Broken Dishes Progress and Pattern Review

Here is a photo of my Broken Dishes top - in progress. I just need to add the border(s) but I am a bit undecided about my border fabrics. No rush though - I can't send it to my long arm quilter until I am in the USA in April, so I have time to think about it.

I think it will be a good size once the border is on (66X78 if 1 border, add 4 inches all around if I add a narrow border, which I will probably do).

I was very happy with the pattern. Everything fit together pretty much perfectly (ok, I had to ease some blocks a little, but that is probably due to my aggressive ironing technique - on triangles, no less- than the pattern). All my seams butted up against each other and I even think that almost all my points are intact. What more could a quilter want? I did have to cut a few extra strips compared to the directions and that could be because of the way I cut - not sure - so if you want to make this quilt, you might want to buy just a bit more fabric than called for - ok, so we all do that anyway in our pursuit of building stashes, but just to be sure you get extra - extra!

Here is a photo of how I pin my fabrics when I come to a section that needs to be eased. My pins run with the fabric if everything is OK and then stick out where I need to ease. In this photo the easing needs to be done in the center on the cream fabric. The top (cream) is larger so when I get to these pins I gently pull the bottom fabric and it all eases together. If you do this - it is easier to put the larger fabric on the top.


And, here is a photo of the book that I got the pattern from - Scraps to You, Too by Debbie Caffrey.

I ordered the book on-line (sight unseen) from Big Horn Quilts for $22. When I first got it, I was disappointed. Really! I would have never bought this book "in person". At first I was annoyed because the directions are a bit different than what I am used to - and I like the familiar. But, the technique of making Birds in the Air blocks intrigued me, so I started. And once I started it was so easy I kept going. Now, I want to make another one of these tops, plus at least 2 other patterns in the book.

The book has a neat design section for your reference and some basic quilting math too.

The Bird in the Air block is actually made from pieced squares and rectangles that you cut with a triangle ruler. Viola! Perfectly aligned Birds! I can't say enough about this super simple technique and am anxious to try making lots of Birds once I get back to my big scrap pile.

So, if you are looking for a new book that has a neat technique - this might be for you. Birds in the Air blocks are very versitile and make a good stash buster block.