Solitude Star Quilt Along // 3 Tips to Stay Organized
Welcome to Week 1 of the Solitude Star Quilt Along #solitudestarquiltalong
Solitude Star Quilt Along: Introduction
Solitude Star Quilt Along: Tips for Choosing Fabrics
Solitude Star Quilt Along: Cutting Your Fabrics and Staying Organized
Solitude Star Quilt Along: HST Tips, Tricks, and Templates
Solitude Star Quilt Along: Piecing Tips I Wish I Had Known
Solitude Star Quilt Along: 5 Tips for Piecing Quilt Backs
Bonus: Video Tutorial by Amy Smart for Making Lightning Fast HSTs
I hope you are quilting along with us! This week's task: cut all of your fabric squares. This quilt isn't difficult to piece, and it makes for a quick and striking finish. Well, quick as far as quilts go
!This is my stack of squares, ready to go. I'm hoping that there will be enough variation in value that the pinks will look great! If I was smart, I would use that coloring page in the back of the pattern to make sure...
Today, I'm sharing 3 tips for staying organized while you piece the Solitude Star Quilt. If you have any tips of your own, please send them my way! I'm always looking for new ways to streamline my organization so I can spend more time quilting and less time trying to figure out where things are/what step I'm on in the quilt!
1. Find a storage solution for in-process blocks and quilts. I like to store my blocks-in-pieces in a 14 x 18 serving tray similar to the one below–different blocks inside, same concept. The deeper tray keeps things from falling out.
2. Many quilters find chain piecing quilt rows to be helpful. Suzy from Suzy Quilts has a video tutorial here: Suzy Quilts Tutorial on How to Chain Piece Quilt Rows.
3. Find a scrap method that works for you to keep your workplace clean (do as I say, not as I do.) This is me. See that big basket of scraps to the left of my cutting table? I keep an empty flower pot on my cutting table (not pictured here) and throw all of my trash into the flower pot. Then, I literally toss any scraps worth saving into the wire basket. It keeps my workplace cleaner, and I don't have to think "what am I going to do with this extra" every time I make a quilt.Happy sewing!
Katie
p.s. if you want to know more about the quilt along and pattern, keep reading.
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Let's Quilt Along together, starting Monday, March 18, 2019. You are welcome to follow the quilt along posts, even if you start after that date.
If you already have a copy of the pattern, I hope join in!
If you don't, you can grab one here: Solitude Star Pattern
The pattern includes instructions for two sizes, baby and large throw (44'' x 44'' and 76'' x 76'').
This graphic quilt looks great with solids, prints, or a combination of the two–make sure to tag your quilts and projects with #solitudestarquilt.
This 7 page pattern has clear, tested instructions, full color illustrations, a coloring page, and additional color ideas to help plan your quilt.I originally purchased the stack on the left, and then realized that I had some long saved (hoarded) Heather Ross Fabrics that would work perfectly for this quilt! Yay for using stash fabric.Since the Quilt Along doesn't start until 3/18, you have plenty of time to gather/find/purchase fabric. This quilt is a great scrap buster.