Little Ruby QAL {Jelly Roll Quilt} Part Three

It's time! It's time! It's time for the finish line! The quilt assembly of the Little Ruby QAL!  

If you are new here?  Easy to catch up:

Getting Started

Star Block Construction

If you are returning to put your quilt top together, here is the next video from Fat Quarter Shop.

 It's pretty short and sweet.   Place your blocks in a layout that works for you. 

 I played around quite a bit and tried to be intentional and make "rings" of certain colors, but eventually settled on spreading the color all about.  Do you just LOVE the texture of the Aria Waterfall background makes!

  I was super worried about my choice, but now I am thrilled!!!

 Occasionally, I will notice that my background is distracting me from making good color distribution decisions, so I will opt to not put the background pieces up until I'm sure I like the layout.

(psssst....I have short people problems and the quilt was taller than me...so I used the floor too)

Time to piece together each row.

As you can see, I like to use my small design boards.  I used Bee in a Bonnet's tutorial a long time ago and its easy to follow.  If you don't want to make them?  Guess what!  Fat Quarter Shop sells several sizes and even has a Master Collection of them.

I digress...the row piecing.

One thing I would like to point out.  Sometimes I found that I didn't have a blunt end meeting on my triangles.

A trick I have learned is that even if my "dog ear" is pressed a different direction? 

 I just pull it up from behind and have it "match" up with the tip of my triangle. And when I know it lines up, I release it back to its position, pinch and hold the placement,  and stitch away.  Oh......did I mention I rarely pin? If you do, I would pin it when I was happy with the placement!. It alleviates that 1/4 inch stress you can sometimes have with triangle piecing!

After I pieced each row and double checking my photo on my phone for the correct placement, I mark my rows with numbers I made a few years ago.  I've also made button clips in the past, but have been using these for awhile instead.

This has been somewhat of a lifesaver, because by the time I press my rows, chain piece, or just whatever, I am 98% sure I will have to have a date with my seam ripper.

I am showing you how I pinned my first row just like Kimberly suggested.

Buuuut, I ended up just stitching without pins after that.  I am just not a "pinner" and I am okay with that.

I'm full of all sorts of tips, because I guess I am in a tippy mood today, but wanted to point out that I don't stitch row by row. 

 I tend to stitch in chunks.  I'm not sure why it makes me feel more accomplished but chunks bring me more satisfaction than row after row building.

Here is a one quick last look at my Quilt one before the last seam.   You'll be able to see it and the second one....and maybe a few extras soon!  Stay tuned!!

Check out the other bloggers who are making there way through the quilts too!

Melissa from Happy Quilting

Angie from Gnome Angel

Erin Cox from Why Not Sew

Andy from A Bright Corner

Heidi from Buttons & Butterflies

Pat from Pat Sloan

Peta from She Quilts a Lot

Heather from Quilt Story

Megan from Quilt Story

Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl

Gerri from Planted Seed Designs

Sherri from A Quilting Life

Rebecca from Bryan House Quilts

Sherri from This & That Patterns

Jemima from Tied with a Ribbon

Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts

Stephanie from Modern Sewciety

Brooke from Silly Mama Quilts

Carrie from Moda's United Notions

Little Ruby QAL {Jelly Roll Quilt} Part Two

It's time for the next round of the Little Ruby Quilt Along with Fat Quarter Shop!
Constructing that quilt star blocks!  

In case you just arrived and said, part two??  No worries!  Part One is HERE.

Make sure you watch the video below before starting!  Kimberly points out some very useful tips!

My Quilt

First, let us simply admire the yummy jelly roll chain pieced pile. 

Honestly? This part was enjoyable. It's pretty mindless and I need that here in and there while working on a quilt. This is the easy stuff.  Press the strips open. Cut triangles...

I've decided after using this Creative Grid Strip ruler, I feel the MOST comfortable placing my hand inside the triangle.  Placing my fingers on the straight edge is a little too close for comfort.

Next step. Separate the two block parts.
Print (left) versus Solid (right)

This is where things slowed down for me. I wanted to be thoughtful with my blocks by playing with color shades with my fabric selections.
Grab up your six "print" block parts to make your first quilt star block.

 Follow Kimberly's instructions in the video about the dog ear placements

 Do you just love!?!?!

Remember that "bonus" second quilt?  Here it is!!!

Gather your solid bottom triangles and arrange them like this.

The original one on the video and image appears to be scrappy, but this was my first rogue moment. I decided to use the same print for all the block parts. 

Piece the block units just like the first block.

A second quilt block!!
I'm getting very excited to have two quilts that are alike, yet different!

Check out what everyone else is up to!!!

Melissa from Happy Quilting

Angie from Gnome Angel

Erin Cox from Why Not Sew

Andy from A Bright Corner

Heidi from Buttons & Butterflies

Pat from Pat Sloan

Peta from She Quilts a Lot

Heather from Quilt Story

Megan from Quilt Story

Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl

Gerri from Planted Seed Designs

Sherri from A Quilting Life

Rebecca from Bryan House Quilts

Sherri from This & That Patterns

Jemima from Tied with a Ribbon

Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts

Stephanie from Modern Sewciety

Brooke from Silly Mama Quilts

Carrie from Moda's United Notions

Stay tuned for the Quilt Top Assembly!!!

