DJ TRIANGLE: LS10

Today's plan was to embroider because it is Slow Stitching Sunday! Didn't happen... maybe later. Instead, I made a DJ Tri for the TOW on the DJRetYahoo list. The block was already printed on copy paper in my folder so I just used that. Wow... sure did miss using FP for the PPing!

DJ LS10

DJ-LS10: back

Until next time. . . It is a lovely day and my patio beckons. Time to grab some yarn and head outside to hook for awhile. What are YOU doing this Sunday?
 
I did a little applique on this Tri, so that is my Slow Stitch for today. Linking to: Kathy for Slow Stitching Sunday.

Quilty Hugs,

DEAR JANE #D11

The DJ block assignment for this week's BOW is: D11. The TOW is: TR11. Not sure I'll get the triangle finished by Sunday night, but the little block is done. If you are working on a DJ project, you might like to join us on the DJRetreatYahoo group... we give each other encouragement and tips.

DearJane D11 - completed 27Sep2013

It wasn't until AFTER I made this block, that I thought of a much easier way to make it!  A much more efficient use of my time would have been to piece the center and stitch the four "star points" on, then simply prep those edges and applique to a foundation square; add little triangles and done! Live n learn.

Until next time. . .I'm going to start that triangle... what are YOU working on?

Quilty Hugs,

POINTS, POINTS, POINTS...it's all about the prep! DJ TR8 Brigadoon

My DJ triangle for this week's BOW is TR8 Brigadoon.

Lately my points haven't been as nice and pointy as I would like. Then lightening struck last weekend and I changed how I do the prep. The first steps are the same... it's the final one that made the BIG improvement and I have a block to prove it! lol.
* Make FP template & cut out [smooth edges with emery board if necessary... go lightly here!]
* Iron FP to WS of fabric
* Cut out around template adding 3/16 - 1/4 " seam allowance by eye
* Press s.a. over template all around... a smidge of starch is really helpful here! I use spray starch or spray sizing that I spray into the cap and dap on with a small brush.

Diamond on left prepped NEW way; the one on right, the old way

The NEW part:
* Points... carefully fold just the 'ear' of the point back over on itself... please see pic below ... you might have to nip off a few threads. Carefully add one drop of Roxanne's Glue Base-It and press in place. Voila! Perfect point and ready to applique. Remove the FP either before or after appliqueing... both work equally well. I prefer to remove it and then sew.

Left point prepped & right one is not... yet

This looks acceptable to me and is ready to be sewn down

Sewing the point... NO ends to fight or tuck under! Love it.
[don't mind the needle 'parked' off to the side... I needed both hands to take picture.]

Previously I had always needle-turned the final edges of the points which sometimes looked great and other times a bit wonky! See the upper diamond on the triangle below? Now that's one wonky point! Yuck... but I'm not doing it over.

Wonky/wobbly point on top little diamond.. the others are ok

Sewing, quilting, knitting, tatting, crocheting... all of it... it's all about the journey for me. I try to get better as I go; I try to do the best I can today with the skill set that I currently possess. Maybe next week I will be able to do it better but for right now "my best is good enough"!

That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed reading how I prep my points for applique. Thank you so much for dropping by.

Linking to: Kathy at Slow Stitching Sunday.

Quilty Hugs,

DJ BLOCK # D5

TaDah!! Another DJ block completed... yippee! This one is D5.

Dear Jane #D5

Had a bit of fun fussy cutting this fabric. My goal was to get some "curvy" feeling in this very linear block. I love this fabric. The repros are so gorgeous.


I strip pieced the interior 'sashings and cornerstones,' and PP'd the outside triangles with FP printed from the DearJane software [Electric Quilt]. It's not perfect but it is done!

Leaving the FP bits in place on the outside corners helps give stability to this tiny block as it sits and waits to be sewn into the main quilt.  Also, I leave a bit extra on the outside edge... about 1/8 inch ... and trim this right before sewing on the sashing. For me it's all about protecting the edges of these tiny blocks. This is how I pressed it:


 

Managed to get a triangle finished as well, but will share that in another post. Until next time, thank you for popping in to visit. See you soon. . .

Quilty Hugs,

DJ BLOCK G-7: Piecing & Pressing Pics

TaDah! It always feels good to get something done and marked off one's To Do List! G-7 is this week's BOW on the DJRetreat Yahoo Group.

G-7 is the center block in the Dear Jane quilt. Please find below pictures on how I chose to construct it and how I pressed it.

Applique the arcs; PP the set in strips; machine pieced

PPing with FP allows pressing options... love that!

Missy is supervising. ;)

Hope you had a lovely weekend. Thank you for popping in to visit!

