Thursday, June 05, 2014

Globetrotting, Block 4: San Juan (video 1)

I'm so excited to be quilting this block from Pat Sloan's Globetrotting block of the month.

Yesterday, I showed you the design:


Today I get to start quilting!  I prepped my block by taping the edges with 1/4-inch masking tape.  This will help me stitch my designs on the quilt top and not stitch into the seam allowances.

I started with the pinwheel sections of this block.  I made a starting knot:



and then I started quilting my swirl pattern:



If you've ever taken a class with me, you know for certain that I am directionally challenged and have trouble rotating objects in space.  I solve this problem with a simple notecard or slip of paper.

I draw out the design and place it next to where I'm about to quilt, making sure it is facing the right direction:


After I stitch, I turn the paper to face the right direction for the next area:


This helps me keep my designs swirling in the correct direction.

My swirls are now finished and all going in the right direction:


Stay tuned for the next video!

2 comments:

Bev said...

Debbi, I'm concerned about only having a 1/4" left for joining the blocks. How does this work? I know you said we would learn about joining at the end but that's nearly a year away and I'd like to be doing other projects as well. Do you have any other videos we can see on this joining?

Kati from Kati's Quilting said...

When you take the 1/4 inch tape off after you finished quilting, do the edges fray? I tape the edges down when I baste and it always ends up fraying like crazy while taking the tape off. Just wondering! Having a paper handy with the design is a brilliant idea. And no, even though I took 2 classes from you, I didn't know :) I only remember the nerve damage in your hand...