Leaves in the Forest Quilt Along - back on!

Soooo...I kind of feel like 2020 right now - you just don't know what may happen next. I've decided to do a scaled down edition of the quilt-along. My original plan involved carefully edited videos and photos but, given the circumstances, that was a little ambitious.

I will do weekly posts here on the blog with photos. I've been trying to figure out how we can all share our progress and ask questions if need be, and the only platform I could come up with is Facebook. I created a Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/twiddletailsquiltalongs 

You can also email me or leave a comment on each post and I'll try to answer your questions as best as I can.

Since this all starts in just a couple of days, it's time to get everything ready.

Print your patterns

Be sure to print the block patterns "actual" (100%) size. There is a little square on each page for double checking your size. This is VERY important!

For years I just used regular printer paper but I recently found 16lb paper which is quite a bit thinner. It's not easy to find so I'm not sure how much longer it will be available.

Cut your fabric

The pattern addendum has instructions for cutting your fabric into strips for piecing.

This really saves a lot of fabric and I will be showing how I do this for each block.

It's something between cutting actual templates which just adds too much prep time to my liking, and winging it which can waste A LOT of fabric but definitely provides more instant gratification.

Please note that (if you have half yards), the colored fabrics are to be cut along the 18" side of your fabric, not selvedge to selvedge. Background fabric is cut selvedge to selvedge.

You can either cut all your fabric strips ahead of time or one block at a time. I'm going to cut one block at a time but that's my personal preference.

Get organized

This is how I'm keeping it all organized:

1. Cut pages 8 and 9 of the addendum into the individual block images and place each in a separate ziploc bag.

2. Place the printed patterns for each block in the matching bag.

3. Place the cut fabric strips for each block in the applicable bag.

Lastly, a VERY handy tool when foundation piecing is an add-a-quarter ruler.  I am not a gadget person at all but this little tool changed my life. I have a couple so, if you're interested, send me an email and I can send you a PayPal invoice.  The pink ones are $7 including shipping and the yellow ones (which include a tapered edge for folding your paper), $8. This is my cost. (Domestic shipping only)

And that's it until August 31st, when we'll start sewing!