For years now, I've been slowly chipping away at the contents found on this storage shelf in my work room. From my days of traveling and teaching quilting, I prepared 'step-outs' or in-progress elements of various quilt projects for workshops. All of these bins contain parts and semi-constructed pieces for various quilts organized by project, stored so they could be re-used from workshop to workshop. Some of the bins have everything needed to make a Hummingbird Highway project. Most of them have only enough to demonstrate the important parts of the quilt project.
From time to time, usually as I'm headed to a quilt retreat, I grab a bin and finish one or more of the projects in the bin as my retreat project. As you can see, the three stacks of bins are taking their sweet time getting converted to empty bins. That's okay because, the way I see it, every little step is progress in the right direction.
Back in April, I took the bin for this bear paw project with me to a retreat in western New York. Last week, I finished up the quilt top.
Originally, this project started as "In the North Woods" (below left) from the book ScrapThearpy, Cut the Scraps!. The book is out of stock right now, but you can still find good used copies with a google search or check the local library - it's a good read, if nothing else!
Back to the bin contents. There was enough fabric and started blocks in the bear paw bin to make the original project (even the backing was in the bin!). However, I didn't want a large lap-sized square since this will be donated and needs to be a twin. There was plenty of fabric to make more blocks and I certainly have enough scraps floating around to sub-in the dark and light scrappy bear paw elements.
Here's the thing. Instead of placing the blocks on point, I added a border to each of the blocks (below right), creating a 'technique' I've dubbed 'impossible' sashing.
"The what?"
Let me explain . . .
Do you remember impossible pie recipes? For a while there, (was it the 80s?) they were quite the thing. If I recall, the magic formula to make a pie with a crust without actually making a crust involved Bisquick in the mix. Then through mysterious oven witchcraft the crust formed on its own while baking (more like an over-cooked pie bottom). The results weren't half bad, but you don't hear much about impossible pies these days. I think they've fallen out of vogue.
Anyhoo. The idea was that everybody likes pie, but nobody likes making the crust.
I see some parallels with sashing. (Still with me?) The fun part is making the blocks, but all those long sashing strips are a bit of a headache. Getting rows and blocks to line up can be a lost cause. But sashing is a necessary element when you want the quilt blocks to stand on their own with a bit of a rest for the eye between busy blocks.
Enter "Impossible Sashing." A narrow border on each block either in alternating colors (like the bear paw above) or in unique colors (like the star quilt below) is an easy way to create the look of sashing without getting tangled in sashing spaghetti. The bordered blocks are then sewn into rows in a straight set without the eye-crossing triangle math of an on-point setting.
I mentioned that this technique is showing up a lot recently in my projects. It's even going to Iceland with us!
For these projects the impossible sashing is always 1-1/2" wide, and the length matches the block length for the first two opposite sides, and then the block plus sashing widths for the remaining two sides. Then I rotate the blocks 90 degrees alternately so impossible seams don't bunch up and create bulk or something to matchy-match.
Finishing the blocks this way makes the quilt go together into rows fast and easy (and have I mentioned 'fun' yet?).
Oh, and I used up or found new homes in the stash for everything in the bin that contained the bear paw project. One bin down!
Then of course, I went on a fabric shopping binge and that new fabric now resides where the bear paw stuff used to live. One bin up!
It's a vicious cycle. . .
Happy Stitching!
Head Hummingbird
Hummingbird-Highway.com
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