Tuesday, July 13, 2021

What's In, What's Out?

 Remember this photo when I got started? These are the 21 fabrics I bought for the pink quilt.

If you look at them, there are six fabrics I did not use.

I didn't use five of these creams from my stash. I didn't use six of the pinks on the left.

What didn't make the cut? Fabrics that were more coral (light red orange) than pink (which is really a light red-violet.) Pink is generally a little cooler in color temperature. What we call HOT PINK is simply a very intense (brighter), darker pink. It's a synthetic color, usually a variation of a Quinacridone. (Images here.) Of the lights that didn't make the cut, I used whites instead of fabrics with a cream background. This was more in keeping with the idea of the quilt as a cool tone.

To the commenter yesterday who asked how I would sew this together - in horizontal or diagonal rows, the answer is shown above. Why? Because each diagonal here is on the bias, (which means it can get stretched out of shape very easily), so my #1 rule in sewing things together is this: Always stabilize the bias edge. Sew it to something. Since sewing two triangles together here forms a rectangle, and since I am always careful to cut my triangles so two sides are on the straight of the grain*, all four sides of the rectangle are stable. 

Ask me how I know this. I've made enough quilts with diamond shapes to know this to be true. 

(Oh, oh, Snark Attack coming: I believe that anybody who knows how to sew clothes won't have any trouble making a quilt because they know how fabric behaves and how to handle it properly. That means they understand the bias. Folks who don't know anything about sewing clothes with have a tougher time learning to make a quilt. And I think that's because there is so much emphasis on making the quilt top and running a sewing machine, that nobody bothers to tell beginning quiltmakers the importance of the bias in fabric. To wit: If you overstretch it, (like if you press the bejesus out of it and now you have something looking like a potato chip) NO, there is No Way you can fix that. You have to start over.)


*In this quilt only two triangles are fussy cut with no regard to the grain of the fabric.



8 comments:

Linda Swanekamp said...

Wonderful explanations. Sadly, I never learned how to properly sew clothes. I tried on my own and it was pretty yucky- nothing ever fit. I so wish I could sew some knit t-shirt dresses that I love to wear all the time and no one makes anymore. Have not been able to find a way to learn that. Love the pink explanation.

Quiltdivajulie said...

My mom taught me to sew clothes but I never learned the technical stuff. I have learned the hard way while making quilts. Cool color images at that second link.

Linda M said...

I am loving the pink quilt. Thank you for telling us the technical name of "hot pink" I now know the proper name of my favorite color: Quinacridone.

Thanks for walking us through your quilting journey!

JustGail said...

I agree that garment sewers have an advantage with the bias experience. I'd add another - knowing that it's more important that the *seam* lines match up, not the cut edge, especially useful knowledge with curved seams like a drunkard's path block.

And to those that think they can't sew garments because their efforts didn't fit - IT"S NOT YOUR FAULT!!!!!!! Yes, I'm yelling :-) Truth is that unless you are in the tiny minority that is the same dimensions and shape as the company fit model, you *will* have issues. Some put up with the results as is, some learn to do pattern adjustments (sometimes a lot of them), some learn to draft their own patterns, sadly some quit trying not realizing it is not their fault.

Pink is looking good, thanks for the explanation on why those fabrics did not get used.

JustGail said...

@ Linda - If you have a dress that you really like the fit of, have you thought of tracing a pattern from it and making from that? There's a huge difference in sizing between ready-to-wear and sewing patterns, also the shaping is different even if the dimensions are the same around.

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

You're blessed to have lots of selections from which to choose; I can't wait to see what you create with those that didn't make the cut!

Nancy said...

Bias. This is one of my pet peeves. I look at patterns from many of the young quilt designers and see designs with obvious bias elements. Often there is no mention of the bias and the problems it can cause. It always makes me grouchy.

Sewing Sue said...

Lynn: Amen on the issues of bias! I have problems with those designers/web celebrities who don't respect the bias. And then they have beginners wondering why their quilts have wavy edges or the points don't match. (Agh, don't get me started!!) I love the pink quilt. You rock.