Friday, April 10, 2020

Centred QAL - Fabric Requirements and Colouring Sheet

I am so pleased to hear how many are going to quilt along or seriously contemplating quilting along with me. Although it truly feels like hard work to make yourself do some 'normal' things in life, it really does help with the mental aspect of all of this, doesn't it? Whether I'm making myself write the posts, do the homework behind the scenes, or do my Island Batik work, or practice yoga, or teach yoga online, it is good for me as I, like most of us, struggle a bit (or a lot, may depend on the day or the hour) with finding some sort of balance. It's not the people part I am missing, which my family will find as a bit of a surprise because they thought Brady and I would have the most trouble, but we've both been coping well in that regard. It is the normalcy, the things I take for granted that I miss, like grocery shopping, just popping in to Shoppers to nab something, touching nothing outside of my home and yard, touching my face or itching my nose or my ear without freaking about it, and so on.  However, that's really, when I sit back and reread that, not much of a hardship. At. All. Think of those who are homeless. Those in refugee camps where an outbreak would be deadly. Those in extended care, or seniors' residences. Those who live in apartments and in order to go to a grocery store, or even to go just to pick up their online order like I did, have to go into an elevator or down flights of stairs, rather than drive in their 'bubble' of a vehicle and have it loaded into the truck bed... There... I'm good now.

Okay! I know there are a lot of peeps in QBL waiting for this post, so without further ado, here we go!


** I've heard from a few that the colouring page is blank. I dunno, gremlins got into the MacBook between writing this post yesterday and it going live in the wee hours this morning. I think it is fixed now...

The quilt is constructed of strips. It is quilted simplicity at its finest. 😄 Rather than yardage, I have given you the number of strips you need, so that you can use a jelly roll if you like, or cut the strips from yardage, or combine light blues, for example, to make up the required number. Here is a chart to simplify the cutting process.
Note that the total strips needed are (17) 2 1/2" strips and (14) 1 1//2" strips. Those are broken down beneath that line into the shades of blue I used.

Note that the fabric requirements are based on 43" width of fabric (WOF).

Here is a photo again of the quilt for your reference. Because I was required to use as many fabrics in the 'Prairie Skies' line I was given, I used a few light blues, and two dark blues. The medium I used is the feathers chop. (Batiks are referred to as chops, not prints.) The white I used is not a solid; it actually has a bit of a grey-blue cast to it. Make sure you have good contrast there, as well as where the navy goes; this will help the centre block to pop.

So if you want, you could break down the eight required light blue strips into four strips of two light blues, or eight different light blue strips! The navy blues are almost all 1 1/2" strips; you could do all twelve in one navy and the three 2 1/2" in another. If you do not want to do a monochromatic (one colour) quilt, I'd suggest gathering a few 2 1/2" and 1 1/2" strips or maybe fat quarters or 3/8 yard of several colours, and wait to look at the cutting to see how they're divided up. You can always use the colouring chart too to try out various colour schemes.  If you have any questions, please ask in the comments, and I will answer there in case others have the same ones.

Here is the link to the PDF Colouring Chart.

Go forth and gather your strips; I'll be back next week with how you are going to slice them up.

Did you remember to check out bluprint's offer of Unlimited Watching? I didn't, oops. Here's the link, and now this time I did unlock that free access. No credit card required, no sign up required. More goodness for mental health.

12 comments:

  1. And let the fun begin! I miss going into the stores for just one or two little items and not worrying whether someone is in my 'Space'.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think I miss going to a store to shop and not necessarily buying anything. But rather just enjoying the walk through and seeing the products. (I am quite familiar with where most things are in my local Lowe's hardware store.)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I've got projects going on here, otherwise I'd join in. But do know that I'll be cheering everyone on - I love the look of the blues in that design, Sandra!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love that Centred is all made from strips! I'm working from a fat quarter bundle - should I start cutting strips or wait and see a bit as to how they will be used? It's possible I'll have to piece some to get a length longer than a fat quarter will give me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great question Diann. I would hold off cutting into the fat quarter bundle until next week when the cutting directions come out, and definitely do not piece any strips if you have already started cutting some. As you see from the colouring sheet, the strips are cut into segments of varying length.

      Delete
  5. Thank you for the beginnings of this QAL. I tried to download the coloring sheet and get a blank screen. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yes thank you for this QAL! I am having same problem with color sheet, getting a blank page. I could be doing something wrong too. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Colouring pdf now working. I have a red and white jelly roll, and my favourite colour is red so I *think* I'm going to use that, although I quite fancy a multi-coloured one. Dare I try and do two :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Guess it's time to go searching for fabrics. Hoping for success in my stash, or we might have a problem. It's so strange that everything is closed. Happy Easter.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Just printed off the colouring chart & fabric is a bundle I put aside for "sometime when"! It's slightly wacky & goodness knows how old. I made my first quilt in 1977 & have collected fabric & ideas ever since. Thanks for hosting this Sandra. Just what we need. Take care, stay safe & hugs from down under.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks, Sandra. I enjoyed last year's QAL and hope to sew along this year. I have lots of jelly rolls and fabric in my stash and pulled a couple of choices ... :-) Pat

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Sandra! Oh, the choices and decisions. I think I'll wait for the cutting instructions to determine how this will come to be. Thanks so much for hosting this fun sew-along for the fourth year. Fourth! I'm not in it for any prizes - just the fun of sewing along with other friends might just be enough to get me out of the month-long funk. Stay healthy and safe. ~smile~ Roseanne

    ReplyDelete

I wholeheartedly appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment, as they make my day! I answer every one by personal email. :-) Unless... you are a "no-reply" blogger, which can occur for a few reasons. You can get around that by writing out your email within your comment so that I can answer you.