WIP Wednesday - How about those Habs?

So yeah... this one's actually been in progress for a while, but where I haven't been posting much lately (more on that another day), it's not actually made it to the blog!

I mentioned way back in my post for the March link-up when I made a change to my Library Project choices. At that stage, I had really only gotten as far as falling in love with the pattern and buying a load of fabric! Time to get started!
In an odd move, the pattern designer has you make the borders to begin... that's a first! They're so large that I had to find a creative way to store them until ready for use!

Up next, the rink corners. I'm not a huge fan of curved piecing, but what the heck... I can make four blocks, right?

 So much pinning...

Pretty smooth, eh? Especially when I think the pattern pieces printed in a strange way and are just a little small...

Once the rink corners where done, it was on to something a little more fun... improv piecing the lines. If you don't know much about hockey, these are not purely decorative, but pretty danged important when it comes to the rules of our national winter game!

Instead of piecing separate lines, you make one big blue line and one big red line and cut 'em down to size. It means the lines aren't unique, but I don't think most people will notice in the finished product. Time to break out the white Kona strips! I thought about using a tone on tone to break up the BIG expanses of white, but it just didn't feel right.

And here it is!

It may look done to you, but there's still a bunch of appliqué (yes, I said appliqué) to go. Goalie creases and face off circles will make this look even more realistic. There's also more borders to go... I struggled with these borders. Part of me wants to work in the colours of the recepient's favourite team, but I've always stayed away from making quilts for kiddos that reflect too closely their current tastes. I mean, things change, right? I opted for this Robert Kaufman print (I also used it's blue cousin for the lines). Grey is one of the colours of J Boy's current minor hockey association. That should work, right?

Up next, some scary appliqué. I'd be lying if I said progress wasn't stalled at this point. I just don't machine appliqué well and I'm concerned about the durability of a hand appliquéd section on a predominately white quilt destined for a pre-teen boy!

I'm so happy to have made it in under the wire - I'm linking up with Adrienne over at Chezzetcook Modern Quilts for the April Link-up of the Library Project!

J

P.S And since it's Wednesday afterall, I'm linking up with WIP Wednesday @ Freshly Pieced and the Needle & Thread Network!

Long time, no sew!

It's been a while, huh? Oh well. Don't worry I haven't been sewing in secret and not sharing... I know you were worried. ☺

A new little one arrived in my extended family a few weeks ago... he's a really cutie! And since I've made quilts for his parents and for his big brother, I don't really see how he can do without! His mom is a pinner too and chose this pattern a while back. She was thinking gender neutral top with a pop of colour once we knew if the little darling was a he or a she. It's not my usual type of pattern, but mama's heart was set on it. Why not!?

So, the thing about buying a pattern on-line that you're really invested before you actually read the instructions. On the up side, you can buy it, download it, and get to work in a matter of minutes. Turns out that those blocks with the diagonal lines are made of 1½ inch strips. Yikes! The pattern recommended starching. Let me tell you, I took that suggestion!

The actual construction was pretty easy. Sew a light and a dark strip together. Press 'em then sew 'em to another strip set. Something a little usual was that the pattern called for you to sew up both sides of the strip set. I was skeptical, but did it anyway!

This is when I discovered that a special ruler was called for in the pattern. Ooops. Chalk that up to on-line purchasing again! I made do with the 45 degree line on my mat and a trusty straight ruler.

The small section of stitching on the tip of the triangle got picked out. Tedious, but effective.

But then came the pressing of over a hundred 3⅜ inch squares. Ugh.

All pressed and clipped!

Just add some solid squares and the first block is done! I discovered fairly quickly that the striped blocks really did need to be trimmed to 3¼ inches before construction could continue. Not called for in the pattern, but necessary. Guess that ruler might have helped after all...

I do love sewing the top together... so satisfying. Almost as satisfying as hand-stitching those bindings!

But somehow I managed to put the last couple blocks together incorrectly! Thank goodness I saw it and that it was a quick fix!

Himself really loves this one... though he advises looking at it from a distance. You really see the pattern that way! I recommend the squint test.

And see those little crocuses sprouting up in the background? Proof positive that it really is springtime!

Hope you got in some sewing over the long Easter week-end! Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

J