Dear Dottie: Cut Backgrounds
This post is part of the Dear Dottie Sew-Along! See all posts.
Ok, confession: I’ve already sewn a few blocks. I couldn’t resist! But, officially, we’re still just cutting this week. I see lots of you are also working ahead. Hee hee. Clearly, we love patchwork!
Are you sewing-along? Please share your progress pictures, wherever you are in the process, on Instagram with #DearDottieQuilt. It really sustains momentum and spurs new ideas to see everyone else in the process. We can learn from each other, inspire each other and just generally have a good time!
Make sure you follow @FencelineFabrics, @StitchedinColor, and @TheMakingsofJoy in order to be eligible to win prizes. More on that at the end of this post!
Week 2: Cut Backgrounds
Ready to cut those background fabrics? That’s the l-shape template, included in the pattern. Seam allowances are built-into the shape, so there’s no need to make adjustments.
Honestly, this is the most boring part of the process for me. Do you agree? The backgrounds are a little harder to cut and not as fun as the dots, but we all admit they are crucial.
This quilt will help me use up some low volume fabrics that aren’t my favorites. I seem to have a hard time using multi-color low volumes, like this aqua, red and mint print above. By cutting it up for a scrappy value-based quilt, like Dear Dottie, the fabric becomes secondary to the over-all design. This means I won’t “see” it much in the finished quilt.
The above fabrics are my “light assortment” as per the pattern.
Here is my “white assortment”, which obviously aren’t exactly white. Again I’m pulling in lots of colorful low-volumes, a mixture of fabrics that have been lingering in my stash and new acquisitions with Dear Dottie in mind. The only one I am worried about is the miniature holly print. It might be too mid-volume compared to the others. But I love that holly print so very much that I’m going to use it anyway! It’s Merry Holly from Quilt Sandwich, with a subtle metallic sparkle.
I’ve already finished cutting my dark and light backgrounds. Now I’m working through the white backgrounds, cutting stacks of four strips for efficiency. This Libs Elliott Tattooed North fabric will help tame my multi-color low volumes, I hope. Pretty soon I’ll have all the backgrounds cut!
Then I decided to jump ahead! These colorful low volumes make me nervous, so I decided to sew my white dots/dark background blocks to test the waters. Really, I wasn’t sure if I would like it.
Eeeeeek! I love, love, love these blocks. I’m definitely convinced that this is going to work! Can’t wait to see more of my holiday Dear Dottie develop.
This Week’s Prize
On Friday, November 15th I’ll select a random winner from among everyone who has posted to the Dear Dottie hashtag so far. Someone will win the ZOO FUN FAT EIGHTH BUNDLE WITH HANDMADE JERUSALEM OLIVEWOOD DOUBLE SIDED SEAM RIPPER AND SCANFIL ORGANIC THREAD from Fenceline Fabrics.
Don’t be shy! Just add #DearDottieQuilt to your Instagram photo caption and you’ll automatically be in the running. Here are two recent additions to our hashtag stream:
Ok, back to the cutting!
