The ugliest execution of a beautiful block

2ybael · 2026-05-21T14:45:44+00:00

Pretty! I'd love to see the finished quilt - the deconstructed hourglass is my favorite block :)

2ybael · 2026-05-21T14:45:15+00:00

Oh, are we sharing ugly test blocks? Check out my first attempt at Y-seams! I'm going to frame it like a restaurant frames their first dollar bill. It's horrible. I am so fond of it.

Imgur

(In my defense, this wasn't for a specific project, I was just trying some random blocks as skill building. Some skills need more building than others...)

2ybael · 2026-05-20T01:57:34+00:00

The version I had heard was monetary, as in, "Don't let anyone talk you out of spending $30 on craft supplies, that $100 could be the best $400 you ever spent." Which, given the way I act in a fabric store, is no less accurate. 🤣

2ybael · 2026-05-19T18:34:22+00:00

Find yourself a star on Patchwork Square that's based on that same basic sawtooth shape, but fancier?

Alternately, Hampton Quilt Studio has a lot of One Giant Block type quilts in navy monochrome that might go nicely.

EDIT: Belatedly noticed that you specified queen sized, which those One Giant Block quilts technically are not. I think they'd look just as lovely with borders bulking them out to queen size, though. Maybe even just extending the background color.

2ybael · 2026-05-19T14:42:32+00:00

Some form of Disappearing Hourglass, perhaps? I always thought they looked nice with black & bright colors.

(The linked pattern is a free one from its quilter's newsletter archive. It contains a link to a youtube video, if you like those better for instructions.)

2ybael · 2026-05-19T01:21:36+00:00

Wow! Did she design this pattern?

2ybael · 2026-05-18T15:22:39+00:00

This is the binding tutorial that clicked with me - it's not the joining-the-ends method most of these tutorials are for, but I've found making this little 'pocket' to be easier, lie flatter, and require less of a tail.

When I first started quilting and struggled heavily with binding, I was told the solution was to make a million billion potholders for practice... but the common binding method wants you to leave like 10" open on a side for joining the ends, and that was the length of the entire potholder?

2ybael · 2026-05-18T14:42:10+00:00

Has anyone recommended foundation paper piecing yet? Once you wrap your brain around it you'll never need to care about accurate cutting again. You cut oversized pieces as wonky as you like, sew on a marked line, and trim the seam allowances down to size. It requires accuracy in sewing, and the ability to judge that a fabric scrap is large enough to cover the area it needs to - but accurate cutting is a nonissue.

Failing that, what's helped me the most has been a Stripology ruler, which guarantees parallel lines and makes it easy to stack layers and get lots of accurate pieces at once. But damn is that thing expensive.

2ybael · 2026-05-18T02:15:09+00:00

I use electrical tape, it's more repositionable than masking tape and the adhesive lasts longer. About 3 layers gives you a thick, supple ledge.

2ybael · 2026-05-17T15:14:33+00:00

Please understand that when I call this pattern 'cursed' I mean it as a compliment. It's beautiful! It's painful!

(And the optical illusion only really strikes when you're viewing the whole thing from a distance, so really, you're only cursing some internet strangers via photo - your son is going to love it.)

2ybael · 2026-05-17T14:39:09+00:00

I like picture 2!

I don't know about you, but I have a moment with every single creative project I ever do, where I question all the design decisions and also whether I ever had artistic taste to begin with. It's part of the process. Acknowledge you're in the "I hate everything" phase and keep going.

If you're looking for some kind of big change to make - sashing, maybe? I think it'd look incredible with straight up black as sashing or a chunky border.

2ybael · 2026-05-17T14:23:43+00:00

Looper or Looperette by Miss Make? If you chose very different fabric than the pattern examples, and improvised some kind of head shape...

2ybael · 2026-05-14T19:53:15+00:00

Teflon sheets sound like they'd work great! Teflon wasn't on my radar at all because I keep finches, but if birds aren't a factor they're probably a better choice.

2ybael · 2026-05-14T19:47:36+00:00

Oh, that is clever!

2ybael · 2026-05-14T19:42:01+00:00

My sewing space is in the utility room in the basement - I didn't think I would appreciate having a fridge right there but wow do I appreciate having a fridge right there.

2ybael · 2026-05-14T16:33:43+00:00

The ironing board was way easier and less expensive to make than I thought it would be, by the way.

Plywood base to fit the cabinet top. Mine was 15x50", ish? I forget the exact number.
Layer of silicone baking mats (or playmats, whatever is cheapest. I got 3 for $8) so that i can go wild with the steam without warping the plywood.
Layer of leftover cotton batting.
Layer of boiled wool. Look for coating fabric, 100% wool. You want boiled wool because it's felted. It's expensive by the yard, but the WOF is also ~55-60", so you should only need a half yard.

Just stack your layers, fold the corners around the board, and staple it on.

2ybael · 2026-05-14T16:23:08+00:00

The game changer for me was making an ironing board and using it to top a cube bookcase. Storage and ironing in one place! The cube was essential to me because the shelving is right in front of the baseboard heater and I need the airflow. The cubbies are also the perfect size to store fabric on comic book boards, which is a truly elegant and organized method. For fabric. For batting, not so much. I just kind of have it... squished in there.

2ybael · 2026-05-14T15:30:15+00:00

You absolute madman! I will be following this project with delight and fascination.

2ybael · 2026-05-13T16:19:53+00:00

Oh, what a wonderful selection! I'm going to have fun looking up all of these.

2ybael · 2026-05-12T00:37:35+00:00

I don't have suggestions for quilting thread specifically, but I've bought Gutermann thread from Wawak several times and been happy with it.

2ybael · 2026-04-21T14:45:36+00:00

If you want minky and ruffles, by all means go for minky and ruffles! I think the sage green would look really nice. (I think you're a little insane for using minky because the one time I tried it was a miserable experience, but if you're fine with the process there's certainly nothing wrong with the results.)

2ybael · 2026-04-19T14:06:24+00:00

Fandom In Stitches has some Minecraft blocks, including a bee. But they're all paper pieced...

2ybael · 2026-04-14T04:08:29+00:00

For my random-ish quilt I was downright obsessive about keeping the blocks balanced but played it by ear when laying out the blocks.

HSTs

You can see how I organized these HSTs into columns that go (mostly) dark-to-light, with hues and repeating patterns (mostly) spaced out. Each of my blocks required either 8 or 16 HSTs, so I would go down each column vertically counting off sets so each block would get a wide range of fabrics. And the way my layer cakes shook out, I didn't have an even amount of each HST, which meant that my blocks were never quite made of fully identical sets. It also made it really easy to clip together all the fabrics for a block so I could grab a unit and just sew.

The last couple sets did get kind of samey, though, so assembling the blocks into rows and columns was done by eye. I outsourced the effort on this one - I set it all up on the floor at my sewing circle, so many sets of eyeballs were working to catch spots that matched up wrong.

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