Sunday, April 26, 2009

Mod Sampler Quilt Along


I am quite proud of my Mod quilt! You've seen them at the top there, and in another post already. I really wanted to get some better outside pictures of the whole thing, but it is either pouring rain or gale winds every day. That's the front...and back.


I like the back as much as the front. That is 'Fresh' by Moda.

My favorite block - with those pretty butterflies.

As my husband said - I was afraid it was just going to be a big, bright mess, but it looks pretty good. This was my largest quilt so far, as well as my first quilt along. Elizabeth of Oh, Fransson! did an amazing step-by-step job of every aspect from color theory to finishing. I know how to sew, but have learned everything about quilting online. This would be a great place for a new quilter to start. Besides all the wonderful color theory, I learned the most regarding keeping blocks even and square.
Although her piecing accuracy speaks wonderfully to the Engineer in me, I found I AM NOT a perfect 1/4" stitcher. I set the machine and foot for 1/4", follow the edge nicely, measure- yep 1/4", press open then.....I'm off overall by at least 1/8"! Drove me nuts! I ended up hitting the needle position one more over and things were a bit better. Sometimes I'm right on, over, or under. That worries me a bit because I am looking forward to making something special for my Mom with the Aviary honeybun I won, and it looks like accurate piecing will be necessary.

12 comments:

kangaroo said...

SO beautiful! It's such a happy quilt!

heather said...

I LOVE how bright this quilt is!!!:) You did a GREAT job!! You will do just fine with your mom's. I want to try this pattern.

Anonymous said...

I love it!

Red Pepper Quilts - Rita Hodge said...

Angela your quilt is fantastic. The colors are so bright and cheerful, and the back, oh my gosh I love the back! You've done a brilliant job!

Unknown said...

Gorgeous quilt! I love those bright fabrics - and that backing, WOW! :) :)

Amanda Jean said...

i love your quilt! i think i am going to have to go back and make one of those! your colors are so bright and pretty. nice nice job!

Bekhy said...

Love your mod sampler quilt: it's beautiful! Do you use a seam guide at all? I have found it immensely helpful for precision. I like to use the stick-on foam guide at Joann's (found in the quilting notions section). I've read this from several sources and find it helpful: stitch together 3-5 strips of a certain width together (ie 2" wide each strip): press seams the way you want to, and then measure--is it accurate? If not, adjust the seam guide until it is. The optimal seam will depend on whether you press to one side or open, and also how thick the fabric and thread are. So try to pick the same combination each time, or experiment like this until you find the right seam guide width. The way you press is also important in precision: check out the blog "Quilting is my passion" by patti on a couple of tutorials on pressing, if you haven't already seen similar articles. Good luck! I remember this very issue driving me insane a couple of years ago. Also, I have come to realize that a little variance (up to 1/8" inch in a completed block) is not a huge deal and you can often fudge it at the block construction stage, and unless you have huge variations, it'll all quilt out. Especially with the all-over meandering that is so favored on many quilting blogs lately. It's very forgiving. Straight-line quilting is a bit trickier I think. And PS, if the residue from the stick-on foam doesn't come off intially, try a little goo-be-gone: works wonders, and i have found it save for metals and enamel-covered metals (it WILL take off painted lines etc. on platic and enamel though).

Angela Nash said...

Thanks for the tips Bekhy!

Dresden Quilter said...

It is absolutely stunning! I have fallen in love with the Fresh line and am going to make myself a quilt using it. You have done an incredible job.

Anonymous said...

I really like your quilt; the colors are awesome and the back is wonderful as well! Great job.

Angela said...

I usually am not too crazy about a mod design, but yours turned out perfectly. The bright colors compliment the pattern so well, that I might just change my mind about the mod design and make one myself! I am looking forward to seeing more of your work.

Mushyhed said...

LOVE. THIS. QUILT!!!!