Sound Wave & Magnum Blocks - Skill Builder BOM: January/Piecing

by Alyssa Lichner at Pile O'Fabric

I'm so excited about making this quilt, not sure I can hold off a whole year until it's finished!
Here's a pic of all my fabrics together

 The fabric second down/left 1st column (pink) is a substitute for a fabric that hasn't arrived yet, which is actually lime green based.

And here are my first two blocks. 
(I have to admit I'm a bit ashamed to share these photos with you as the pressing marks are soooo bad, and I never pressed anything before that's looked worse after pressing than before, but there's a reason for that which I'll go on to explain!)

Magnum

Sound Wave

 What I've learnt so far:

1. Starch your fabric - oh boy is this stuff good!  I'm using Mary Ellen's Best Press - the nozzle on my bottle was a bit spitty which left marks on my fabric (these will wash out) but my second bottle is spraying perfectly.  Starched fabric holds its shape so much better when you're cutting and piecing - I'm a total convert.   Alyssa has put together a great tutorial on how to starch.
2. Use a very firm ironing board with NO give - I thought my ironing board was firm but turns out I was wrong.  In my photos (oh I'm so ashamed of them, particularly of my Sound Wave block!!!) you can see all the lines where my iron has 'pressed' the fabric and the fabric has also wrinkled and my seams no longer look straight.  This is because I've used starch and there's 'give' in my ironing surface.  The blocks aren't spoilt/damaged - it'll all come out in the wash but if I make myself a pressing board, rather than using my ironing board, then this problem should go away.  
3. To make a pressing board all you need is a piece of flat wood - the sort that is used to lay under vinyl flooring is perfect, staple a piece of batting around the wood and then cover with a piece of 100% cotton fabric of your choice and staple that in place also.  Home Depot here I come!
4. When joining strips together side by side sew each one in the opposite direction to the previous strip.  By this I mean when you sew your first two strips together start sewing at the top of the block and when you attach your third strip start sewing at the bottom of the block and keep alternating direction.  Adding each strip can cause your block to curve in one direction but if you alternate sewing direction then each curve will work against the last and keep your block and sewn lines straight.

As this is Quilt As You Go (QAYG), the blocks are sandwiched and basted ready for the next stage later this week - Free Motion Quilting (FMQ).  I've folded each block back so you can see the backing.

And here's the thread colours I've selected from my stash.

I'm very much looking forward to FMQ Thursday!

You can follow the Skill Builder BOM on Flickr.

Related Posts:
Woven Star & Woven Chevrons Blocks - Skill Builder BOM: March/HSTs & QSTs & Bias Sewing

Em Dash & The Mood Blocks - Skill Builder BOM: February/Basic Piecing and Bias Sewing
Sound Wave & Magnum Blocks - Skill Builder BOM: January/FMQ
Sound Wave & Magnum Blocks - Skill Builder BOM: January/Piecing

A Year Long Quilt? Well I'm Very Excited About It!

Scraptastic & Folded Blocks - The Something New Sampler: Week 2

Two new blocks on

hosted by Amy @the cute life

First up is Block 2 -  A Scraptastic Technique Block from Chelsea @Pins & Bobbins

Not exactly the block we were shown, Chelsea told us to cut our 'created' fabric into 3 strips and then sash them back together but I loved the scrap technique so much that I created the whole block that way rather than sashing it.

I can't believe it only took me a few minutes to create this!


The third block on the hop is The Something Folded Block from Heidi @Buttons & Butterflies

 Again I didn't follow the instructions exactly, changing the colour sections slightly and also the weaving sections/pattern.  If you decide to give this a go then here's my tips:

1. I used a piece of very lightweight muslin for my foundation/backing fabric - there's so much folded fabric in the finished block that you don't want to add more weight to it unnecessarily. 
2. I didn't use the same number of fabric sections that Heidi suggested - I did cut them but found there were too many to fit on the backing/foundation fabric so I reduced the number.
3. I used my Hera marker and my cutting ruler to draw/score a 1/4" line down each strip of fabric. The fabric then turned back easily and perfectly along the 1/4" line which made it very easy to iron the folded seam back into place. 
4. I used a lot of pins to hold each strip in place and then as a section was complete I did large basting and removed the pins until I was ready to weave the strips.

