Step 3

Now that all my fabrics are cut, it's time to sew. With all the strips in a bag, I decided to close my eyes and choose two random scraps. Not only does this add an element of surprise, but I believe it will help me from trying to plan out this quilt top. I don't want to subconsciously have a block with one of each color, I want each block to be unique. 

A little bit of thought does go a long ay, though. To save fabric, one needs to be strategic about which direction the strips are segn together. For instance:

                                                                        Poor Choice

                                                                        Good Choice

 

I think the concept is pretty simple, but in case you don't see it I'll explain. If we have the "fat side" of each strip on the same side the "fat side" will end up being, say, twice as wide as the "skinny side." And, in my book, there is never an excuse to waste fabric! ;) 

A note: My terminology may not be prefect or widely used, but I never claimed to be a professional. I quilt in my free time and come up with most of my designs, and terms, on my own. For me, quilting is all about the thrill of the process.

The number of strips it takes to make a 6 1/2 inch wide strip will depend on which fabrics you use for the block and how wide they are. I continued adding strips until the strips were more than 6 1/2 inches wide :D.

Well, it's back to sewing for me. To make a Queen-sized quilt that measures around 90 inches by 100 inches (I am still working on the math for my final quilt top - will share soon) I figure I will need about 200 of there bad boys. 

Happy Quilting!