Important Tips for a Successful 2009 BOM

[Margo]

It’s almost time! For anyone considering the 2009 BOM, I want to tell you that this is definitely not a quickie quilt. It takes time, and effort to make it all fit together, especially if you are not used to precision piecing, but what a trophy at the end! Sue’s directions are amazing, and I will do tutorials again, so you will have plenty of help.

With that said, I have one word for you: measure; Measure; MEASURE.

After completing one, I can tell you that it would have been easier if I had started with more precise piecing habits from the start. Yes, I can sew a ¼” seam allowance, and I just went with it, but the entire process was somewhat frustrating because I always needed to do some tweaking. All of my “floater strips” had to be adjusted, and Sue’s directions really make that quite easy and do-able, but for this next quilt, I want it to just fit together like a snug puzzle. With that in mind, I’m actually doing TWO tutorials this year. Yeah…I’m sick!

I will post the tutorial that I created as I made the quilt that has already been posted on my profile, and I will post another tutorial for the one I’m making now, using the alternative (easier) blocks for a quilt that will be Sarah’s graduation quilt. Sue’s directions for this project are even more detailed than the ones for the appliquéd project, but there is always more than one way to build a block, so I’m just giving you some options. For example; for January’s paper-pieced feathered star Sue shows you how to position your fabrics using a light source. I will show you how to use the Add-A-Quarter ruler. Both ways work just fine and you can choose the one that works best for you. For the alternative block, Sue tells you to cut squares into triangles and sew them together for the half-square triangle (HST) units. I show two different ways to create those same units by sewing the bias seams before the squares are cut. All of the ways will work…just read through the directions and try the one that you think will work best for you. (Also, Sue will have a video coming out, but it probably won’t be available later in the month.)

In preparation for this project I strongly suggest that you take a test to see how accurate your ¼” seam allowance is. (There are instructions on my Webshots page titled THIS IS A TEST!) If you can’t get that right, you are going to be frustrated from the get-go!

http://good-times.webshots.com/album...ost=good-times


Although we are not making Leymone Star blocks, I also suggest that you go back and review Alex’s Video Classroom from last June to see how she gets perfect points when you are piecing your blocks. That is great information! I realize that everyone has their own level of perfection, and that’s fine, but there is info available there to make your points more precise if you are so inclined.

One last thing. Remember Ricky’s Rhapsody Blog about drawing the skeleton? He stressed that SQUARE means SQUARE. This quilt is based on a similar principle. When Sue says to make 1-1/2” x 1-1/2” half-square triangles….she means it! “ABOUT” 1-1/2” x 1-1/2” isn’t close enough, and I will show you how to achieve that!

It’s going to be an exciting journey, and we will all learn a lot in 2009!

[bbquiltmaker]

Margo, I am so excited about this quilt I can hardly stand it. Thanks for your efforts and all that you plan to do this upcoming year.

I have taught beginning quiltmaking for more than 20 years and can attest that learning to sew an accurate 1/4" seam allowance is by far the most difficult thing new quilters have to master. Next, is cutting pieces correctly. So, practice, check your measurements, and be as precise as you possibly can. This quilt is worth it and your quiltmaking skills will improve dramatically if you stick with it.

Margo is so right, "almost" is not good enough--you can be precise and you'll be glad you worked to get that precision. And, remember, this is Fun so enjoy the process too.

Barbara

[mknavy90]

Good tutorial on the quarter inch seam! Thanks! I will test my quarter inch today! Mary Kay

[mknavy90]

I have never been a percise person - I am totally scared to death about this - I have tried to measure before and always had tons of tweeking at the end...I cant wait to see if I get through block ONE!
Sally

[mknavy90]

Margo

Thank-you for all you tutorials, I have followed some, and others I do differently. I am looking forward to the 2009 BOM. (I did a Feathered star a long time ago, ended doing 2 because the first one just would not lay flat at all. ) I know the second one is in a quilt, but I wonder what i did with the first one ops:

Margarita in Auburn, CA

[Margo]

That's just one of the wonderful things about quilting, Margarita! There are so many different ways to accomplish everything, that everyone should be able to find something that works for them. This was my first paper-piecing project, and I learned so much!!
The most important lesson I learned, I think, is that careful measuring and precise trimming are critical to everything fitting together well in this kind of project. It's not hard to do, but it's a step that a lot of us tend to skip. We just need to get into the mindset before we even begin that we are going to take our time to do this right, and it's going to work! Sue and I will both offer pointers along the way, and I hope that anyone else out there with suggestions and/or ideas will jump right in to help!

