Bluebell Woods Part 1

Oh yes, I finally started Bluebell Woods and the first part is done!!!

If you missed the first post it is based on Score 1, Floating Squares, in the Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters by Sherri Lynn Wood, I say based, the score is for a quilt using three colours, a limited amount of two and a filler fabric using whatever amount you need.  I am doing one of the adaptations, using the same process but stitching together several blocks of varying fabrics.  My inspiration came initially from the (not to be used as) cake tins I received from my husband for my birthday recently (don't ask, it's in the previous post).

These are the fabrics for the first block, I didn't have a clue how much a 'limited' amount should be so I just cut off a chunk of two 'bluebell' fabrics and started cutting them into squares.  One fabric had a range of 2-4 inches square and the other 3-5 inches, the green 'leaf' fabric I just cut as I needed it.  Forgot to tell you, no rulers, I cut freehand using scissors, remember them?  We used to use them in the days before rotary cutters.  No I didn't use my cutting board for guidance, promise.

This was when the fun began, stitching the squares together, adding filler strips when needed to join large and small squares.  That was when I had my first insight, I can't cut squares for toffee, half of them resembled rectangles.   You may notice that the edges are a bit wonky too, believe me, they got wonkier.

Then I started to put them together, like a jigsaw, not so easy.

I don't mind telling you, it was harder than I thought, and I can't cut straight either.

Nearly there, still adding bits of filler fabric  to get them to fit, and trying to straighten some of the wavy edges like the one on the bottom left (told you it got wonkier, believe me now?).

At last, this is what I ended up with, approximately 19.5 inches wide (depending on where you measure), by about 16 ish inches deep, just squint your eyes and think of a bluebell carpet (well, a very small one then).

I don't know how many blocks I will end up with, maybe 9 or 10, who knows.  Overall I'm thinking of an end result of about 50-60 inches, whatever.

Now I have to evaluate the experience and see what I would do differently next time.  I didn't think too much about it when I was doing it, I just concentrated on trying to get the pieces to fit together, but apparently that's a good thing.  I would make more of a variation is the size of the squares though, and I would definitely try to cut straighter.  By the way, you see on the last pic at the left it looks like I matched my seams?  I didn't, pure coincidence, just in case you were thinking..........In fact now that I get a proper look, it's as if I matched them in a few places, piffle!!!

So, what do you think so far, inspired or dogs dinner?  And will you be coming back to see the next block?

I have also decided to go for it with this quilt and I'm making it my monthly goal to have it pieced, quilted and bound by the end of June and so I'm linking up with Heidi at Red Letter Quilts for One Monthly Goal.

Until then
smiles from
Kate

Also linking up with

Cooking up Quilts
Em's Scrapbag

Freemotion by the River

Blossom Heart Quilts,

Sew Fresh Quilts