Quilty Hugs,

SUPER RULER... Precise Trimming & DJ Triangle LS-9

Yesterday at Friendship Group I had the opportunity to try a BlocLoc Ruler. I LOVE this ruler! I used it to trim up a stack of tiny 1.25" waste HST blocks. Wow, no slipping, sliding, or "ruler-rocking" over the seam allowance. The square ruler size I used is 6 inches, which could have been a problem with another ruler, but this larger one still worked very well. A huge thanks to my friend Jill, who taught me how to use this nifty ruler.  I have no affiliation with BlocLoc, I am just a very happy camper and plan to purchase a few of these rulers.

BlocLoc ruler and 1.25" trimmed HST blocks

Please look closely at the bottom of the pic above and you will see a 1/4" area running horizontally that is not clear like the rest of the ruler. This narrow "trough" is where the seam allowance sits which is what keeps the ruler flat against the block to be trimmed. Nothing moves! It's great.

DJ Triangle: LS-9, completed 11Nov'12

Until next time, it's back to working on DJ Triangles for me. I finished one yesterday: LS-9, an easy one, just simple applique.  But I need at least one more DJ block to meet my personal commitment for the DJRetreatYahoo group BOW.  What are YOU working on???

Quilty Hugs,

MORE JANE: D4 & LS11

Two more DJ blocks completed: block D-4 and triangle LS-11 . No current totals yet. I need to lay out all the blocks and count. It's time to make a chart and hang it in the sewing room. So hopefully I can make one up sometime before Christmas... which is just around the corner! Yipes.

DJ Block: D-4 completed 28 Oct 2012

D4: I PPd this block in 3 horizontal sections, but when connecting the rows, didn't sew all the way to the ends of the background pieces.

D4: PP in 3 horizontal sections using partial seaming

With the paper still on the back, and holding block up to a light source, fold the fabric to align the diagonal seams at the outer edges. A few applique stitches and the seam was secure. Then, applique the melons on. This method gave me the alignment I was going for.

Aligning the diagonal corner seam using a light source

Triangle: PPd this one also. Next time I will plan the seam directions so things are easier to line up. Or better yet, return to using FP-PPing which allows one to flip the seams in any direction. I like that. Look closely at the pic below. Do you see the fussy-cut flower in the tiny melon at the top of the triangle? I won't try that again anytime soon. LOL

DJ Triangle: LS-11, completed 28 Oct 2012

Until next time. . . I'm going to clean house for about an hour and then finish up another DJ triangle & practice some FMQing. What are YOU going to do today?

 

Quilty Hugs,

JANE AGAIN: M-3 & some thoughts on PPing

Poor Jane sat in a box for a few years. Some of her was even in a 3-ring binder. Sew... a couple of weeks ago I began making DJ blocks. In earnest! lol. This week was fairly productive. Completed M-3 on Friday:

DJ Block M-3. Completed Friday, 26 Oct 2012

Liz on the DJRetreats Yahoo group divided the block into quarter-sections so it could be PPd! Just draw a 'plus' sign through the block. Wow, that's brilliant! Thank you, Liz, for the super idea. Sew... I did, too:

Piecing tips: Block has been bisected - note the lines thru the diamonds & center tiny square.

I added "hash marks" to help line up the sections when putting the quadrants back together.

Piecing tips: Center 4 sections are PPd. Note the 2 templates in LowerLeft corner of this pic. That is how the "frame" was sewn on.

Lining up the center seam. Note the 'cut-a-way' in the very center - all seam allowances were graded and this area to be covered by appliqueing the final tiny center square.

Lining up the center square template to double check for size and placement.

This little block certainly isn't perfect, but it is DONE! Finished block picture at top of this post.

Until next time. . . I have two more triangles to finish up. Then I need to rustle up some grub for dinner because World Series Baseball starts in 90 minutes!!! What are YOU doing today???

Quilty Hugs,

DEAR JANE: LS-13 Triangle

This is the Triangle for the DJRetreats Yahoo Group's BOW due by midnight tonight. For some reason the PPing didn't go as smoothly as I expected. lol. The melons - with a couple of points left to applique down - are a bit wonky... again! Yuck. Perhaps beginning earlier in the day, or even earlier in the week would be a solution to the 'wonkiness'.

DJ Triangle LS-13: prepping the melons

DJ Triangle LS-13: appliqueing the melons

Might not get the D-4 block assignment completed. And, D-4 has four more melons!  That will depend on how late the baseball game runs.  BASEBALL just started and I need to go watch and root them on!

Until next time. . . what are you working on today???

Quilty Hugs,