Sedona QAL Block 3 - Desert Bloom -

 

Each Block just gets prettier and prettier. This one is my fave so far.
Each block is made of 4 "petals" - smaller units that go togethr fairly quickly.

There are a couple of things that you need to pay attention to. 

The first trouble spot is when you trim off the points on the background pieces. Its important to get the angle correct otherwise  you won't be able to properly cut the curve on this background piece. You should be trimming perpendicular to the short side. It is so easy to get it wrong and trim perpendicular to the hypotenus (remember HS Geometry?). If you trim them correctly, you will have no trouble completing the next step and cutting the curve out.

The next few steps just require following the directions. Easy-Peasy. Remember not to pull your peices as you are sewing the curves.

The next place where you need to pay attention is when you are squaring up the units. If you don't have 1/4 inch from the "petal" to the seam of the triangle on the corners, it won't match when  you sew the 4 petals together. Its more important to be exact on the center triangle (The dark green in this pic) than to be exact on the background triangle.

When you sew the 4 units together you'll want to match the seams of those triangles - see the center of the flower in this photo.

Overall it was a fun block, if a little fiddley to get the seams to match. 

This is the third block, so its not too late to join the QAL. 




 

GE Designs Ruler Stickers

 Who knew such as little thing could be such a big help? Gudrun did!

As I get older, I find myself double checking the lines on my rulers and more often than I'd like to admit, I still make mistakes. The one thing that helps is Gudrun's ruler stickers.

These repositional vinyl arrow stickers are a great tool for marking lines on quilting rulers, marking landmarks on QCR rulers when trumming the curved units for Sew Kind of Wonderful patterns, and marking the grooves on the GE Designs stripology rulers. 

The Sedona pattern has many opportunities to use these clever little stickers. Here is how I marked my QCR mini ruler for the Slide Rock Block. 

The stickers are available on my Etsy site, on GE Designs website, from your local quilt shop, or from Amazon. Check 'em out. I think you'll love them!

Cheers!

Ch

Sedona Block 1 - Slide Rock

 I love this first motif. In addition to a cool row type block, it would make a very interesting border. Individually the blocks look like tulips. I can envision it in pink and green. 

In this post I'm going to add some tips and thought that arose as I was making the slide Rock motif. This is not meant to replace the pattern - you must have the pattern to participate in the QAL. 'Nough said.

First some general thoughts - these notes apply to all the motifs.

1. You probably should get some gripper dots for your ruler. I noticed some slippage with mine.

2. Cutting process for all the blocks – There are 3 different cutting processes, and each has its own accuracy level and ruler indicators.

• The first is to rough cut rectangles and squares according to the pattern for your step. In this case close (within 1/16^th) is good enough.

• 
  The second is to cut your curved pieces. For these, follow your pattern closely. In many cases you have to make a mark to use as a cutting reference. You can cut several at a time. Some are cut right side up and some are wrong side up. This is important. To do this I stack my fabric wrong side together. These cuts should be fairly accurate, but don't worry about perfection.   

• T
  The last cut requires precision. For this cut you will be trimming up your blocks. The pattern tells you where to mark your ruler – I use a sharpie. You could also use GE Designs repositionable arrows. On this cut you may find your points don’t match up to the dots on your ruler. Ideally you want all points to match the indicators on your ruler. If they don’t, get as close as you can on all points. In other words, don’t get one perfect and leave three totally off.

3. Sewing process for all the blocks. Since we will be trimming the blocks after sewing, reduce your stitch length so that the seams don’t start coming undone. Pay close attention to how you line up the pieces right sides together. I find I make fewer mistakes when I lay them how they will end up and then put them right sides tighter. Sometimes one of the pieces extends over the other .25 or .5 inches.  The amount varies with every seam so pay attention.

4. There is no need for pinning. Using both hands – one on each piece of fabric  - Bring the seam allowances together about an inch or less before it goes under the presser foot. Sew a quarter inch seam. The blocks will look wonky before you trim – don’t worry you probably haven’t made a mistake. If you machine has a hover mode (presser foot comes up when you stop sewing) it’s a good idea to engage that feature as you sew the curves. You can stop and realign your fabric very easily that way.

5. Pay attention to which direction to press – again, it varies with every motif.

Block 1 Specifics

•     Sedona Sky - Make 18
•     Sedona Trails - Make 21
•     Sedona Medallion - Make 12 (I would use fabric amount indicated for Sky. You’ll have a bit extra)

1.  Remember – cut half right side up and half right side down.

2.  Be careful when you cut your background fabric in Step 3 - the rectangles are 4” x 4.5” and could easily be turned the wrong direction. Make sure they are oriented correctly – the shorter side facing you and the longer side going away from you.

