Low Volume Tiles Lap Quilt

While I have been busy with many smaller projects, I realized I haven't pieced an entire quilt since the Thanksgiving quilt last October!  It took me a while to figure out which project I wanted to tackle next (and it wasn't even on my to-do list!) but once I did, I was so excited to get started!

I knew I wanted to try a modern quilt but I couldn't find the right one among my many books.  Then I remembered that I had purchased a ton of fabric from Connecting Threads for one of the awesome quilts in the Craftsy class Inspired Modern Quilts, taught by Elizabeth Hartman.  I went back to re-watch the lessons (I love that you own your Craftsy classes forever - you have a lifetime of inspiration and instruction!) and decided on the Low Volume Tiles project.

While the samples made in the class are smaller quilts, the fabric requirements for larger pieces are also provided in the course materials.  I had enough yardage for the lap-sized quilt and began cutting.  And cutting.  And cutting!  Ms. Hartman has a wonderful method for keeping all her pieces organized using a baggie system.  There are 12 pieces of fabric in each block.  I needed to make 36 blocks.  Each block has no repeating fabric!  After 3 days of careful cutting (and I STILL made mistakes!), I had my baggies filled and was finally ready to get to the piecing.

Well, be careful what you wish for!  As I said, each block has to include one piece of 12 different fabrics.  Eleven of those fabrics are very similar tones and patterns of grey.  I plucked a piece from each baggie and set out each block.  Each column is pieced and then the columns are joined.  There is quite a bit of sewing for each block!  After I completed 9 of the first round of blocks, I got smart and realized that the plucking part is the most time-consuming step of the process, making sure there are no repeats of fabric.  So then I started laying out the pieces assembly-line style, doing three of the same blocks (out of the 12), with only the bright fabric being the same.  This allowed the process to go much faster and I got through a chunk of the piecing over a couple of days.  (I don't have much time lately to sit down and have an extended sewing session.  Luckily I can keep my stuff out at the ready so if I have 1/2 an hour here and there I can get a bit done).  I really do enjoy the sewing part of making a quilt but I get bored very easily and even though I have found a good rhythm for making these blocks and am chain-piecing at every opportunity (I can only do one block at a time or I'll get mixed up!), I am pretty much done with this part!

I have another dozen blocks to make but have a good stack to show for my efforts so far.  I think it is going to look amazing when it's done.  There are actually 7 different quilts shared in the course so this Low Volume Tiles quilt will probably be the first of several!

Comments

[Jose]

Heeeeeyyyyy, why is the hexi quilt at the bottom of your To Do list???? LOL LOL Just teasing, Angie.