Four Patch Frenzy

Method in my Madness (or maybe just a Basket Case!)

Having got as far as I can with Sandra’s Downton Abbey quilt (around 23 hours so far) until she brings the binding fabric, I’ve turned my attention back to my own ‘Four in One’ project.

I’ve been assembling rows in between times over the past week and as you can see from my sewing table, I’ve got pieces all over the place – but it’s all organised, right? Then I found I had an odd number of rows assembled to split between 2 vertical strips. It wasn’t down the back of the table, so I had to make an extra one!

Next job was the setting triangles in this lovely little basket design from the Kindred Spirits range by Bunny Hill Designs. I cut a nice stack of quarter square triangles and remembered just as I began joining them, that it was a directional print and it mattered which way round you place them. Half the baskets go up, the others go sideways. So I spent a good hour deciding which rows would go in which strip to balance out the ‘random’ look.

I defy anyone to be truly random when it comes to placement!

Tonight I’ve got as far as joining 11 diagonal rows for the first strip and then (in true make it up as you go along style) realised I needed 2 more little Square in a Square blocks to level off the strip at each end. Somehow I just couldn’t get my head round the direction of the final corner triangles, but finally made it!

If I try to start the second strip tonight I will make mistakes, so I thought I’d better stop now and update my blog instead.

Here are some sneak previews of Sandra’s quilt. I went for a soft feathery filler design in the end so as not draw attention to the slight difference in dimensions at the bottom end and to ‘soak up’ the extra fullness. I hope she likes it!

Check back soon to see it off the frame and with the binding on.

Until then – Happy Quilting!

Janet

www.englishquilter.co.uk