[ajclapp]

I made my first Feathered Star blocks back in 2005 after Marsha McCloskey visited our quilt guild. I'm making my quilt king sized so am planning on resizing the block to the size of one of the blocks in her book and will be piecing it without paper. I hope I find time to do this along with continuing the 2008 BOM. Will Sue be giving instructions for piecing without paper too? I just reread your first blog and it sounds like she is. Precision piecing is my specialty and this is going to be an exciting year! I wish I could share my paper piecing technique with everyone but I'm not sure how to go about doing it on line. Maybe I won't be able to do it this year but hope to sometime in the future.

[Margo]

For the January directions for the feathered star, Sue only gives directions for paper-piecing. After that, there will be more options for how to put the blocks together, but she strongly recommends that we use the PP techniques because they are so accurate, and with this many pieces, it makes it all go together much easier.

[Franceslovesfabric]

Annis,
You could figure out the percentage difference from Sue's block to the size you want and then print out Sue's foundation and take it to Kinkos and have them blow it up.
Frances

[ajclapp]

OK, maybe I will give in and use paper. I have a copier that increases or I could take it to the office if it needs to be on larger paper. Or I may just scan it into the computer and redraw it. If there are only 45 degree angles that would be the easier way to do it since I have to add more lines to the paper to do it my way.

[Margo]

Frances is right! I think the pattern could be enlarged on a copy machine. In every set of patterns, Sue includes a one inch square test area that we are to measure before we start to make sure that our printers are set to to the right scale. If you print it out, then figure the percentage you need to get it to the scale you want to use, I think it might work fine! You could cut the original sections apart before you make the copies to make sure that each unit prints on one page. It would be worth a try if you are going to try to make all the blocks in a larger scale, but it's way too math for me! LOL!!

And, if you don't want to use PP, you could always use the patterns she provides to make templates for another method if you want to.

[PattiSure]

Sally, I have trouble with precise too and before even thinking about this BOM helping me, I set a goal to make 2009 a year of improving my basic technical skills. I have been running into battling with poor construction skills. So I'm delighted for this year long lesson!

[PattiSure]

Something I learned about accuracy is--use the same ruler thru out the project.

[Franceslovesfabric]

Bummer! The other day when DS and I bought fabric for the workshop this weekend, I forgot that I needed black fabric for my background for the BOM (Yes mom, you can tell dad that I do not have enough left from that bolt I bought in 2007). And I had found a black that I liked. So back to the LQS today, hoping that they still had some left. Well they did so I bought all of it (just under 10 yds). But they didn't have any black Masterpiece thread that people have been recommending. So stopped at another store and they don't carry Superior, mostly just embrodiery threads. I went to the website and there isn't another store close that carries Superior so I won't be able to start tomorrow because I'll have to order the thread. So I can't start the BOM tomorrow. Oh well, I have 28 1-yd pieces of fabric to press, plus the fabric I bought today and I do have other stuff on my list to work on.
Frances

[Franceslovesfabric]

Ritzy is right about using the same ruler throughout a project -- one inch is one inch... unless you are using a different ruler where someone else's one inch is not exactly the same one inch!

And I'll throw another suggestion in... use the SAME MACHINE throughout the project (and if you don't, then do Margo's one-inch test so that you are assured that your one inch is the same!). Each machine and each foot (by which we often measure a quarter inch) is a tad bit different.

So hang in there, everyone - for those of you who are joining us on this year-long ride, hang on! It may get bumpy at times, but I will offer plenty of tips to get past those bumps. Only a couple more hours --

Happy New Year!
Sue Garman