Retro Rubies - The Remix and The Finish

If you have been following my blog, you have seen this fabric spread before.  Today I am starting on Andrew's quilt.  The pattern he picked out was Retro Rubies by Alyssa Lichner which is featured in the Spring 2013 issue of Modern Patchwork.  

I started reading the instructions the other day...whew, that girl went to some trouble to make that quilt.  I am basically lazy, first to admit it.  My mind got to thinking, why all that fuss, curved seams, piecing bits...no, not for me.  Don't get me wrong, if there was pattern involved and it was a complex pattern, I would be all over it.  But hey, this is MODERN patchwork.  So, I have redrafted the pattern and here it is for those of you, who like me, would enjoy this quilt with a lot less effort.

I will be posting photos as the work progresses so you can compare the results and see if you, like me, are all about the remix.

Here is the REMIX pattern in PDF format with further pictures and instructions to follow.

Retro Rubies REMIX PDF pattern

I am missing one color, which I will pick up this weekend when I'm down in Rocklin.  All my "petals" are cut, two of each color.  I cut them with the right sides of the fabric together so I cut two at a time and used the rotary cutter and a ruler, lining up against the edge of my template with the ruler to get a straight and accurate cut, then free handing the corners.  Now I will start stripping the fusible pelon into blocks.

With right sides together, (the bumpy side is the right side of the fusible in this instance) pin the four corners.  I pin inside the seam line area so I don't have to remove pins until after I am done sewing and I'm not stitching over any pins.

Cut away the excess fusible.  I use a ruler on the straight areas to make this quick and easy and free hand the corners.  This is much easier than trying to cut your fusible to the pattern and then trying to seam them together.

Clip your corners to the seam line, just like you do in dress making.  This will help them lay flat when you turn them.  Also clip your tips to eliminate the bulk in that area when you turn.

Take some snips or a seam ripper and CAREFULLY make a slit in the fusible.  Make it at least 3 or 4 inches long.  Turn your work right sides out now.

Take a wooden knitting needle or spoon or something with a blunt end and just run it along your seam line, careful to not poke through your fusible.

Turn it over and finger press...do NOT press with your iron until you are placing this on your background fabric or you will have a MESS!

Stack of pellon next to the stack that's stitched.

Stack is ready for trimming.

Done trimming the last bit of excess pellon, ready to slit the pellon and turn.

Turned and finger pressed.  Stack ready to be placed on the background

Kona Cotton Ash for the background.

There you have it, this is up on my design wall and I won't press them onto the background fabric until I have them all made and can play with the color arrangement before the final pressing.  

I will use a ruler to line up my blocks before pressing, that way, everyone will look uniform.  This is a charming wall hanging. Andrew wants a throw size, so might be cutting a few more bits before I'm all finished.

Hope you enjoyed this remix!  Here is the finish...