and the pillowcases -- 26 in all -- are finished and are also waiting for delivery.I also finished the Sonoran Desert Nine Patch and I promised I would share some tips with you should you decide to make this one up.
Before I took the class, I looked very carefully at the pattern. I decided it was kind of soft for my liking, so I googled the Sonoran Desert images and liked what I saw.
The colours were bright and cheerful and more like I wanted to do. I went through my stash and picked out the fabrics I wanted to use.I shopped at 3 stores looking for the background and found it at the last one. Two backgrounds, each measuring 3 metres. I used 15 fabrics for the nine patches. Some were fat quarters and some were 1/4 metres. I used what I had.
The first thing I did after cutting was make myself a little sample piece that I kept near my machine.
This was made up from the tails of the strips you have to cut. I knew this quilt was going to take time to sew and I wouldn’t do it every day. I wanted the sample as a reminder.After everything is cut and sewn, find a big floor to lay it out on. I do mean big if you are doing the queen size. I used my basement, but if ever again, I will move furniture in my living room and make sure it is lying flat.
I started in the top left corner and laid it on an angle….like this……
Continue to lay it out until you reach the final block in the bottom right hand side. Mark your rows ~~ a, b, c, etc., 1, 2, 3, etc. Whichever way you want. Start to sew your rows together the same way you laid them out. To avoid walking all over our layout, start at the bottom right and work you way back up to the top. I sat and pinned each row together and then took it to the sewing machine. I then hung them up
, stacking them one on top of the other. It took me three days to sew all the rows together. It is time consuming.Once it was completed I set it aside with the backing. I purchased a wide backing as I wanted to be able to use this quilt both the back and the front. I sent it to Robin and at the end of January it came back home. I sat for three nights and sewed down the binding. Its ready for spring.
This is the largest quilt I have ever made. Final measurement is 92” square.
Someone once said to me “You like square quilts, don’t you.” I agreed with her, because this way it doesn’t matter which way you throw it on the bed in the morning, it will always be the right way.
Oh yes those are matching pillowcases. I purchased the fabric to make a bag, but seeing as I could set up a stall and sell bags, I opted to make pillowcases.
Now to keep Miss Royalty off the bed.
