The Collection Quilt - stitching collection 4 & new places in our BOM program

You guys!  

The Collection Quilt Block of the Month has been so popular that I've opened up a few more places  If you've been thinking about joining us, now is the time.  You can sign up here

This month we are working with  different substrates again as I've included the heavier weight of one of the prints from the Euclid collection on Essex linen.  

I know I've been banging on to everyone about changing things up with the placement and selection of fabrics, but this month I  decided to stay fairly true to the way Carolyn Fridlander manipulated the flow of colours across the panel.

The grey bone fragment print from Carkai is lighter in value than the fabrics in the original, but I enjoyed the definition it gives to the scallops.  I was also pleased with the punch of colour from that saturated  blue-green Freidlander print, and the solid foundation of the Kona Windsor at the bottom. 

Its up to you how you lay your panels out, but I like the way that navy solid acts as a bridge with the blues in the panel underneath from Collection 6.  

I thought you might find it useful to see the fabrics that will be coming in that neighbouring panel - so here's a sneak peak.

  My tips this time are pretty basic:

1. Don't forget to press your fabrics first so that you are working with the correct fold lines when prepping your panels.    In the photo at the very top I had pretty much just pulled the fabric out of the pack.  I did press them before I went any further though.
2.  Also, be careful cutting.  I had worked out my colours, but then lost track of which were for applique and which were going to be background as I worked.  All I can say is that it is lucky I am surrounded by bolts of fabric!  There was a big booboo :-l

We've had plenty of practice stitching curves so far on this project.  I'm pretty happy with the way mine have improved as I've gone along.  The new technique this month was learning to stitch those interior points.  

I actually found them OK.  Just take your time and study the photographs in your pattern leaflet.

Actually, now that I think of it I do I have a third tip:

3. Take particular note of the diagram which illustrates clipping into the seam allowance at that inverted point.  It is a little hard to see as the colours are dark; but pretty much you only want to clip a scant amount - no more than half way in towards your line of basting stitches. (I wish I thought to take a photo of mine as I worked to show you!)  If you clip any deeper you will end up with a bit of a hairy mess, with stray threads wanting to escape.

 Happy applique everyone