I Need All the Help I Can Get

O.K., I'm starting on this strange little project I've got going in my head. I'm having to sew together long strips of triangles and squares. And basically it's repetitive. BUT, knowing my addled brain, I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET.


I started doing this little trick earlier in the year, just simply because it gave me peace of mind that I could always tell where the first block was in the strip. That way I didn't get things turned around, and I didn't feel confused in my head, which can happen easily! So I've kept using this little trick, big blocks or small, long strips or short, and it really helps.


What I do is ... I simply pin a safety pin (I'm using my little, curved quilting safety pins) in the outside edge of the first block. That helps me always know where the left edge or top edge is in the strip. In this particular project, I'm making two sets of strips at a time, alternating as I sew (saving thread), as one strip is completely different from the other in each set I sew. That helps keep them straight, too, that they're different. You can see here I'm starting on a set of strips with pins in the edges - one strip of red and white triangles, and one strip of squares of white and sunflower print.





There's my little jelly jar of quilting safety pins on the left. I love using jars for stuff. This jar held some delicious sandhill plum jelly from a friend ... until I ate it all. Heh! I have lots of jars like this, but it was THIS PARTICULAR JAR that the jelly was in, the lid, too, and I think of my friend when I get pins out of the jar. :) I'm sentimental like that.




Here's the whole kaboodle - piles of pieces waiting in the background for their turn to be sewed into strips. Will update more once the strips are done, and on through the rest of this little project that I hope works out. :)