3.  Pattern says you’ll need 3 strips of the background fabric for Sedona Sky. I think you’ll need 4 strips, but cut 3 first and see if you need the forth one. I did need it.

4. Ensure your “extension” amount is correct. Extension is the amount that the top piece extends over the bottom piece. Its usually .25 or .5 inches. It varies with every block, so pay attention.

5.  Sewing the individual blocks together takes some precision to get your points just right. Pin and take your time.

Curious about the Sedona QAL? Check it out here.

Sedona - A Very Cool Quilt Pattern

SewKindofWonderful has lots of very cool patterns and books. I've made 5 and have several in progress. The one I'm starting soon and will be hosting a Quilt Along for is Sedona.

I am so excited about this quilt - there are 2 layout options available in the pattern and one more on the SKW website. I haven't yet decided which layout I want to do - its either going to be the sky or the medallion. I love the colors in both these layouts. A trip to the LQS next week may be on the agenda.

The 11 motifs are fresh and use a combination of curve and straight piecing and have cool names such as slide rock, stepping stones, desert bloom, arches, chicken points, cool beans, reflection, ribbon, pole star, horizon, and trading box. What's not to love???

For the QAL I'll be providing tips on each motif. Check back here for the videos and info. If you want to join in, comment here or send me an email at djps1957@gmail.com. You can get this pattern at my Etsy shop, SewKindofWonderful, your local quilt shop, or Amazon. 

Curiousness Rules!

Quick Curve Ruler Mini

 Sew Kind of Wonderful began in 2011. And my, it has sure grown since! I've met sisters Jenny and Helen at a Missouri Star Quilting Company event years ago and have followed the progress and addition of new rulers and patterns closely. I love everything I've made so far and my stack of "quilts to-make" keeps getting higher.

The second ruler released by SewKindofWonderful was the Quick Curve Ruler Mini. Its a smaller version of the original QCR. Smaller, but not interchangeable. Each of the rulers have their own patterns. And There are tons of patterns developed for the QCRmini, including Sedona - the 2023 QAL project. 

As shown in the YouTube video, you can (should) use a regular 45mm rotary cutter to make cuts in the slot of the ruler. Once sewn together, you'll use the QCRmini to square up your block. It's helpful to use a sharpie to mark the "landmarks" on the ruler to align it for trim-up. The patterns indicate where to make those marks. 

You can get your QCRmini from my  Etsy Shop, SewKindofWonderful, your local quilt shop, or Amazon.

Keep the curiosity coming!

Sedona by SewKindofWonderful - a 2023 Quilt Along with Denise

 Looking for something new and interesting to work on in the new year? Think about joining in on the 2023 Sedona Quilt Along with Denise.

Here’s what you need to know – this is a no pressure, at your own pace, with tips and hints, as communal (or as solo) as you want it Quilt Along.  It is free and you can come and go as you wish. I’m starting in January, but that doesn’t mean you have to start in January. The only requirement is that you have fun. Oh and you’ll have to buy the pattern and ruler – either from me, from SewKindofWonderful, your local quilt shop or Amazon. Who knows, you might already have them!

Every month, I'll provide some instruction on how to make the motif for that month. These videos will be available on my Blog, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. You can join the QAL Facebook Grou if you wish, but its not required. I'll also send some extra info and fun stuff your way each month - picture a few new recipes, notion recommendations, quilting resolutions, etc. Just a few fun extras!

Here's how things will go - In January, we'll talk about the layout options included in the pattern as well as those available on SewKindofWonderful's website. After choosing your layout, you can figure out your fabric requirements. 

Then in February through August you can learn about and make the 11 motifs. The QCR mini is a fun, useful ruler.  Tons of opportunities open up once you're confident with it. Each month you'll have a chance to use it on a different motif. That will be your homework for the month - for those of you who like a little accountability (remember, no pressure unless you want some gentle nudging). The number of each motif you make is dependent on the layout that you choose. September will be dedicated to finishing up any loose ends before we start assembly in October. In November we'll all show off our beautiful creations.

So - the bottom line is that you'll have fun, no pressure, no charge (except pattern and ruler), as much or little accountability as you want, as much or little socializing as you like. And you'll end up with a cool, new, modern quilt and some new skills.

Got Questions? Ask in the comments.

QAL Curious . . .