Little Ruby Quilt {Jelly Roll} QAL

Fat Quarter Shop and Camille Roskelley have teamed up to bring you the Little Ruby quilt pattern. It uses 2.5″ strips, or a jelly roll or two, plus the new Creative Grids 60 degree Double Strip Ruler and the Creative Grids Hexagon Trim Tool.  When Fat Quarter Shop asked if I’d like to join the quilt along, the pattern caught my eye, but the real draw was that the pattern makes TWO quilts from all the triangles you cut to make the hexagons.  Since I have TWO matching chairs in my family room, how could I resist making two quilts.

 (Quilt A is shown above, hang tight for more details on the second one)

Part one?  Choosing fabrics! Little Ruby quilt pattern yields, what I call, a generous lap quilt, at 65″ x 72″, using two jelly rolls. You can also purchase a Little Ruby quilt kit if you really love Camille's line!

I, however, was looking for a something that fit my needs.  I needed what I'm calling my Summer Quilts.  I have always associated red, white and blue for the summer.  It always seems to start with Memorial Day in the beginning, end with Labor Day, while Fourth of July is sandwiched in the middle.

If you have been following me for a bit, this isn't the first time I've joined Fat Quarter Shop on a blog hop for one of their quilts.  Before they ever asked me to participate in one, I had already used their Simply Fat Quarters book for three patterns (Poppy, Marbles, and Thistle).  I love the simplicity of their patterns. They also seem to break up what can be, sometimes, a tedious process into a simple and enjoyable way.  

Their videos are excellent companions for those who need more visual instructions. 

 Personally?  I just think Kimberly is a doll! Here is the part one video:

My Quilt

I have had a huge crush on Kate Spain by Moda Fabrics, as of late.  In particular, the Aria line.  I'm sure you can guess it might have something to do with the butterflies. I particularly love that it had the red, white and blue I was looking for, but also a companion green.

 

  I couldn't resist the Aria Butterflies in Rose and Water for my backings.  The tiny flowers in  Aria Rose Abloom and Aria Navy Abloom seemed the perfect binding.

Instead of Jelly Rolls, I opted to purchase some Moda Bella White Solid by the yardage, because I needed to bulk up my background stash, and let's be honest...its cheaper to cut the strips yourself. It didn't take long to slash up my white into 54 2.5" strips.

I had a HUGE debate about matching my background with the solid strips that will become the stars, but I went out of my comfort zone and went a little wild and purchased the Aria Navy Cascade for my background.  I'm hoping another quilter chooses the other option so I can see how that plays out!

I made quick work in cutting my strips to prepare for subcutting.  Have I mentioned how much I love subcut instructions in patterns?  Fat Quarter Shop always seems to have them!

My confession.  I only purchased the Creative Grids 60 Degree Double Strip Ruler when I found out about the QAL.  I already had a Fons & Porter Hexagon Ruler, because we all know how much I love hexies!! They appear to have similar traits...it seemed silly to buy another one??  

Well.  I was wrong. WHOOPS!

My ruler is only 6.5" and the Creative Grid Hexagon Tool is 8.5".  My new ruler arrives very soon, so I have my 11 strips ready to go for when it arrives.  The hexagons seem pretty simple.  I noticed that the big key is to make sure that you are getting the seam allowances in your cut. I promise I'll add a picture as soon as the ruler arrives and I cut my hexagons. *ducks embarrassed*

Thankfully, I had the RIGHT ruler for the triangles and made quick work.   

The ruler is definitely tricky and I did a shout out for tips and advice from fellow quilters on Instagram.   A few mentioned to make sure I was putting even pressure on the ruler. I also think your orientation to the ruler is tricky.  Play around with different techniques!

If you missed the part where Kimberly flips her fabric to continue the line of triangles?  Never fear.  You just need to make sure you line up the edge of the last triangle on the ruler against the fabric edge of the new one.  The key to the triangles is that the point is "cut off" for future piecing.

With the majority of the cutting done, I will be ready to start piecing! Stay tuned!
edited to add:
Star Block Construction
Quilt Top Assembly

I've been included in a very amazing list of quilters!  I really, really suggest you go check out and see what the others are up to.  I can't wait to see the different versions of this quilt!

Melissa from Happy Quilting

Angie from Gnome Angel

Erin Cox from Why Not Sew

Andy from A Bright Corner

Heidi from Buttons & Butterflies

Pat from Pat Sloan

Peta from She Quilts a Lot

Heather from Quilt Story

Megan from Quilt Story

Amanda from Jedi Craft Girl

Gerri from Planted Seed Designs

Sherri from A Quilting Life

Rebecca from Bryan House Quilts

Sherri from This & That Patterns

Jemima from Tied with a Ribbon

Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts

Stephanie from Modern Sewciety

Brooke from Silly Mama Quilts

Carrie from Moda’s United Notions

 **I was provided with store credit to buy a portion of my supplies. Trust me, I still have some significant skin in the two quilts....All opinions are 100% my own.