The Summer of The Flowering Snowball-Along....The Wrap Up

Well, here we are...the end of summer and the end of our Flowery Fun Quilt Along!

Shortly after I began blogging a few years ago, I tested out this traditional curvy block....the Flowering Snowball. But I set it aside for another day and would visit it off and on over the next couple of years. It is one of those blocks I knew I loved, I felt others might love it, too....and it isn't impossible to stitch.

This is my first attempt at a Quilt Along and I have been pleasantly surprised at the number of quilters who have given Flowering Snowball a try! They have been sharing their progress on blogs, on Flickr, and especially on Instagram. If you haven't visited the Instagram page it is #floweringsnowballalong....it is amazing! And, I believe, everyone who was afraid to tackle curves feels so much more confident now! Yay! So I am going to kick this off by sharing my Flowering Snowball...then I hope you will upload your pictures and/or links for your own Flowering Snowball. It doesn't matter if you made one block or an entire quilt! It doesn't even matter if it is finished or still in progress. Let's just have a parade of Flowering Snowballs! {hopefully, I have configured the Linky correctly...yikes}

I love scrappy quilts! I want to feel like I am 10 again and my grandma just covered me up with a handmade quilt. Made from her favorite fabrics and her old re-purposed clothes. So my quilt is, of course, scrappy. With a pink polka dot binding...and hand quilted.

I used black Valdani thread {which I purchased this Spring at Quilt Market...Yay!} to pick stitch. This quilt is pieced with Aurifil 50 wt. cotton thread. And I used a blue stripe oxford cloth for the backing. I love when the stitching makes a lovely pattern on the back. The stitching pattern is easy to see with the simple backing fabric.

And, finally, I finished with a label...

Now it's your turn! Show off all your hard work! You will be able to add your picture until September 2nd. So if you have a blog...you might want to write a post to link up to the picture...or maybe you already have. And, I believe, I have this link set so you can just post your picture if you don't have a blog. I hope I worked this out correctly....I guess we will see. Thank you, everyone, for quilting along! I have so enjoyed seeing all your quilts and reading your comments! xo mary

An InLinkz Link-up

Putting the blocks together!

Well, the end is getting near!  And for some it has already arrived!

The end of the Flowering Snowball-along, of course! Although, even after we have put the last stitch in the binding, you are welcome to continue posting your progress and finished pictures on Flickr!

This quilt-along has just reinforced my love for the Flowering Snowball block. Every quilt-in-progress or finished quilt I have seen on Flickr or on Instagram has been breathtaking!

It is thrilling!

But today we are putting the blocks together and the rows together.

This will be very easy and most of you know how the drill goes without any prompting.

Begin with two blocks....

  

Obviously, the area that is important to match up is the center section where the A/B template pieces meet.

This is just a teeny bit more tricky because the seams have been pressed toward the A/B piece. So the seams are not butting up to each other, but rather are pressed in the same direction. This makes that area a little more bulky (but not too bad) and if you aren't careful the two seams will 'slip' and not line up properly.  Pressing in opposite directions 'locks' those two seams into place.  

There are many ways to secure the seam before you begin stitching.  Of course, you can use pins...or forked pins which straddle the seam and secure the critical area.  Or you could use clips to hold everything in place, or even a dab of basting glue in the seam allowance.

Once you have stitched the seam, check for proper alignment.  If it isn't quite as perfect as you would like....try unpicking a few stitches before the mistake flub and a few after the flub.  Sometimes you can set your seam again and stitch over that area a second time.  This saves you from having to take out the entire seam.  

        

Stitch all the blocks for Row one, Row two, Row three, etc.  in this manner.  

 All of the seams in Row one will be pressed in one direction.  The seams in Row two will be pressed in the opposite direction.  Now you can 'lock' the seams between blocks for Row one and Row two.

Add each row this way and before you know it, you will have an amazing Flowering Snowball top!!!!

Keep posting pictures on instagram with the hashtag #floweringsnowballalong 

and the Flickr page!

But it can't be all about Flowering Snowballs....so today I worked on a little something different...

I turned the volume down a bit and machine pieced a few hexies!

