It happened this week that I needed a large panel (20 by 7) of randomised 1.5" patchwork squares - as you do?! I read about this great technique in Australian Quilter's Companion #47.
Kathy Doughty, of Material Obsession fame, used it to quickly piece her 'The General's Wife' quilt.
From fabric scraps (or a jelly roll of 'Etchings' by 3 Sisters in my case), cut twenty-eight 11" x 2" strips. Divide the strips into four sets of seven strips each.
For each set, join the seven strips along their long edges. Press the seam allowances in one direction.
Lay the pieced strips right sides together so that the seventh strip joins the first strip. Join to make a tube.
Place the tube of strips on the cutting mat and cut five circular 2" segments.
Unpick one seam of each of the five tubes, choosing a different seam for each. This will yield five strips with differing fabric placement.
Repeat this process for each of the four sets of fabrics to yield twenty strips.
These strips are then stitched together in rows. There is plenty of fabric variation using this technique. You may need to re-press the seams in the opposite direction for some strips as you join them together. And quick as a flash, you have a 20 x 7 panel of randomly distributed 1.5" squares!
This panel is part of one of those annoying 'secret' projects that I can't disclose just yet, but I wanted to at least share what I thought was a great time-saving technique.
Absolutely brilliant! I just might give that a go...any shortcuts are greatly appreciated :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! Love how this works-definitely will be using it!
ReplyDeletevery nice so far!
ReplyDeleteThanks Bloom for the great tip;) I'm going to try it!
ReplyDeleteOkay, great information and a big tease on your project. Now I know that I am going to NEED some Etchings.
ReplyDeletegracias por tu tutorial es magnifico
ReplyDeletesaludos y gracias
Just a quick note to let you know that a link to this post will be placed on CraftCrave today [27 Aug 01:00am GMT]. Thanks, Maria
ReplyDeleteGreat Trick - Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWonderful tip. Thanks!! I love your fabrics in this project. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteThat is the tip I needed this time last year when I made a quilt for granddaughter to take to Uni, if you are interested go back to Jan this year.
ReplyDeleteThanks I will give this a go for another project I have in mind.
great tip...thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLooks lovely. Those fabrics are just beautiful. Great technique.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely wall hanging. This is a great technique. I used it to make a tiny checkerboard pattern.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Ros. Love the fabrics.
ReplyDeleteThis is how Eleanor Burns does the Trip Around the world quilt. That's where I first saw it. Its a great method.
ReplyDeleteWas just thinking the same thing!
DeleteThat's also the technique used for Bargello designs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this technique. I have been looking for something to use for a quick table runner for in between the holidays. Thanks again!
ReplyDeletewow that is cool, never have seen it done like that
ReplyDeleteSoooo I just came across this tip and it was in 2011. I am retired, learning new things and loved how this was put together!. Since I am a new learner it took me awhile to figure it out in my head. I am a visual learner so I am so glad for your pics. Can you tell me if you ever shared your secret project with this web site?
ReplyDeleteWell yes, I published my 'secret' project is in this post: http://bloomandblossom.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/coquetterie.html. And here: http://bloomandblossom.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/coquetterie-cosmetic-wallet-pdf-pattern.html. It remains one of my all-time favourite projects!
ReplyDeleteI wish I would have seen this tip before Friday. :( I have been sewing strips of 21/2 in squares together and it seems to be upsetting my brand new machine. It has auto tension and going over all those seems is making it mess up.
ReplyDeletecould you inlarge your stripes to a 2 1/2 or even 3 in
ReplyDeleteGreat tip will surely put it to good use thanks!
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing your tip. love those short cuts!
ReplyDeleteLSOTC
Thank you for the tip. I am a novice in quilting and this makes perfectly good sense!
ReplyDeleteLoved it, tried it with strips I'd sewn a year ago. Made the fabrics come alive, so I owe you, big time! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete