Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Braid in a Day: Let's Get Started!

I woke up at 6:30 this morning all ready to write and post the first step in the "Braid in a Day" Quilt-a-Long.

Then I spent an hour looking for the template.  Found the pattern, but not the template.  This is the kind of thing that makes quilters crazy!

Finally found it in the pattern bin -- it had fallen out of the pattern when I took the pattern over to the computer to write the post about selecting fabrics.  Read on for a (possible) solution to the "losing things and wasting time looking for them" problem.

First, let's get started cutting the strips for our Braid in a Day!

1.  Before making a single cut:  insert a new blade in your rotary cutter.  Blades aren't cheap, but a dull or nicked blade will make cutting accurately more difficult.  And you're more likely to cut yourself if you have to go over the cut more than once to get a complete cut.

2.  Next, select three strips of fabric.  Choose fabrics with some contrast between them (light, medium, dark) but don't get too hung up on choosing -- you already know you like the fabrics, or you wouldn't have chosen them in the first place!

3.  Stack three strips, folded, with the fold to the left.  If you are using fat quarters, use two 22" strips of each fabric. If you are unsure of your cutting skills, cut just one strip (two layers).
Here are my first three fabrics:
 

4.  Next, place the straight edge of the template about 1/4" away from the fold and cut off the fold:




 5.  Now place the template on the fabric strips with the straight edge flush with the left edge of the fabric and the angled edge to the right:


6.  Cut along the angle.  Be careful to keep your fingers away from the edge -- it's easy to cut your finger when you're making an angled cut!


7.  Flip the template and make the next cut, then continue flipping and cutting across the strip.  You should get four pieces from each stack of fabrics.

8.  Don't separate your fabrics, just stack them up like this:


 9.  Once you have cut all your strips, separate like fabrics into two piles, right side up.  You want mirror images of each fabric:
 

10.  Now that you've cut all your fabric strips, place your fabric, pattern and template into a plastic bag or recycled salad container:





I hope this will preclude another hour looking for pieces of my project!

Tomorrow is WIP Wednesday, and I'm making progress on my first "UFOctober" quilt.  Come back and see!









From the desk of your auntmartisignature

7 comments:

  1. Thanks!!! This is great, and I am so glad you are a safety sort of person. I'll have to hunt and see if I actually HAVE a new blad (oh no!), since my rotary blade is almost two years old. I may have some questions for you, but if I do, it won't be until tomorrow or the next day. Thanks again! :)
    Shannon

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  2. Stumbled across you on Pinterest. Instead of getting on with my to-do list, which is getting longer as I read, I'm spending time reading your archives.

    I'm going to institute my own version of your 52 quilts so I can get rid of my UFO's and on to my "want to make" quilts ... guilt free. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Robin in NC

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    Replies
    1. Robin, so glad you found my little Quilt-a-long! I'm planning a year-long UFO QAL for 2013 -- not too early to get started.

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  3. A whole year long QAL??? To conquer UFO's?! Wow!I am in!

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  4. Ok, so you've got three hands then? Or did you use your tongue to take the photos with both your hands in them!?
    I like the idea of your UFO quiltalong next year too!

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  5. Finally got my braids cut today!!! Guess what, I am making a King size!!! Yikes!! ;)

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