Cutting and Color Layout
Welcome to Week 2 of Our Sunshine QAL! Now that you’ve selected your fabrics, it’s time to bring your quilt to life by cutting and organizing your fabric. This week, we’ll focus on accurate cutting techniques to ensure clean, precise pieces that fit together perfectly.
We’ll also dive into color layout—sorting your fabrics by value and experimenting with placement on a design board. Playing with color balance and contrast will help create movement and harmony in your quilt. Don’t be afraid to shift things around until you find a layout that feels just right to you!
Take your time with this step—it’s where your quilt’s personality really starts to shine.
We’ll also dive into color layout—sorting your fabrics by value and experimenting with placement on a design board. Playing with color balance and contrast will help create movement and harmony in your quilt. Don’t be afraid to shift things around until you find a layout that feels just right to you!
Take your time with this step—it’s where your quilt’s personality really starts to shine.
Learn with Jennifer
Week 2: Part 1
Week 2: Part 2
Learn with Denyse
Hi Everyone,
I'm so excited you are all sewing along with us! I can't wait to see what fabrics you use and how you use them. Like every quilt pattern, My Sunshine allows for so many variations, a result of how you work with color, texture, and value.
I'm so excited you are all sewing along with us! I can't wait to see what fabrics you use and how you use them. Like every quilt pattern, My Sunshine allows for so many variations, a result of how you work with color, texture, and value.
|
Read the Instructions!
This week is about cutting and layout. I always recommend that you read through all the pattern instructions before you dive in (just like you would with a recipe!). I am one of the worst offenders in skipping this, but as a seasoned pattern-writer, I can't stress enough how important this step is. It gives you an overview of the entire process so you know the why behind each step. For instance, the "Prepare" section explains how the pattern is written, with amounts and measurements for (crib) (twin) (queen) and (king). I like to use a highligther to mark the size I'm making throughout. |
Read through the pattern first!
|
Knowledge is Power!
Check out the Templates & Cutting section under Guides & Tutorials on my website, which briefly explains the "whys" behind cutting triangles for patchwork. If you're using a simple palette for your My Sunshine (which means you don't need to play with color layout as much), try the two-at-a-time half-square triangle technique (scroll down the Templates & Cutting page) to save time!
Check out the Templates & Cutting section under Guides & Tutorials on my website, which briefly explains the "whys" behind cutting triangles for patchwork. If you're using a simple palette for your My Sunshine (which means you don't need to play with color layout as much), try the two-at-a-time half-square triangle technique (scroll down the Templates & Cutting page) to save time!
See more by clicking the Templates & Cutting button below.
Precuts or Yardage
The pattern instructs for using precut 10-inch charms for the foreground triangles, and cutting 10-inch wide WOF (width of fabric) strips for the background triangles. If you have precuts for both foreground and background, you've saved yourself a lot of cutting time!
The pattern instructs for using precut 10-inch charms for the foreground triangles, and cutting 10-inch wide WOF (width of fabric) strips for the background triangles. If you have precuts for both foreground and background, you've saved yourself a lot of cutting time!
Cutting Foreground Triangles from Yardage
If you're using yardage for both foreground and background triangles, you'll need to adapt the instructions a bit, following the instructions from "Cutting the Background Triangles" for cutting strips first, but adjusting the number of strips as follows:
From your foreground fabric(s), cut a total (6) (11) (14) (16) strips 10-inches wide. Sub-cut these strips into a total of (22) (44) (54) (64) 10-inch foreground squares.
If you're using yardage for both foreground and background triangles, you'll need to adapt the instructions a bit, following the instructions from "Cutting the Background Triangles" for cutting strips first, but adjusting the number of strips as follows:
From your foreground fabric(s), cut a total (6) (11) (14) (16) strips 10-inches wide. Sub-cut these strips into a total of (22) (44) (54) (64) 10-inch foreground squares.
Use your Mat and Ruler!
Last week I mentioned checking the size of your precuts on your cutting mat. Precuts typically have a pinked edge which can make it confusing about where the "edge" is. Use your cutting mat and acrylic ruler (or an acrylic square that is at least 10-inches) to trim the edges—so you have a clean 10-inch square.
Last week I mentioned checking the size of your precuts on your cutting mat. Precuts typically have a pinked edge which can make it confusing about where the "edge" is. Use your cutting mat and acrylic ruler (or an acrylic square that is at least 10-inches) to trim the edges—so you have a clean 10-inch square.
Learn to Let Go
Quilters of the past would be astounded at all the tools and gadgets we have that help us make our quilts more precisely. These tools can be a double-edge sword however, perhaps raising our expectations beyond what's possible. Small discrepancies of alignment usually disappear in the whole of the overall design, so don't get too hung up on getting things all perfecty-perfect!
Quilters of the past would be astounded at all the tools and gadgets we have that help us make our quilts more precisely. These tools can be a double-edge sword however, perhaps raising our expectations beyond what's possible. Small discrepancies of alignment usually disappear in the whole of the overall design, so don't get too hung up on getting things all perfecty-perfect!
Using a Design Wall
If you're working with a very simple 2-color palette and precuts, you could use the two-at-a-time and skip ahead to assembling your quadrants.
If you're using a more nuanced palette and you've already chosen your fabrics, you probably already have a pretty good idea of what you want your quilt to look like, but there is always room for a little exploration.
Use a design wall if you have one, or clear some space on the floor to try some layout variations for your quadrants. Be careful when handling the triangles, as that long diagonal cut is on the bias of your fabric which can easily stretch. A digital camera is an INCREDIBLY helpful tool for working out ideas for layout (when I started making quilts I used a Polaroid camera!).
I try to photograph my options as straight on as possible (or use the editing tools afterward) to avoid distortion, and cropping in to remove distractions. If you frame and crop each quadrant the same, you can more easily focus on the variations of color and value to aid in making decisions.
Remember there are no "wrong" ways to create your Sunshine quilt!
If you're working with a very simple 2-color palette and precuts, you could use the two-at-a-time and skip ahead to assembling your quadrants.
If you're using a more nuanced palette and you've already chosen your fabrics, you probably already have a pretty good idea of what you want your quilt to look like, but there is always room for a little exploration.
Use a design wall if you have one, or clear some space on the floor to try some layout variations for your quadrants. Be careful when handling the triangles, as that long diagonal cut is on the bias of your fabric which can easily stretch. A digital camera is an INCREDIBLY helpful tool for working out ideas for layout (when I started making quilts I used a Polaroid camera!).
I try to photograph my options as straight on as possible (or use the editing tools afterward) to avoid distortion, and cropping in to remove distractions. If you frame and crop each quadrant the same, you can more easily focus on the variations of color and value to aid in making decisions.
Remember there are no "wrong" ways to create your Sunshine quilt!
|
Have fun playing with your layout and trying new ideas! If you’re feeling stuck, share a photo in the group for feedback and inspiration. We can’t wait to see your layouts—see you next week for piecing! 🌟
Share your work on The Pou Crew and Denyse's Facebook. We will chime in, help one another and give support here too. Let the Sunshine IN! See you next time at WEEK 3 on March 18 when we begin to piece our quilt. And have fun! ;) - Jennifer and Denyse |