01 April 2020

Revised tutorial

I spent some time working on my AHIQ hourglass project. I was having an issue with the glue drying too quick before I was able to get the frame of the block positioned. This is my version of the 6-minute circle which was not my invention - just want to clarify that. I just tweaked the technique a bit to work better for me. So here is what I did: I already had the freezer paper pressed on the frame fabric
Change #1 - when cutting out the center I now leave about 3/4" instead of cutting it closer to 1/4". This makes it easier to get the clipped edge to stay flat. This will be trimmed later so it doesn't matter if it is more than 1/4"
Press the clips over the freezer paper.
Change #2 - at this point in the past I would dab a glue stick on the clips. This is where I was finding the glue started to dry out and then I had to fuss around reapplying glue and it was just a battle. I now flip the frame over the hourglass block and place the frame where it looks good to me
next I carefully roll back a small section - doesn't matter where you start
grab a bottle of washable school glue. The glue dries stiffer than the glue stick, but I found it is easier to control the placement of the glue product and the hold is much better.
I then put a little line of glue on each clip
gently roll that area down. I gently tapped that area to make sure I had good contact.
Continue around the circle rolling a section back, glue, and pat down. You can see the last clip you glued since the moisture from the glue makes the fabric darker
Since I am inpatient I pressed the block to get the glue to dry faster
Next is to gently peel the freezer paper off the gray frame fabric. I hold the freezer paper and gentle work my way around the block to loosen but not remove the paper yet. You don't want to loosen the clips so gentle persuasion is called for here!
I then tore the freezer paper at the narrower places and then removed each section carefully
Time to sew. You sew along the crease. I like to sew to the left side of the crease.
Next trim the hourglass.
Oh, what a wrinkled mess!
Much better!
Here is what I have done now on this project.

4 comments:

Mary Marcotte said...

This is awesome! Thanks for the tutorial and all the pictures that show what you mean. The more I look at them, the more I love these blocks.

QuiltGranma said...

Sew glad for you that you are making excellent progress, figuring out how to improve your method! AND not giving up on it!

Ann said...

Kind of you to share your tweaks. It will be so helpful for the rest of us. And your blocks look great.

Kaja said...

Thanks for the tips - your circles are beautifully neat.