 

      What are you stitching this week?

happy monday

mary 

Sewing Curves and Piecing!

Are you ready for the dreaded curves! Ahhh...these curves are not worrisome at all.  The curves on the Flowering Snowball are very gentle and should come together very easily.

Before I begin sewing I attach my 1/4 inch foot and decrease my stitch length to 1.8 for piecing. 

  First, lets look at how your Flowering Snowball pieces will fit together...

I begin by sewing the Blue A/B template on both sides of the center square.  Of course, use a scant 1/4 inch seam allowance and piece with right sides facing.  A scant 1/4 inch is just a couple of threads shy of a true 1/4 inch.  A scant 1/4 inch is used to allow for the fold at the seam once the pieces have been pressed open.  I always use a quarter inch foot so there is no guessing about my seam allowance!

  

Once this unit is stitched, press seams away from the center square.  Press both seams in the same direction.  By pressing in this manner you will be able to easily butt up the seams when the time comes.  When I began quilting, this was the method always used...then pressing seams open became popular.  I think each method has it's own benefits...it is just a matter of knowing when to use each one.

 

Now, it's time to add a C piece to both sides of the A/B piece...

  

This is where it gets curvy!  The Flowering Snowball has a very gentle curve so I am comfortable with using just two pins.

Because a curve is on the bias there is enough stretch to help you manipulate the fabric so the pieces come together nicely.

It is best to start with the (wrong side) concave piece facing you.  The concave piece is the one that looks like a smile...in our Flowering Snowball it is the A/B piece.  

   

I place a pin at the beginning and at the end.  You can actually do this without pins at all, but I just feel a little more comfortable with 2 pins. Again, right sides facing and you should be looking at the wrong side of the A/B piece.  

Start stitching with the needle down and take a few stitches to anchor your pieces.  

Then as you stitch, be sure to keep the raw edges lined up and just gently pull the curve to straighten it out a bit.  This will help to ease in any fullness.

You might want to use tweezers or a pin or a stiletto to hold the end of the seam. Repeat this on the other side of the A/B piece.

It's a good idea to get into the habit of finger pressing before you press with the iron.  This unit will be pressed with seams in toward the A/B template piece.  

  

I always flip my work over so the right side is facing me and give one final press into the seams.  This way I am sure to eliminate any ridge or channel at the seam. Those folded areas at the seam will really throw off your accuracy.

There are two of the units above.  Next, those units are added to the first piece we put together (with the center square).

Again, this is a larger curve but still a gentle curve.  The most important part will be matching up the center square seams.  It is a bit easier since we pressed the unit seams in opposite directions.

I match or butt the seams together in the center and pin.

      

I do not have the forked pins, although, I have heard they work very well.  And I do not glue baste, although, I have heard that works very well, too! It is just a personal preference.  

So match the center seams and then pin at the beginning of the curve and at the end.  Remember to stitch with the concave piece facing you.  

      

Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance, stitch just as you did the other curves.  If you find that the center seams did not match closely enough, try taking out a few stitches before the seam, on the seam and after the seam. Align the seams again and stitch.  Very often I find there is no need to take out the entire seam.  

      

Press the long curved seam toward the center.

There are a few YouTube videos on curved piecing. That you might want to view. 

Curves really aren't too bad and actually kind of fun to do! I love seeing all the blocks coming together on the Flickr page and on Instagram.  Remember, on Instagram use the hashtag #floweringsnowballalong!!!

The next installment will be July 14th. when we will put the blocks together...easy peasy!

happy monday!

mary

Layout and English Paper Piecing....

Hopefully, you have been pulling out some fabrics for the Flowering Snowball...I know there are a few folks who have not only picked their fabrics but are on to the quilting!  Ahhhhmazing!

Today I will quickly go over pattern layout for cutting the template pieces...and then Clare will share her EPP method for putting together a stunning Flowering Snowball!   

Whether you are using acrylic templates that you purchased or the downloaded template from here...

there are a couple of things to remember when cutting out your templates.

The most important thing to remember is that the straight edge of the template needs to be parallel to the straight of grain on the fabric.

and, again, on the straight of grain...

