The email with the mailing information for the January Tic-tac-Toe blocks has been sent. Be sure to let me know ASAP if you didn't receive it, if you see any errors or if you have any questions.
Speaking of questions . . . and our February word blocks . . . I would like to understand where those of you are having problems are having them? How to start? Getting the blocks to be the size you want? Just not liking your results? I can try to put something together about my process, but it would probably be more helpful if I could know what's holding you back.
Just don't like the results and I have tried several times. I will probably not participate this month unless I can get my head around this one more time. The paper pieced letters are just too small for my arthritic hands to maneuver and the other method has not worked yet. Oh well - 1 skip in 24 months isn't too bad - I guess.
ReplyDeleteHi Sophie
ReplyDeleteI have spent all day (10am to 5.30pm) cutting up strips and making an alphabet per Tonya's lettering instructions.
Issues I had were:
1. Total lack of experience generally
2. Factoring in the 1/4" seam effect on my individual bits (that got better as I progressed through the alphabet) - I kept ending up with too big or too small.
3. Getting offset angles to come out ok - 1/4" seam effect again (although the January blocks experience helped)
4. Remembering that I need extra 1/4" on each side that I will lose, so it needs to look unbalanced when the letter is finished before it's sashed etc.
I've never done crumb blocks, but as I went along I realised that it's probably very similar, you NEED a cavalier attitude to bits sticking out all over that you chop off and add to for these to work?
On the bright side, I've learnt a lot, I've done every letter and some are a bit dodgy, but now I've done them, I can alter that next time and I know what to watch out for.
It's also given me my first experience of sashing following your instructions Sophie. So that's an huge bonus.
And, I'll end up with a cot quilt just from practising...
I've got to go out to dinner for 7pm and I've not had a shower yet or fed the cat (it's 6.15pm) and it's 40mins journey, so I'll take pics & post them tomorrow morning on my blog in case anyone's interested to see how my following Tonya to the letter turned out.
oh yeah I also learnt, for the real thing, I'm going to have only two widths, 2" & 1.5" - it'll be less confusion and more forgiving of mistakes.
ReplyDeletefor my practice I had 2", 1.5" and 1" - the smallest kept disappearing due to my dodgy construction techniques (my Q is a classic messup!)
I am passing on this month. I tried one letter for FOXY and it just was not a pleasant experience. I wanted to piece it so it matched everyones beautiful posts but it just doesn't look great. I practiced on the "F" for about two hours and decided...this isn't my month.
ReplyDeleteHerewith my alphabet, quite a few letters are a bit more liberated than expected... chortle.
ReplyDeletehttp://goblinfblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/block-lotto-february-love-letters.html