Wonky Is Easier When You Read the Directions

Does practice make "perfect"?  Maybe not, but definitely better!  Luckily Elizabeth had enough fabric for a round two!  Thank you Judy.  Off she went again, trying to pay better attention to the trimming this time after having thoroughly read through the tutorial once again.  Her second attempt is definitely better but this is a technique she says she needs to practice again to master.

Elizabeth's tips and lessons learned/advice she did not follow:

• Wonky isn’t severe.  Don’t make those cuts too severe or they will grow out of your control.
• Measure as you go so you will end up with a block you can cut into a square and not end up with a rectangle.
• Don’t make the inner rounds too wide or you will reach the 9.5 inch block size limit before you get as many rounds of fabric on it as you want.
• When horizontal doesn’t work, try vertical.

It’s not that I am unhappy with my blocks, I just think they don’t have the feel that Judy was looking for in a sample for her shop row.  I am fortunate that Artistic Artifacts and the creative minds that run and frequent the shop embrace the “do something different” and the “make it your own” mindset.

On another note, with this second row, Elizabeth was able to try out a new tool that a friend bought at a recent quilt show - the cutting templates that Martelli makes.  These 2 photos show using the frame of the template to choose placement of the 9.5" square, and then using the square insert to make the actual cuts.

 So, lessons learned and a new tool tried, both make for a worthwhile learning experience!