I know this is exciting stuff!  But it is important to have the outside edges of the block on the straight of grain.  That pesky bias on the outside edge makes for a wiggly block!

If you are cutting acrylic templates with a rotary...it may be easier to use a smaller rotary.  I used my 45mm rotary because I was too lazy to look for the smaller one, but I do think it would help.   If you prefer to trace around templates {and I often do}... you can simply use a sharp pencil.  And for dark fabric, if you can't see your pencil mark, you can use a silver gel pen or a chalk pencil.  The templates are cut on the drawn line, so no need to worry about the mark.  

   

 Before I turn this over to Clare....I wanted to share with you a couple of amazing Flowering Snowballs!

Have a peek here and here!

and you can follow the entire group here!

So now, please pop over to Clare's place! Clare is the go-to girl for EPP!  And you can't even imagine how beautiful her Flowering Snowball quilt is!  Well, maybe you can....because everything Clare does at Selfsewn is amazing!

You will find Clare here....   

happy monday!

keep posting those pictures...these quilts are fabulous!

mary 

SCHEDULE

Post schedule- June 11th.

Yardage - June 13th.

Templates and options for making Templates - June 15th.

Choosing Fabrics::with a special guest Susan@PatchworknPlay- June 20th.

Cutting Fabric using the templates or choosing to make an English Paper Piecing Version::with a special guest Clare@Selfsewn- June 23rd.

Sewing Curves and Piecing - June 30th.

Putting the Top Together - July 14th.

Quilting and Binding - July 18th.

Show Off your Finished or Almost Finished Flowering Snowball - Aug. 8th.

 

The Fabric....

Today on the Flowering Snowball-along schedule, I will talk about choosing fabrics.  And even better yet...Susan from PatchworknPlay is here to share her insights about fabric.  She is amazing at choosing the perfect fabrics for her projects. Susan never disappoints!  I love the fabrics she puts together.  They are  exciting, appropriate for the quilt pattern and always thoughtfully chosen.

www.patchworknplay.blogspot.com

  

So head over to Susan's and then pop back here for my thoughts on color and design...

    

  As a quilt teacher, there are often discussions about how to choose the right fabric.  

As much as I would like to say there is a formula for choosing the right fabrics...I just don't buy into this notion that there is a right and wrong way to choose fabric.  Other than, choose what makes you happy and don't buy the stuff you don't really like....even if everyone else is ga-ga over it!  If it isn't your cup of tea just wait.  Sometimes things grow on you and they become irresistible! 
 

All too often, people just don't trust their instincts when it comes to fabric.  Listen to what your gut tells you...if you place two fabrics next to each other and they make you happy...go for it! I often find choosing fabrics a trial and error process.  I pull a pile of fabric for a quilt and then edit from there.  Sometimes I have to go back into my stash and grab a few other choices.  But usually I just have a small box or bag with the 'working' fabrics.

When I began quilting...there were rules for the number of fabrics and the scale of the design, the value, the hue, etc, etc, etc...

it just made my head want to explode!  That's probably why all my early quilting was navy and raspberry!

  

So for my part today, I just want to show you the different effects to think about as you work with this design.

To begin...let's just refresh our memories about color - you know this without even having to explain it...

Primary Colors are pure colors...red, yellow and blue

Secondary Colors are produced by mixing two primary colors in equal amounts...such as: violet, green and orange

Tertiary Colors are between Primary and Secondary...such as: red-violet or yellow-orange

If you are making an 'exciting' quilt, you will most likely pull warm and cool colors.  Warm colors are those associated with fire and Cool colors are the colors associated with water or the ocean.

Alternate warm and cool colors next to each other to create excitement!

stash buster...pattern by Sarah Fielke

And then there are the neutrals....neutral colors don't appear on the color wheel.  They are black, grey, white and some beige/browns.  Neutrals will not dominate...they go together and can be layered.  This is probably why neutral colors are often chosen as a background.

So how does color affect the Flowering Snowball?

Let's look at the parts...

