The Gentle Lapping of Ocean Waves

After reading my title

did you think I had escaped to some

exotic warm tropical island?

I could only wish, but instead

with the busy holiday season and

a dilly of a holiday season cold,

I've been working on my 

vintage ocean wave blocks.

Minus one block

the center blocks for the quilt 

have been stitched.

You can tell right away 

these 30's and 40's prints

do not create the same graphic design

that you typically see with this pattern.

 The fabrics are not very high contrast.

So there isn't the dramatic distinction between lights and darks. 

As compared to

  this antique Ocean Wave 

with early 1900's fabrics

I repieced and quilted in 2011.

The 30's fabrics make more

of a mosaic pattern with all

of the prints and colors meshing together.

I have more half blocks to piece

and then I think I'll have enough leftover pieces

for a simple border.

Hand piecing has proved for me the only

way to handle the inconsistent seam allowances.

After marking the finished size triangle

on the wrong side of the fabric 

the seams have varied from 1/16th to 3/8".

It's simple been the matter of 

carefully matching and pinning 

the marked sewing lines and

stitching on the line on both triangles.

I don't stitch the seam allowances down,

but rather allow them to flip

 to one direction or the other.

 

This allows me to get right up to the spot where

I need to match points.

I'm in the habit of making a couple small

back stitches with a knot on one side of the seam, 

passing through to the other side, 

 doing two back stitches with a knot

 and then continuing on sewing.

It may seem like a lot of extra steps

but it adds some extra security that it

won't come undone at the seams and it

keeps the seams snugged up tight together.

It's the rhythm of my hand piecing.

Just like the soothing sound of the waves

lapping on that warm sandy beach.

 

Until Next Time-

Kyle