Finished or Not Friday {a Linky Party!}

Welcome to the first edition of Finished or Not Friday where you can share what you've worked on this week, finished or not!  Creations with fabric, thread, or yarn are welcome.

My FINISH for the week is the gelato rainbow bargello quilt I made as part of the Bargello QAL over at Elm Street Quilts which ended in March!  My original attempt at quilting with flowing lines that followed the curve of the bargello was dismal, so I took it all out and quilted it with straight lines in a starburst design.  Much better!  The Gelato ombre fabric is very difficult to find but is similar to Benartex Gradations.

Each week I will feature an entry from the previous week's link-up, but since there are no entries from last week {LOL!}, I will enter my own.  Here's Brick Cottage Lane {2}, a pattern I released this week!  The pattern includes instructions for strip piecing as well as traditional piecing in 5 sizes from baby to king, using yardage or scraps.  You can purchase your copy in my shop.

It's your turn!  Link up any fabric, thread, or yarn creation that you worked on this week!  Adding a link back to the party in your post is friendly, so be friendly and share!

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An InLinkz Link-up

Linking to:
♥ TGIFF ♥ WIPs Be Gone ♥ Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?!? ♥ Fabric Frenzy Friday ♥ Finish it Up Friday ♥ Off the Wall Friday ♥ Show Off Saturday ♥ MOP Monday ♥ Podunk Pickins ♥ BOMs Away ♥ Main Crush Monday ♥ Handmade Monday ♥ A Round Tuit ♥ Sew Cute Tuesday ♥ Fiber Tuesday ♥ Fabric Tuesday ♥ Linky Tuesday ♥ Let's Bee Social ♥ Midweek Makers ♥ Needle & Thread Thursday ♥ 

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How I Plan to Improve my Walking Foot Skills

A Facebook reader suggested I was being too critical of my quilting when I posted that I plan to take out the quilting I had done because I didn't like it.  So here's my ghastly quilting {cringe!}.  I was too literal in following the wave of the bargello, and the turns are too sharp.  Quilting with a walking foot is not new to me, but I can see I need more practice before I work on this again, or else I need a different plan.  

I noticed this morning that Craftsy is having a 50% off selected classes, so I popped on over to see if they had any walking foot quilting classes, and they did!!  Two in fact, Creative Quilting with your Walking Foot and Next Steps with your Walking Foot, both by Jacquie Gering, each at a different skill level.  So I bought Creative Quilting with your Walking Foot since it's the first in the series and started watching it today.  I've already learned about painter's tape for marking - a new thought for me.  I've always used a Hera marker which most certainly has its place, but I can certainly see where painter's tape will save time!  I plan to buy Next Steps with your Walking Foot after I practice what I learn in the first class.  

If you're interested in improving your walking foot skills, these classes {and many others} are 50% off through tomorrow.

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WIP Wednesday {Bargello Progress}

Um, yes, I rather ♥ ♥ my Bargello quilt and can't wait to finish it for my rainbow quilt collection hanging in the hallway!  The fabric is Gelato Ombre which is very similar to Benartex Gradations.  Gotta run - this one needs finished by Friday for the link-up over at Elm Street Quilts!  I'm so thankful to be able to quilt this on my new machine with a walking foot that works like a dream!

ETA Thursday:  I began quilting my Bargello and am not pleased with how it's going, so I'm going to rip out what I've done and enter this quilt top in the link-up since quilt tops do not have to be finished to be entered.  I don't want the quilting blech to detract from the quilt design, so even though it's hard to rip out what I've done, it is the best decision.

Linking to:
♥ Midweek Makers ♥ Let's Bee Social ♥ WIPs on Wednesday ♥ Needle and Thread Thursday ♥

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Tips for Piecing Straight Strip Sets {a Tutorial!}

While piecing the strip sets for the Bargello Quilt Along, I was pondering why some quilters struggle with piecing straight strip sets and I do not.  Straight strip sets cause a wonderful sense of inner satisfaction and joy, and I can't help but smile and giggle to myself when I see them.  The true satisfaction, though, comes when the quilt blocks are assembled and are so spot-on, so square - all because the strip sets started out straight.

I began to pay attention to exactly what I was doing that could be making the difference between bowed and nearly perfectly straight strip sets, and this is what I came up with, and it doesn't involve sewing from opposite ends of the strip set each time!

Step 1

Of course, the strips themselves must be straight.  An Accuquilt Go! makes perfect cuts every time!

Step 2

Place two strips right sides together (RST), lining up the edges.  Do not pull on either strip; simply lay them together without tension.  Place your index finger on the edge of the strip set a few inches from the presser foot as shown below.  Leave this finger in place and begin sewing, allowing the finger to move with the fabric toward the presser foot.  Do not pull on the strips at all.  The finger is just holding them together so both strips go through the feed dogs at the same pace. When the presser foot bumps into your finger, stop sewing.  Do not take your finger off the strips until the sewing machine is completely stopped.

Line up the edges of the strips and once again place your index finger on the edge of the strips a few inches from the presser foot.  Sew again as before, making sure to leave your finger there until the presser foot bumps it.  Repeat this step until the strip is sewn.

Don't worry - with practice this method becomes super fast!

Step 3

These instructions are for right-handed quilters; reverse for you lefty's.  

After a strip is sewn to the strip set and before adding another strip, open the strips and aim the seam allowance in the direction you want it to go.  In the picture below, the seam is facing to the left.  Begin working at either end of the strip set.  Place the left hand on the strip set, holding it open, and run the nail of the right hand index finger down the seam.  Be sure the seam is fully opened.  If it's not, gently open it fully and run your nail along the seam again.  Move down the strip set and repeat this process until the entire strip is nail-pressed open.  I learned this tip in Craftsy's Strip Your Stash class.  See below for how to get this class at a great price today!

Step 4

Lay the strip set on the ironing board.  Gently smoothing the strips to make sure they are straight and fully open.  Do not force the edge of the iron into the seams; rather, set the iron on top of the strips.  Iron gently.  Step back and admire your work!

A few clarifications after feedback in the comments:

• An inset table is not required; I've tried this out on three different machines, one inset, one with a large table space, and one with a small space, and it worked on each machine.
• I sew all strips from the same end and do NOT alternate the direction I sew, i.e., top to bottom then bottom to top.
• If you have a method that works that is unlike mine, we can still be friends, really!!  Find a method that works for you even if it's different than mine.

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Bargello Quilt Along {Fabric Selection}

I've had this half-yard bundle of Benartex Gradations fabrics for awhile, waiting for the perfect pattern, and I've found it in the Bargello Quilt Along over at Elm Street Quilts.  I will be enlarging the quilt by a few strips, as well as making it wider.  It should still end up baby size if I've done my figuring correctly.  The first two gray ombres will be the background fabric.  With all the fabrics being ombres that change colors across the strips, I'm hoping the quilt sparkles rather than vomits.

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