Mariner's Compass - A Ghost of Quilt Years Past

I wish you are a very happy, healthy and productive new year!! Thank you for your interest in my blog and for your comments and ideas this past year. I do appreciate you all so much and look forward to sharing our passion for a variety of quilting topics in 2012.


I talked about goals in my last post so I better get moving!  The party's over - the cookies are gone...it's time to get  back to work.

And speaking of work - here's a 'work-in-progress' from 2011.  Does it look familiar?

At the very end of December I pushed myself to get back to this before the stroke of midnight.











I finalized the plan for my the outer border. It will be 'tall' triangles. I like this shape because it echoes the sharp points seen in the central compass. The measurements of this final border will determine the size needed for the 'coping' border between it and the checkerboard.


To make my template I tried different angles on graph paper and when I liked the proportion ( a 4" base) I glued it to a heavier cardboard, let it dry overnight, and then cut it out. I used a awl to poke a hole at the intersections of the seams. I later found that I was able to eyeball the placement without marking it.

I glued a small piece of fine sandpaper to the back when I found it was slipping a bit as I traced. (A few small squares would have worked just as well!)
I keep saying I learn something with every project - and it's true.

 


I wanted to use a wide variety of the beautiful prints from the Regency Collection by Anita Shakelford  and Marcus Bros.  This meant I had to trace the prints individually and cut them out with scissors.








But I was able to be more efficient with the alternate tan triangle by cutting a 6.5" strip ......

......and drawing a pencil line on each side of the template.

Then I used an acrylic ruler (with good light at just the right angle) and rotary cut on the pencil lines.

It's going well and now I regret dragging my feet so much...but this year I will finish the top, sandwich it with the wool batting I've been saving and get started on the hand quilting.


You have my word on it!

To read earlier posts on this project click:

 Part 1   Part 2    Part 3