This month's Shabby Fabrics Sampler Box brought me a pattern, foundational papers, and a mermaid-inspired mini layer cake, to create the Snails Trails pattern. I was looking for a new challenge, so I decided to give it a try!
The first few took a bit longer than I anticipated. It was challenging with the "stick the fabric on the back" method. The papers are also really tough to see while working, in terms of what color goes where... so you may have noticed that the final 2 pieces (the outermost corners) are off. I've done this consistently on all the blocks though, so I'm not going to redo them. I think it looks like cupping hands, so I'm going with that as my inspiration (snails' trails sounded to mucus-y for me, anyway, so I'm happy with this decision).
Some tricks I've found:
Use a good fabric glue stick on the first four-patch, and use a light table to attach it.
Use a piece of cardboard to fold back each of the lines and get a crisp line, before trimming each step (to be honest, I torn off a corner of the insert of my March sampler box, and it's working perfectly).
Line up the two pieces to attach, and pin the in the middle (out of range of the foot of the machine) and sew the two parallel lines.
Make sure you're awake, glasses on, and paying attention (in other words, don't start this at 3 am when you can't sleep, or you get the final corners wrong).
It goes faster when you chain piece a pile of them and do the same step on all of them.
Pay attention to the color placement on the front (i.e., make sure all the blocks have the four patch oriented the same way, with the pattern fabric in block 1 and the background in block 2).
I definitely am liking the foundation paper piecing. It's not my first foundational papers project, I did a poinsettia-inspired table topper by Quiltworx in a class about 5 years ago as a holiday present for a friend. I forgot how easy it is to match up the blocks when they are all sewn using this very precise method!
Here are my very first block (the brighter green) and two sewn together. Perfectly matched!
I'm going to start looking for a few other foundational papers to try. Maybe this is the way I'll be able to successfully do a pineapple quilt, because the special ruler method did not work for me.
When I drafted this blogpost, I hadn't decided what to do with these pieces yet. The pattern suggests making 16 of the 6.5" finished blocks and sewing them into a 24"x24" quilt center and adding borders. I have no need for yet another tiny lap quilt/wall hanging (at least not in these colors and fabrics). I have since decided to make 10 of the blocks and sew them into a 2x5 block table runner, and add sashing from the background fabric. It's a fun and bright fabric which will be a good summer table topper option!
Thanks for stopping by!
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