Let the fun begin… without looking take a strip from the
paper bag and sew each small scrap that you selected to this strip. Once the first strip is full pull another
from the bag (don’t look). The only way
you can put a strip back is if it’s exactly the same fabric you just used.
 |
| Sewing small scraps to a strip |
|
|
Clip
the scrap pairs apart and press to the dark side. After this first step, you will press towards
the most recently added fabric.
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| Clip the scrap pairs apart |
|
 |
| Press toward the darker fabric |
|
Have
you tried stack pressing? First place
your little pair on the iron board with the dark side on top, I always press
the seam closed first to set the seam (relax the thread in the seam) and then
nudge the seam open toward the darker fabric.
Place your second piece with the seam along the first seam that you just
pressed open, set the seam and then
press toward the darker fabric.
 |
| Stack Pressing |
 |
| Nudge seam open |
The
first seam helps to keep the second seam straight, and gives you something to
press against. Keep stacking until it
gets a bit too thick and start another stack.
Now
take these little pieces to your cutting board and trim one side (if
needed). I like to have one straight
edge to work with.
 |
| Trim one edge |
|
Once
you’ve done a little straightening back to the sewing machine and pull another
strip from your bag and sew your new scrap pairs to it.
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| Sew scrap pairs to a new strip |
|
|
Now
press toward the most recently added fabric, I do the whole strip at once.
 |
| Press toward most recently added fabric |
|
Back
to the cutting board to cut them apart.
 |
| Cut your little pieces apart |
|
Continue adding your little pieces to strips from the bag in this manner until you have 80 blocks that are at least 7 inches
in each direction.
Next week we'll continue with step three.
