks before sewing and cutting to help combat the bias seams.

The next thing I remembered was to slow down by using the half speed button on my sewing machine thus stopping the lead foot sewer from speeding too much.

Slowing down when cutting was something that I also remembered to do.

Attempt 3 by MrsSOnline is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

Looking better and I tried a different layout but there were still some things that were not quite right. Cutting again was tricky as I did not quite get the measurements correct. I am hoping that this one can be used but if not it will come home with me and be turned into something else. My outside edges were still uneven so on to attempt number 4.

With this one I used plenty of starch and checked that my 10 inch squares matched. I slowed down with my seams and used my quick unpick liberally when my seams were wonky. I went back to the arrow pattern for this last on and all in all was very happy with how it turned out after some seam ripping and resewing.

Attempt 4 by MrsSOnline is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

What do you think? Have I improved over the four attempts? I have definitely learnt and remembered some valuable sewing tips.

Lessons Learnt - A Beginner Quilter

 I have always admired the quilts I have seen at craft fairs but never really had a go. Having now joined the Break O'Day Stitchers I have the opportunity to create blocks for the community quilts they create. This seems like a good way to learn about creating quilts a little at a time.

I sew clothes and other items but as with all new skills there are things that can go wrong. There are techniques specific to the style of sewing being used. 

Last week I watched a demonstration of creating a block by sewing two 10 inch square together and then cutting this apart to create a quilt block that has a pinwheel in the centre. 

screen shot from https://bit.ly/3kxKGtd a PDF re disappearing pinwheel blocks

Collected my 10 inch square  of matching background fabric that will be the same in all the blocks. Came home and cut the contrasting 10 inch square, put the two together and went to the sewing machine to stitch around the outside edges.

Have I got my quarter inch foot attached? Check

Started sewing and even though I have sewn for ages it was interesting to see that I am not yet great at sewing a consistent quarter inch seam. I tended to curve out at the end of each side.

Off to the cutting mat to cut this square on the diagonals. Now I have a rotary cutter, large mat and have used the cutter to cut fabric for pouches, bags and other items but even so I found cutting the diagonals interesting. 

Didn't remember the tip about using my recently purchased rotating cutting mat. First diagonal cut easily but then how to cut the second without moving the fabric?? Move myself around my cutting table, line up the next cut and go. Whoops the rotary blade moved away from the ruler! Now my resulting squares are not going to be consistent.

Oh dear. Well I continued as there was still more to learn about this technique. 

Press open my four HST pieces - new vocab here. HST stands for half-square triangle. Lay them out in a pinwheel pattern and then start joining these together. My squares are not equal (because of my rotary cutter mishap) so this will be a struggle.

Got them sewn but still struggled with the consistent quarter inch seam. On thinking about it afterwards the other factor affecting the sewing is that most of the seams were on the bias. Something as a seamstress I maybe should have considered.

Struggled on and ended up with a very 'not square' square. Somehow I do not think that this will be added to any community quilt as it is too small as well. Whoops there goes one of my two pieces of background that each block needed to have. 

Attempt Number 1 by MrsSOnline is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

Biggest lesson learnt....

Just like sewing clothes it is wiser to do a test run with not so precious fabric first.

Found some calico and cut out a 10 inch square. Found a contrasting fabric and cut out the second 10 inch square. Slowed down at the sewing machine and really focused on my consistent quarter inch seams. Found a youtube video and a PDF to refresh my memory of the demonstrated instructions from last week. Used the rotating cutting mat and slowed down with my cutting so that my blade stayed in contact with my cutting ruler and my squares are all the same size. Using the rotating mat made it so much easier. 

Joined all the squares together and here is try number 2. 

Attempt Number 2 by MrsSOnline is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

What do you think? Is it better that try number 1?

Next lesson learnt...

Take a close look at the two images...

The arrowheads are pointing in opposite directions! I am not sure if this will be a problem with the community quilt but it is another lesson in looking closely.

I now feel ready for attempt number 3. That will be with the second piece of matching fabric so fingers and toes crossed that I remember all lessons learnt.