Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

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Sew Alongs Make Me Happy

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I am having a ridiculous amount of fun with the sew alongs in which I have been participating.  The block above is week number eight of the ModaBlockHeads Sew Along.  This sew along has actually challenged me, which I have thoroughly enjoyed.  I have been "forced" to do a bit of machine appliqué, which it turns out, I love.  This week's block didn't call for appliqué, but the units were kind of small.  Those little half square triangles in the basket block above are only one inch finished.  A year ago I would have moaned and groaned to make a block with units that tiny.  I have learned I can do it, and with good results.

The trick to good results is to first starch the heck out of the fabrics you are using prior to cutting them.  Really soak them with a can of spray starch.  Let them air dry, then press them.  The result is slightly stiff fabric which is a dream to cut and sew.  The second trick to good results is to use triangle papers.  Or, you could make your half square triangles oversized and trim them down to the correct size.  Nothing is wonky, everything lines up perfectly.

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The other sew along I am enjoying is Lisa Bongean's 2017 Triangle Gatherings.  Every week Lisa comes out with a block or two that uses 16 half square triangles to make a different block.  Supposedly she will come up with over 80 variations on how to construct different blocks with just those units.  I especially loved this week's block, #32.  It came out even more on point than usual, every thread right where it should be.  I attribute that to starching and using triangle papers as well.

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What am I going to do when I run out of space on my design wall?  Oh No!  I just love seeing my progress on display up there.

18 responses to “Sew Alongs Make Me Happy”

  1. Aoolause, applause! Thank you for the helpful hints, too!
    Heaven help me, I’m rearranging my sewing room. Am I nuts??
    Hugs!

  2. Aoolause, applause! Thank you for the helpful hints, too!
    Heaven help me, I’m rearranging my sewing room. Am I nuts??
    Hugs!

  3. Aoolause, applause! Thank you for the helpful hints, too!
    Heaven help me, I’m rearranging my sewing room. Am I nuts??
    Hugs!

  4. Great tips today for teeny blocks! They all look great on the wall! I’d sit & admire my work a lot if I were you!

  5. Great tips today for teeny blocks! They all look great on the wall! I’d sit & admire my work a lot if I were you!

  6. Great tips today for teeny blocks! They all look great on the wall! I’d sit & admire my work a lot if I were you!

  7. Your blocks are very nice, Nicole. Just look at how everything lines up in your blocks. I hope to get caught up today, as I haven’t made week 7 BH yet nor the extra blocks that have been released either. Work, yard work, kids, laundry, LOL. Just yesterday, my friend who’s also doing BH asked me how my block sizes are and I said that they’re ok and I think its because of my Best Press. I see you have the same opinion! Have a great day.

  8. Your blocks are very nice, Nicole. Just look at how everything lines up in your blocks. I hope to get caught up today, as I haven’t made week 7 BH yet nor the extra blocks that have been released either. Work, yard work, kids, laundry, LOL. Just yesterday, my friend who’s also doing BH asked me how my block sizes are and I said that they’re ok and I think its because of my Best Press. I see you have the same opinion! Have a great day.

  9. Your blocks are very nice, Nicole. Just look at how everything lines up in your blocks. I hope to get caught up today, as I haven’t made week 7 BH yet nor the extra blocks that have been released either. Work, yard work, kids, laundry, LOL. Just yesterday, my friend who’s also doing BH asked me how my block sizes are and I said that they’re ok and I think its because of my Best Press. I see you have the same opinion! Have a great day.

  10. I love your blocks! The modablockheads are so much fu to make and I’m always making the 3″ extra block Betsy is posting (1/2″ finished HSTs this time the 1″ HSTs seemed pretty big next to them;-)

  11. I love your blocks! The modablockheads are so much fu to make and I’m always making the 3″ extra block Betsy is posting (1/2″ finished HSTs this time the 1″ HSTs seemed pretty big next to them;-)

  12. I love your blocks! The modablockheads are so much fu to make and I’m always making the 3″ extra block Betsy is posting (1/2″ finished HSTs this time the 1″ HSTs seemed pretty big next to them;-)

  13. Thanks for the great tips on working with those little pieces. I usually oversize and cut down but my friends like the starch method you mentioned, I’m just so impatient waiting for stuff to dry!

  14. Thanks for the great tips on working with those little pieces. I usually oversize and cut down but my friends like the starch method you mentioned, I’m just so impatient waiting for stuff to dry!

  15. Thanks for the great tips on working with those little pieces. I usually oversize and cut down but my friends like the starch method you mentioned, I’m just so impatient waiting for stuff to dry!

  16. Nicole, Did you make this block exactly as the instructions told us to?? or did you improvise at all? What I’d like to know is if I could use EZ Angle for the HST?? Have you used one, sorry I can’t remember.

  17. Nicole, Did you make this block exactly as the instructions told us to?? or did you improvise at all? What I’d like to know is if I could use EZ Angle for the HST?? Have you used one, sorry I can’t remember.

  18. Nicole, Did you make this block exactly as the instructions told us to?? or did you improvise at all? What I’d like to know is if I could use EZ Angle for the HST?? Have you used one, sorry I can’t remember.