Wednesday 24 June 2015

CHALLENGE: OLDEST UFO TOP "The Blue Train" - RAIL FENCE BLOCK

My Aunty Anne, friend Lorraine and a number of other SCQuilters decided at last years retreat in Launceston  that one of the year's challenges was to complete our oldest UFO before Canberra's retreat (at the end of July). I had designed this rail fence quilt from blue fabrics. The blocks had been sewn together already. Somewhere in moving house I had lost the pattern, so was left wondering how I had laid it out. Today, after it has sat on my sewing table for 6 weeks screaming to be put together, it has been and has taken 3 hours. I cut this when I knew not much about fabric, seams and really anything about quilting. The light fabric is some sort of poly- mix so a hot iron is a killer for it. So have managed to get it flat with a very low iron. This fabric means I will have to quilt it myself which will be the next job for the year. In the ditch or cross hatch is the question?
I've had to square up the 4 blocks, then square up the rows. I reckon it was originally sewn on my old Janome.
Still deciding on borders as it is under 4 feet square, to make it usable for me I would want it at least 5.5' square for use on the couch. I've got some spare 2.5" strips that I could use as a thinner border, all sewn together lengthways, then add some of the navy cotton I bought in Egypt 14 years ago as a bigger border.

Based on it being a rail fence, I have called it "The Blue Train".
I love train travel and "The Blue Train" is a journey I would love to do one day.
Click here to read about the journey.

Whatever is under your needle, spend 20- 30 mins sewing and enjoy.


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