And here's the 3 blocks I've created so far

You can follow The Something NEW Sampler on flickr

Next Time:

Sashiko and Reverse Applique

Related Posts:

A Modern Bargello 

To Catch A Thief

Last night we went over to Loew's Landmark Theatre in Jersey City to watch the Hitchcock movie 'To Catch A Thief' on the big screen.  As always it was a really great screening and the movie, Grace Kelly's last for Hitchcock, was a lot of fun.

It's so incredibly stunning and beautiful (even though it hasn't been fully restored yet) and I took some photos to share with you :)

Loew's Jersey City

  Loew's Jersey City opened in 1929, an original 'Movie Palace'.

Downstairs Lobby

Upstairs Balcony

View from Upstairs Balcony

"Acts from Manhattan’s Capitol Theatre regularly toured the Loew’s Jersey. Most of the stars of the early and mid-1930s “trod the boards” at the Loew’s, legendary performers such as Duke Ellington, Bing Crosby, Jean Harlow, Burns and Allen, Bing Crosby, Bill Robinson, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Cab Calloway, to name just a few."

Inside the Auditorium

"One evening in March 1933, a young and still unknown Frank Sinatra took his date to the Loew’s to see a movie and a live performance by Bing Crosby, who at the time was the nation’s most popular singer. It was there in the Loew’s Jersey’s darkened auditorium watching Crosby on stage -- according to Nancy Sinatra’s biography of her father -- that Frank decided he too could be a singing star."

excerpts are taken from The Landmark Loew's Jersey website 

Upstairs Balcony Areas

'Ladies' Restroom

In 1974 Loew's, Jersey City was turned into a Triplex Cinema with partition walls cutting into the ornate decoration of the auditorium.  In 1986, the Movie Palace closed and was due for demolition in 1987.  The community came together and in 1993 won the battle to save Loew's.  Restoration by volunteers is ongoing,there's still so much to do, and there is a schedule of screenings and events to raise funds for the work.

Loew's Jersey City

We love visiting Loew's and it feels such a privilege to watch classic movies on the big screen and to experience them as intended when they were made.

For details of other fabric, yarn, trim and notion stores that I've visited around the world along with the NYC stores I love, exhibitions and events I've attended and wonderful people I've been lucky to meet click the links below or in my sidebar :D

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only, no payment or commission is received on click-throughs and opinions are my own.

Oh No, Not A Dresden Plate? That'll Be A January Bee Block Then!

So on Friday my January Bee Block arrived from King Bee Brian.  Totally excited I ripped open the envelope and found the instructions, template and fabrics for a Dresden Plate block.  I've seen Dresden Plates many times around the internet, one of my recent favourites was made by my friend Kati at Kati's Quilting and Sewing, and I'd quickly added them to my list - no, not my To Do List (of which I have many) or even my Bucket List (which doesn't even exist), I'm talking about my No, Nay, Never List.

If you're dreading doing something my theory is to get on with it quickly so you can stop worrying about it, so I got up this morning all ready to crack this Dresden thing and that's exactly what I did.

Brian said "... use your creativity and as much latitude as you like.  You can do whichever size plate or several plates whatever strikes your fancy!"   There were few instructions, just to use the teal fabric for the background and the yellow fabric for the centre circle and then to applique to the background fabric. "Above all - have a great time being creative and modern!"

I decided to vary the length of each plate and to make some plates with square edges and others with points.

I love the back so much I have to share a photo of that too!

This has to be one of the fastest blocks I've ever made.  It is so simple and looks soooooo complicated.  I take back everything I ever thought about making a Dresden Plate block/quilt.  It was such fun and, yet again, being in my Bee has challenged me to learn new skills and given me another shove out of my comfort zone - a very big thank you King Brian.

I love my NYC Mod Bee :)

Related Posts:
NYC Mod Blocks

And you can click this link to see all of my NYC Mod Quilt Guild Bee Blocks and Challenge Blocks/Quilts.