Sometimes you have to be inspired. Progress is fast when you are inspired. In spite of not feeling my best yet, after finding the fabrics at Walmart on Monday I was inspired. This lead to an increased motivation to get started on the next project. Why wait? I was at a stand still on the “Special White Quilt Project” anyway, I might as well make the most of it. I was not making much quilting progress on that one at all. It will get done, but for optimal quilting progress sometimes you just have to run where the inspiration takes you.

The fabrics I selected were pleading for something bold. They needed a quilt pattern that would make a statement. (I am sorry ahead of time for the pictures. These were the quick snaps I took at the store.)
What I found interesting is that none of these fabrics are particularly bold. Well the dark medallion print (Fabric Selection 6) is bold. Yet each fabric is almost crying for its own time in the spotlight. They are subtle but make their own individualized statement. 
 
I am not a huge fan of triangles personally. I find the angles and points a bit fussy. I don’t find them particularly difficult per say, it is just more busy work in cutting and sewing than I like to do. I will confess to a “get it done” kind of attitude usually. These fabrics kept drawing my eyes to them. I felt like I needed to pull away from my current project and get started on them. They needed to show that quilting progress cycle and become the end product.
 
I decided to use this pattern and now it is time to see some quilting progress made.
 
Inspiration from April Rosenthal's Book: Bedroom Style, Perfectly Pieced - Quilting Progress at Stacey Sansom Designs
Inspiration from April Rosenthal’s Book: Bedroom Style, Perfectly Pieced
This pattern was perfect! Bold. Simple so that it did not detract from the prints themselves. The angles and lines would contrast the colors of the fabrics and the softness and curves in the fabric’s different patterns. I was liking it a lot. 
 
You can find that pattern in this book: 
 
Inspiration from April Rosenthal's Book: Bedroom Style, Perfectly Pieced - Quilting Progress at Stacey Sansom Designs
Inspiration from April Rosenthal’s Book: Bedroom Style, Perfectly Pieced
This is the second time I have used a pattern from April Rosenthal’s book: Bedroom Style, Perfectly Pieced. I used the first as loose inspiration, but inspiration nonetheless. This time I have followed the pattern fairly closely. My variation will come largely when I get to the borders of the quilt. I am liking this book overall. Obviously, I have now selected two patterns from it.
A little history on how I came across this book. It was gifted to me. It was given to my by my husband’s Aunt Maude. She was not using it and she thought I would appreciate it more. I do really appreciate it. It has not even made it to the bookcase yet.
 
Now you are probably thinking what I was thinking when I sat down with my stack of fabric, “That is a lot of triangles,” I will assure you that it is indeed a lot of triangles. The good news, however, is we do not have to cut all those triangles before we get started. Instead, we will be cutting a lot of squares. We will be cutting a lot of rather sizable squares. That is completely doable!
 
Prepping all the squares for cutting into half-square triangles. - Quilting Progress at Stacey Sansom Designs
Once we get all those squares cut – 50 of them to be exact – we have to mark half of them with stitching lines. The stitching lines run across the square at an angle – corner to corner. This actually is your cutting line and you will see each square twice, once on each side of the line.
If you look at the square in the top edge of the above image you can see my three lines. I did three lines in a wash out, disappearing fabric pen. I marked both of my stitching lines for my own personal ease of stitching and lining things up. The best quilting progress is made when you do the prep work necessary for your own ease and comfort.
I suffer from migraines and one of my triggers is by repeat rapid movements and light. If I can move my area of focus away from the up and down motion on the knob that holds my foot on my sewing machine, I get to enjoy longer periods of sewing migraine free. You do not have to mark your stitching lines. Just know that you are going to stitch your seam allowance away on both sides of your line.
 
Lots of work goes into half square triangles. Wash, rinse, repeat. - Quilting Progress at Stacey Sansom Designs
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. You do this for all your squares. It is tedious. Kind of boring even. The good news is that it goes fairly quickly even with as many as you have to do. You will end up with 25 sewn together squares. 
 
Then it is time to cut your first set of triangles! Simply cut along your cut line. Do it carefully. You do not want to lose your seam allowance in any cutting mishaps. You will end up with 50 triangles. 
 
Lots of pressing when you quilt. Wash, rinse, repeat. - Quilting Progress at Stacey Sansom Designs
Then you get to go to the ironing board and play with a hot iron. Press all your triangles open to the dark side. If you are like me you will pick a couple of fabrics where you will just have to make an executive decision on which fabric is the dark fabric and press that way. When you are done you will have a pile of 50 squares again. Good job, you are right back where you started! Just kidding. Check out out my picture to see how accomplished I felt when I was done. I even stacked them neatly as pressed them. 
 
Now it is time for round two of triangles…
 
Lots of work goes into half square triangles. Wash, rinse, repeat. - Quilting Progress at Stacey Sansom Designs
Now we have to take those beautiful newly reformed squares and make them triangles again. You simply rotate and cut corner to corner perpendicular to the seams you just made. 
 
I made good quilting progress tonight. This is where I stopped last night and where I will be picking back up today. I am impressed at how quickly this pattern whipped together. I did not start cutting the fabric until early afternoon yesterday and I still have evening responsibilities to take care of. I did not get back to start sewing until 8:30PM last night. By midnight I had started cutting my second round of triangles. I imagine this quilt top will be completed (or very close to it) by the end of the day. That is fast quilting progress as some quilts take much longer to complete the pieced portions.
Quilting Progress – Fast progress made!
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