I'm a little slow..... at picking things up!!!

This week at Higham Piecemakers it was Twisted Log Cabin using the pieced technique, that is something I have not made for years and didn't really enjoy when I did it - the pieced technique I mean!!

I don't like hand sewing either when I can use my machine and another first was that I decided to use colours that are out of my comfort zone.  I spent an afternoon making one square in browns (ugh!) and lime green and when it was finished I HATED it.  Oh, and I had no instructions how to make it.


I wasted a lot of fabric making this one

Then lying in bed the next morning I had my light bulb moment (I get all my best ideas in bed!) and started again using MY colours and working with more time and motion.



The pattern traced onto light Vilene

 It dawned on me that the pattern is based on a square moving through the same number of degrees each time and this speeded up the tracing process - I said I was a little slow!!!!  Then I numbered the segments to ensure I knew which colour I would be working with.

This is the back of the square



 I repeated this three more times as I was going to work on all four squares together - time and motion!!  The centre is a 1½" square so I cut a strip 8" long and 2" wide and chopped it into 4 pieces - the centres were now sorted with ¼" seam allowances.  Each segment is ¾" wide so I cut strips 1½" wide (slightly wider than needed but just in case I went crooked).

The production line was now ready.  The centre squares were placed, on the right side:-

- the first strip was added, right sides together -

 

Ready for sewing

Stitch along the line

First side sewn AND pressed open

Oh by the way,  the reason that the blue piece is so snug is because I measured the marked square on the other side, added the seam allowance and cut 8 pieces off the strips (2 on each square x 4 squares) - even I can work that simple maths!  Very little waste.

Next piece in place ready for sewing on the other side.

Pressed open ready for the next piece

Stitched on two sides

I was adding all the same pieces to the other three squares at the same time and quickly as well, when I got the hang of it.  I was taking about six minutes to add each piece on all four squares and I know this because my hot iron starts beeping after 6 minutes when it is left unattended!!!

Third side added -

- fourth side

1st twist sewn on and trimmed

 After all four sides were complete I started on the 'twist' which is the next square.  I measured the new square, added seam allowances and cut rectangles off the strips, laid it on the line of the next square, sewed it on the other side, trimmed the edges to keep it neat and tried not to 'CUT THROUGH THE VILENE'!  I use my lovely applique scissors that have a round end and cannot penetrate anything.

Pressed and ready for the next piece of blue.

And that dear readers, is as far as I have got because I did run out of time.  However making all four squares together is useful if you think you may run out of fabric because at least you can change to something else on all your squares.

When I took my WIPs (Work in Progress) to group they liked my lime green and browns so I may finish them after all

Just realised that I haven't said why I need four squares - well it is going to be a cushion for the raffle at the Exhibition.

I will show the final result here when I have time to complete it, so it is currently a UFO (UnFinished Object)!