Where Am I Headed?

Back in December I joined a round-robin group at my LQS entitled "Head For The Border". This is a round-robin that never leaves the hands of the original quiltmaker, everyone works on their own creation the entire time. As a way of sparking creativity and building skills, the unknown for the next border "round" is revealed each month by the drawing of a color and a design element to be used from a brown paper bag. We don't know where we're headed... it's the journey that makes this experience so much fun.

In order to develop a sense of direction toward the destination it's important to not only know where you are but how you got there. I often find myself relying on the most basic skills that I learned in the very first quilmaking class I ever took, back in 1983. (Are you reading this, Ann?) Back then we cut templates from plastic and drew every seam line with pencil. I don't use mylar sheets anymore for templates but sometimes certain situations (unusual sizes) call for me to draft the shapes in EQ7 and print them onto freezer paper sheets. I cut them out (on the stitching line) and iron them to the backside of my fabric pieces; then lightly draw around those shapes with a fine mechanical pencil. The pieces won't shift (I use a sandpaper board beneath the fabric pieces to ensure stability while tracing) and then cut them out 1/4" beyond the drawn line. The freezer paper is reusable (over and over and over...). This is much more accurate than using rotary cutting directions to the 1/16th or 1/32nd of an inch. I'm happy to have a solid piecing foundation, basically anything that can be drafted can be stitched using this technique. Even with a closetful of specialty rulers and a die cutter it's always a good feeling to return to the basics.

Ready for tomorrow... my "Head For The Border" medallion work in progress. This now measures 23.5" square; I believe there are to be three more "rounds". The four "Winding Ways" blocks are where I began. Round #1 saw us adding the color black and the design element of rectangles; round #2: green and flying geese. I can't wait for tomorrow's reveal and to see what everyone else has come up with. As for me, I may not know exactly where I'm headed, but I am guided by good directions and am having an enjoyable time getting there. I believe I am going to name this one "The Long And Winding Road". Stay tuned for more clues along the way to the ultimate destination.

Life is Good!