T.G.I.F.F. - Bijoux Metro Twist - Sew Kind Of Wonderful Blog Hop!

I have the pleasure of hosting T.G.I.F.F. today!  And do I have a finish for you....

 When Laura from Quokka Quilts asked if I'd like to take part in the Sew Kind Of Wonderful Blog Hop, I said I'd love to, but would probably only manage a few blocks.  Fail.  The Quick Curve Ruler had me at Hello.  The lovely Jenny generously sent me a couple of patterns to choose from, and I was instantly drawn to the Metro Twist.  Firstly - it looked like the easier of the two, and secondly - it looked like the easier of the two!

Anyway, needless to say - I finished the whole quilt....

I felt the pattern leading me towards rich, yummy fabrics.  I had been holding on to Bari J's Bijoux for what seems like forever, and promptly de-shelved them for the event.  When it came to a background, I had just received Essex linen in Flax, and it was a perfect fit!  The textural differences between the linen and the Art Gallery are amazing!

The blocks went together relatively quickly.  The pattern is written VERY well, with loads of diagrams and mathematics that makes sense.  Which is good, given my lack of mathematical ability.  Cutting the curves with the ruler was easy - although that first cut is very nerve-wracking!  The only tricky bit I found was because I used the linen - which is hard to determine a front from a back - so I resorted to labeling my piles of cut fabric "front facing downwards" and "back facing downwards".  This helped immensely!

I think the biggest thing I have learnt from this first foray in to  these patterns (oh yes, there will be more!) is that even though it looks like all your curved pieces are cut exactly the same, they aren't necessarily.  That is, if the angle of your ruler isn't EXACTLY the same each time, your little curves will be different in the slightest little angle.  You don't notice it until you are sewing your blocks together, and your background diamonds are just slightly different in shape.  Clearly - this is not a massive deal!

When it came to quilting this beauty, I wanted to keep it pretty simple.  Apart from the fact that this plan lead to a tonne of thread burying, I think it worked.  I used my free motion quilting foot to echo quilt the diamonds - from outside-in.  They are far from straight lines - very "organic" indeed.  And I was second guessing myself after the first few - but I really love them.  I haven't quilted on the prints at all.  And on the borders, I just echoed the curves using my walking foot, which I adore the look of.  All of the piecing and quilting was done with Aurifil #2000 50wt, which is such a beautiful golden thread it looks stunning with the linen.  

 

The backing, as you can see, is my go-to Ikea print.  This fabric seriously works with just about any quilt!

 

I also added a border to the quilt.  The finished size of the pattern is 40" x 55", which is a little on the smaller side of throw size for me - so I added 5" to each side and end, which brought the final size up to 49" x 64".

I also took a couple of little videos of myself sewing curves, and put them on Instagram.  If you want to have a little look, you can find them HERE and HERE.  I was trying to demonstrate curves not being as difficult as we think!  If you're willing to take your time and practice, I promise you can do it!

If you want to make the Metro Twist yourself, you will find the pattern HERE.  If you're in Australia and looking for a Quick Curve Ruler stockist, you can find a list HERE. 

 Please go and check out Jenny’s blog and shop. You can also join the Sew Kind of Wonderful mailing list to get news of any new patterns or promotions. There is going to be a linky party on the Sew Kind of Wonderful blog on Friday 29 through 31 August – you can link up any quilt or block made using the Quick Curve Ruler. If you haven’t tried a QCR project yet, never fear, there’s a chance to win a ruler during the bloghop and have a go. You can find plenty of inspiration on the bloghop so please go and check out the other participants!

Monday 18 August	http://quokkaquilts.com
Tuesday 19 August	www.cluckclucksew.com
Wednesday 20 August	www.fromthebluechair.com
Thursday 21 August	liveacolorfullife.net
Friday 22 August	www.happyquiltingmelissa.com
Monday 25 August	www.greenfairyquiltsblog.com
Tuesday 26 August	http://blog.sewbittersweetdesigns.com
Wednesday 27 August	www.pleasant-home.com
Thursday 28 August	http://www.lucymade.wordpress.com AND http://msmidge.blogspot.com.au
Friday 29 August	www.dontcallmebetsy.com

The bloghop is going to be followed by a 'Curve it up' Challenge Quilt-a-long on the Sew Kind of Wonderful blog starting in September, so join in the bloghop, get inspired and get ready to Curve It Up!  

Now it's your turn to show me your fabulous finishes this week!  Be sure to pop them in the linky below!  Have a wonderful weekend!

An InLinkz Link-up