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Strip-Pieced
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Click here for my article about watercolor quilting...
Did you know that watercolor quilting can be as easy as making a simple
nine-patch? It's all in the fabric selection. In my article on watercolor
quilting, I have shown what fabrics to look for. For strip-piecing, you merely
need to choose slightly smaller, more even patterns to avoid unexpected sections
of fabric showing too light or dark. You will also want to buy full widths of
fabric, instead of fat quarters.
Here is an actual scan of a strip-pieced watercolor block, showing fabrics:
You can actually use any block that you can strip-piece but, for shading
purposes, I have found that a block made of 1-1/2" squares works
excellently. The 1-1/2" squares seem to blend the best. For this example, I
have chosen a 16-patch block (a block made up of 16 squares). You can use larger
blocks, but I have found that smaller ones are difficult to shade properly.
For this block, you will be happiest if you use 16 different fabrics shaded from
light to dark. Use the techniques in the Watercolor
Quilting article to decide on placement, using 2" squares of each
fabric. For this pattern, the object is to shade the block from one corner to
the opposite one. When the blocks are sewn together, it produces an effect
similar to Attic Windows. If alternated, the blocks will also make shaded
diamonds.
You will need about 1/2 yard of each for a full-size quilt (up to one yard for
king). They should be pre-washed, pressed and cut into very accurate 2"
strips.
Using your squares as a guide, sew these strips into four strip sets. These
should be pressed in alternating directions (first row left, second row right
and sew on). It sometimes helps to starch the strip sets lightly to make them
easier to work with.
Cut the strip sets into 2" wide strips and stack each in their appropriate
position. It's important not to get the order mixed up at any stage or your
blocks will not shade properly.
Sew these strips together, allowing the alternating seams to 'lock'. Finger
pinning is fine for this if you have pressed your seams properly and starched
your strips a bit. Press the seams on every other block up and down on every
alternating block.
Sew your blocks together, placing a block with the seams up next to a block with
the seams down. These seams should also 'lock' in place. Press well, add
borders, layer and machine quilt over the seams lines to disguise them. The
resulting quilt should look like this:
Or this:
Please send questions, thoughts or suggestions to: KathKwilts@KathKwilts.com
Click here for my article about watercolor quilting...
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