If you choose to have the A/B template advance...simply use a lighter or neutral color for the C template.  The visual effect you get is a series of floating circles.  My scrappy version is like this.  I see dead people circles...hehe!

If you prefer the C template to advance, giving you a strong melon flower effect, choose a color and value for C that makes that template advance...

    There are a few other helpful truths about color to keep in mind...

Complementary colors are colors that are opposite on the color wheel.  They elicite a lively, spirited feel!

Analogous colors are next to one another on the color wheel and give a harmonious feel!

 Accent color is a color used in small bits to create a pop!  I always think of this as a very sophisticated strategy.

 Then there are tones and shades of color.  These are values depending on the amount of grey, white and black added to the color.  You can vary the value so no one element stand out from the rest...

I hope this helps a little if you struggle with color.  But, honestly, I think we all tend to over-think it!  Go with what you like. 

On Monday, I am going to talk about laying out your fabrics for cutting.  You will need to consider the straight of grain.  And Clare of Selfsewn will walk us through doing this quilt using English Paper Piecing.  Yay!

Have a great weekend and keep posting those pictures on Flickr and  Instagram #floweringsnowballalong

mary          

      

          

           

           

Planning the yardage...

I don't know about you, but I rarely purchase fabric just for a quilt pattern.  Rather, I just purchase fabric - lots of it - and usually have enough for a quilt pattern....or two...or three! LOL!

I envy people who are more disciplined and purchase only what they need when they need it.  

I am hoping this post will help those who are planning to pull from their stash and those who need an excuse to buy more!  Really, does anyone need an excuse???

 

the template that I will post on Sunday is a finished 12 inch block.

As I said before, there are several companies who make Flowering Snowball templates and the list is growing...

if you come across a company I have not listed, either include it in the comments or email the name to me to be added to the list.  I will add the list to the end of this post.

Yardage for a 12 inch block and a 48 X 48 inch quilt....good lap or baby size.

Fabric A and B (same template)....1 1/8 yards of each.  If you are making a scrappy quilt, I would add these two amounts 1.125 + 1.125= 2.25 yards total

Fabric C ....1 3/8 yards

Fabric D ....1/8 yard

Out of a yard and an eighth of fabric you should be able to get 32 of template A cut....there are 4 of these per block...  of course the same for template B  

Out of a yard and three-eighths of fabric you should be able to get 64 of template C cut and there are 4 of these per block

        

If you plan on making a different size you should be able to adjust the fabric requirements fairly easily.  I have not seen if any of the manufactured templates include fabric yardage requirements....I am still waiting for my templates to be delivered.

But if you are making a different size block and/or a different size quilt and need help deciding what the yardage should be...you can email me and I will try to help.  I use the Electric Quilt program and have really enjoyed using it over the years.  I would recommend a software program for anyone who does a lot of quilting and would like to design their own quilts or just work with different blocks and techniques.  The EQ program has a block library and you can adjust the block size and the quilt size to suit your needs.  

So here is the list for the manufactured templates...

www.quilttemplates.com

Mondern Quilter on Etsy

Custom Plastic on Etsy

Jenna Appleton 

 Okay!  I will see you Sunday with templates that you can print out on your own printer!

happy friday!

mary

 

  

It's Coming!

Hold on...I am working out the details...
soon I will have a schedule together and we can get started...
In the meantime...I have formed a Molly Flanders Makerie :: Flowering Snowball-along Flickr page here


 

I will also have a Linky party or two, so if you want to sew along, but don't want to commit to a Flickr group...you can join in that way as well...

Finally, I have had a few people ask me about templates. The block in my quilt is a finished 12". I will post the templates on the blog for you to print out and we will discuss different options for making templates. 

But there are a couple of sites selling Flowering Snowball acrylic templates.  I do not have acrylic templates, but I did place an order today for a set. Of course, it is much more economical to use the templates I post on the blog and make your own.  
  
If you would like to look at the templates for purchase you can find them at:
www.quilttemplates.com - they have several sizes available
and an etsy shop called ModernQuilter - they have only a 9" block size available...

Okay...I think that is it for now.  I will be back in the next few days with a schedule and fabric requirements!
mary