Several questions were asked about how I would cheat to sew the color wash together. So maybe cheat is not the best description, but it is quick and easy. I learned to quilt back in the old days of "templates" for everything, including triangles and squares! Today our methods are termed "speed techniques", like quick flying geese using special rulers, thangles for all sizes of half square triangles, and for me gridded interfacing for the water color quilts. It's a "cheat" on the old techniques, but works so well.
The prospect of sewing 408 2 1/2" squares together was daunting. No, a better word would be overwhelming. I have a short attention span. I flit around. I get bored so easily. I knew that after sewing a half dozen rows I would begin to feel boxed in and frustration would cover me up. So after PT I stopped by the store and purchased a couple of packages of regular fusible interfacing.....the very inexpensive type that happened to be on sale. No lines on this and only 15 inches wide. A little math.....6 x2 1/2" = 15.... Perfect, works for me. One strip cut to the correct width would be exactly what I needed for 6 rows.
I have a gridded cover on my ironing board that proved to be a huge help to keep the squares lined up and even as I placed them on the interfacing. This interfacing is the lightest weight and just serves to hold all the pieces into a sew able---straight seam---mass.
I transferred the squares by rows....one at a time, to keep from getting confused. (Even if I was to sew each pair, I would need to correctly stack and mark each row to keep them in order.) Three rows laid down and then I fused them, carefully keeping the iron away from the exposed fusible. Repeat for all rows.....done and ready to sew.
Total time for arranging and fusing---1 1/2 hours.
I know I could have been sewing during that time instead....but now I just sew. First, I will join the 4 sections then I sew all the verticals, clip the intersections, and then sew the horizontal rows. No worry with matching the seams at intersections....they will match using this method. No stopping to press until the seams are all sewn.
So that is where I am....ready to stitch away. Ready to enjoy the long weekend, the end of summer---but not the humidity, and ready for a few finishes. Happy stitching.
I have a gridded cover on my ironing board that proved to be a huge help to keep the squares lined up and even as I placed them on the interfacing. This interfacing is the lightest weight and just serves to hold all the pieces into a sew able---straight seam---mass. 
Total time for arranging and fusing---1 1/2 hours.
I know I could have been sewing during that time instead....but now I just sew. First, I will join the 4 sections then I sew all the verticals, clip the intersections, and then sew the horizontal rows. No worry with matching the seams at intersections....they will match using this method. No stopping to press until the seams are all sewn.
So that is where I am....ready to stitch away. Ready to enjoy the long weekend, the end of summer---but not the humidity, and ready for a few finishes. Happy stitching.
5 comments:
Great tip- thank you for sharing.
Seems like a great solution to me! I've been so busy admiring the way you put squares in their "right" places that I didn't even think about how you would put it together!
Very clever, Debbie.
Wait a minute, so you fuse them down, cut into strips then sew the strips together? I like this cheat. Thanks.
I think I understand this method. I'm a bit confused as to how you sew them if you have 3 rows fused to the interfacing. Do you fold the rows over (right sides together)& sew? When you sew the horizontal do you do the same thing? I need to practice this to actually see how it's done but it sure sounds a lot faster than dealing with all those tiny squares together one at a time.
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