it's the "journey" isn't it?....yeah right!!

It began as a vague idea.... I'd seen a photo somewhere of a block that appealed to me, vintage-y & scrapp-y.   So still not too sure about the actual pattern I was going to use, I started sorting out a few fabrics. I wanted to see if I had enough in my stash to get the right feel.  I began to search a bit more selectively, a bit deeper into the baskets, thru' some of my more older fabrics for small scale, faded fabrics, with no set colour scheme in mind.

I looked at this group of fabrics for several days, adding to it & pulling out the odd one.

Then the other day I had a little play drawing up a template.
I wanted a large circle, a Dresden Plate maybe, but how many segments?
I finally decided on 16 wedges, and understood that I needed to make a circle, which is 360 degrees, easy!
But maths is not my strongest point!

Needed mr D's input here!!

I did a test block with 16 wedges, just to check that mr D. had indeed done his maths right! 
H-m-m-m- it wasn't going together so well...see the humps?

So I had another go!  I was under instructions to check my cutting out & 1/4" stitching width!!!  Admitedly, I can be a bit relaxed with my piecing ( he did have a point!), so I v. carefully made the next one....

It was a bit better, but still not right.
We got out the graph paper again & suddenly mr D. shouted "no, no, no"  and quickly got to work drawing up a brand new template for me.  We had the tools, just needed to concentrate a bit more!!!

So, once again I did a trial run.....

I must confess - it was a bit of work for both of us, and quite a bit of unpicking for me!!!
It'll all go together in the end!!!   I can't waste the earlier fabrics - they are so perfect for this! - I'm sure I can be a bit creative in making them fit!


And then, a few days later, guess what?
Glenys popped in for a wine & showed me her new book....
"Adding Layers" by Kathy Doughty/ Material Obsession.

And there inside was the perfect pattern, and the template for 20 wedges, and some excellent advice re fabric choices.  Pattern, template & advice - all the hard work already done for me right there in black & white, & colour !!

 



There's a also good read, including the comments, which I actually found later on too over here @
http://www.stitchedincolor.com/2014/02/what-makes-it-vintage.html   where Rachel shares her thoughts on what makes a quilt look vintage.

Still. I'm glad we went thru' the processes. 
It's all fun ........ teamwork, choosing the fabrics, working out the maths, rethinking when you find you don't have enough of one particular fabric, revisiting the starting point, etc!!  I did find that cutting & sewing really did need to be v. accurate! A consistant 1/4" seam essential!  And a plastic template would have definitely helped!
Now I need to clock up some sewing miles!  
And, mr D. really did enjoy coming along this journey with me too!!!

P.S.  and for a bit of light relief after all that, and it was such a wet weekend here in Auckland, I made a Drunkard's Path block! 
Linking up with "Classic meets Modern" QAL and WIP Wednesday later in the week. 
Off now to do some baking for Olive's 3rd Birthday party tomorrow!