Modified Betwixt Quilt--The Beginning

I plan to make my modified Betwixt Quilt.  As I do so, I will note what I'm doing; what I'm learning; and what I'm lamenting along the way.  I hope that you will follow along!

The quilt is comprised of 9 rows and 7 columns for a total of 63, 9" blocks.  There will be 32 Block 1's and 31 Block 2' (Ohio Star).

Fabrics used are Andover 5468 Gold; L Berringer Paisley Palette in blue and Kona Snow.  The Andover 5468 perfectly picks up the gold in the Paisley.  Of course digital renditions do not do it justice.  I think that this quilt will be quite charming.  I may elect to put a border on it.

This quilt's blocks number 2. Each is a 9 patch, and some of those 9 patches are compound blocks.  I plan to approach this using mass production! Here's my lay approach to finding the most efficacious way to cut and construct the blocks. I'm still a beginner quilter.  It is important to me to work efficiently and accurately.  I want to use the BEST method to leverage my time, my tools and ensure accurate and happy results.

I'm writing as I'm thinking here.  I will make a test block for each to determine that I'm cutting and assembling correctly.  As you read on, you will see that there are a mind numbing amount of blocks!

Let's start with Block 1:  quantity of 32.  

Thank goodness I'm writing this post to that my thought process can get to a logical (if not convoluted path) to a conclusion  (After making test blocks I modified my approach.  I struck out the old ideas and updated with settled on approach)

The block components will be

•  (32) 3.5"C (3" F) 9 patches
• Piecing Approach: I will strip piece these by taking a Bk,G,Bk strip (need 2x as many) and a G,Bk,G strip and sewing together and then subdividing by 1.5" and then sewing together to make the 9 patch.
• Cutting aid: I will use my GE Designs stripology ruler to make the subcuts. (No updates.  This method worked perfectly.  HOWEVER, TEST your block and modify your seam allowance to account for YOUR fabric and YOUR thread so that it measures correctly at 3.5" trimmed)
  

💡 Test your seam allowance for the fabric and thread that you are using and adjust accordingly so that the middle seam is exactly 1" wide.

•  32 x 4x 2=  256 128 1.5" F HST's
• Piecing/Cutting Approach:  I have L. Heinrich's Perfect HST's.  I will make the 1.5" finished HST.  I will cut 6.25 x 9.75 rectangles and make 16 at a time.  I will need 16 sheets of paper. (Update: I went with Magic 8 Method and used 5" squares of fabric for each color.  I trimmed my blocks using triangle trim method (trimmed measure on seam line, and trim each side.  Open and press.  Perfect.).
  
• simply stack fabrics, overlay the sheet, stitch as noted, cut where noted, rip off paper.
  
• The stitch and flip block could be converted to a plain square and an HST which would require another 4 x 32=128 HST's.  I'd rather not have the additional seam, so I'm electing to create the waste from 128 stitch and flips. (Conscious decision making). Update: When I made my test block, I didn't like the stitch and flip--too many seams.  So...I cut flanking triangles of 2" strip using my folded corner clipper and paired with HST to form the other side. Perfect.  Folded corner clipper created clipped corners on base triangle which really helped to line up.
  
• 4 x 32 = 128 stitch and flips. Large triangles cut from 3.5" fabric strip with folded corner ruler.  You could also cut squares in half.  Folded corner clipper created clipped corners on base triangle which really helped to line up.
• electing to do this rather than break it up to a square and an HST
• Cutting Aid;  I have an idea, but it may not work...I'll fill in this blank.
  
• 4 x 32 = 128 3.5"C (3" F) squares.  
• Cutting Aid:  Stripology Ruler. (Update:  Quick, Quick Quick!)
  

Let's take a look at Block 2 The Ohio Star.  Quantity of 31 blocks.

 

 

 

• Corner Squares:   4 x 31= 124 3.5" cut squares Kona Snow
  
• Cutting aid:  GE Stripology ruler for all subcuts
• Center Square: 1 x 31 = 31 3.5" cut squares from gold fabric
• Hour Glass Units 4 x 31 = 124 hourglass units.
• Hourglass units require HST's that are 1.25 larger than desired finished unit.  
• 3" finished units will require HST's of 4.25"
• I will need 2 x 4=8 4.25" HST's per block x 31= 248 HST's (ugh)
  
• Cutting/Piecing: I will use an eight-at-a-time method which cuts each unit on the straight of grain with bias on the diagonal only as with traditional method.
  
• Math = 4.25 C + .25 additional allowance to trim down = 4.5 x 2 = 9" square (one in blue and one in Kona Snow) that will be cut 8 eight ways (creating 4.5" squares.  I will need 31 of these 9" squares with yield of 8 x units for get my hour glass units.
• I saw other math that stated a more generous allowance, but I found that I had PLENTY of extra room adding just .25 more. Anything more is wasteful in my view. For this reason I believe it important to explore and specify for yourself best practices that you wish to adopt in your quilting.
  
• 💡 My best practice is to run a bead of glue across both diagonals for the first pass of 9" squares.  This glue holds the two pieces precisely together for NO shifting.  I mark sew lines (v. just the diagonal) but this is a preference thing. I moved to Bernina which has a gaited foot. The gated foot is the perfect visual (v. the side of a 1/4" foot).  So I changed to making just one diagonal.  However if I sew on Brown Betty, I'll mark both lines.  I also mark the 4.5" cutting line across both axis of the square. As I moved forward, I omitted these lines, and measured the 1/2" measure off the ruler.  Where the diagonals meet in the center provide a good visual. Put my QTools vinyl stop on the ruler ensures I always have a clear line on measured edge.
  
• After these HST's are cut, pressed and trimmed  and ready for 2nd step to transform into a QST, I run a bead of glue down the next diagonal, and match the diagonal seams exactly, and then press.  This provides a secure unit for the second diagonal sewing.  The second diagonal is perpendicular to the first.
• After sewing on either side of the diagonal, I cut on the diagonal.  I modified this step to leave the unit SQUARE and squared up first using the sew line on the trimmed measure mark (in this case 3.5").  I found this much easier than cutting first on the diagonal. I then square up my units using my Large Folded Corner Ruler Antler (use a triangle ruler where you understand the lines) and alternately my 6.5" Tucker Trimmer.. and alternately my Creative Grids Half-Square 4-in-1 Triangle Quilt Ruler - CGRBH. The latter is easier  to see the lines as it has less lines.  I line the 31/2" line at the seam and perfectly match the perpendicular sew line with the corner of the ruler. (If you don't sew straight either one of your perpendicular lines will not line up consistently across the length of the measure.) This trim makes a perfect 3.5" finished unit.  Press open and trim dog ears. 
  

Whew!  I have alot of work to do.(This process has been mind, hand, eye numbing)  But putting in the time to design the blocks, audition blocks, colorways, and thing about my construction techniques will ensure that I get a good result and no missteps.  And of course...make a test block first for each.  

I will break this up into small pieces.  I'll update my progress on this quit.  I'm so excited!

Note:The repetition of so many steps for so few blocks assures that you will become the Henry Ford of your sewing production line.  As you can see from my updates above, my inner Henry Ford offered several suggestions.  If your reduce one mark, turn, trim etch over hundreds of pieces that you are putting together, you save time.