I could stare at that photo of stacked solids for.ever. Sewing has revealed so many small pleasures; the look of stitches, the tactile feel of woven cotton, the joy of pairing unexpected colors together…it calms me down just typing about it. Last week I took a trip to the lovely Ann Arbor Sewing Center to riffle through their KONA solids section to select colors for the baby version of the geo quilt I’m working on.

My final KONA selections were:

• White = K001-1387 White
• Off-White = K001-1339 Snow
• Light Grey = K001-1333 Silver
• Tan = K001-1323 Sand
• Peach = K001-1176 Ice Peach
• Taupe = K001-486 Cobblestone
• Dark Warm Grey = K001-1713 Smoke
• Dark Cool Grey = K001-1223 Med. Grey
• Gold = K001-149 Papaya
• Bright Red = K001-323 Flame
• Navy = K001-458 Storm

Once colors were selected I made one more diagram of the quilt broken up into the various blocks I’ll be working with. Since it’s so hard to tell the difference between the white, off-white, tan, and light gray (on paper) I put small letters to indicate the intended color. Then I couldn’t put it off any longer…it was time to cut ????

I have to admit I’m a little scissor-shy at the beginning of projects, especially since the cornerstone of any beautiful quilt is accuracy. Accurate planning, accurate cutting, accurate piecing. To help put my crafting-heart at ease I purchased some of Mary Ellen’s Best Press Clear Starch Alternative. After researching ‘starching fabric for quilting’ I found that this is yet another topic that polarizes quilters (similar to pre-washing quilting fabric, the copyright laws on selling quilts, etc.). However, I knew from the quilt I made for Meg that the fabric really does stretch and get a little wacky, especially if any cuts are on the bias. Since this quilt is all triangles and diamonds I figured it’d be a good time to test starching. Mary Ellen’s seemed to be the pick among quilters who starch as it doesn’t leave behind any flaking or residue. They offer unscented as well as scented; I picked Lavender fields. With my starch spray, cut list, and sidekick ruler in hand, I was ready to get my diamond and triangle on.

Cutting was a breeze. The sidekick ruler paired with careful fabric handling make for easy and accurate cutting. And since accuracy is so important, I was a bit anal about making sure that every cut was perfect. When I came across a diamond or triangle that had a skewed line, I was sure to shave it off right then. I’m hoping these little things result in easier piecing later ????

cutting triangles with the sidekick ruler

accuracy matters

140 pieces later and the quilt is ready for the next step: piecing the quilt top! Stay tuned!

Love, Dylan ????
p.s. I’m thrilled about how many people have downloaded my grocery bag pattern!! Get yours here.