So now to open the pattern pack...
This is actually quite scary as I know what type of information overload I'm about to get. I'f you've never seen a pattern from Quiltworx before you may be in for a surprise...
They aren't just a standard pattern, you get a whole pack of stuff:
Beautiful full colour cover sheet so you know what you are aiming for.
A pattern booklet, which I strongly advise you read, re-read then read again while scribbling notes in the margins and highlighting as you go.
Packets of newspaper templates. Lots and lots of templates.
I have a colour coded system of check marks which allows me to keep on top of things and to make sure I'm not cutting templates or fabrics without having double and triple checked first.
I use an expandable file folder to store each of the pattern sections and the fabrics before I slice and dice them, and again once they have been separated out into the pieces for each unit.
Pro Tip from Lucy McKie of Sassy Granny Designs: Check online for any pattern corrections before you begin
First up I work my way through the booklet and the newspaper printed sheets. Cutting them apart (although not too much too soon) and popping them into the relevant sections in the file folder. This takes me about an hour to sort out, I'm slow at the start but begin to find my feet and speed up towards the end.
Don't get over confident though or you will cut something apart that you shouldn't.
Now it's time for the fabric strips. One of the lovely things about a pattern from Judy at Quiltworx is that the fabrics are complicated and so she's simplified them into an economical series of fabric strips to start you off. Not only is it easier to cut apart but you get far less wastage to boot.
You may remember I mentioned the stickers that Granny Sassy Designs added to the fabrics? These tell me exactly how many strips I need to sub cut and what sizes they should be. The stickers also magically match the pattern info in the booklet. Such an amazing time saver and a massive benefit of buying a fabric kit from Granny Sassy Designs, check out the store (seriously go look).
Now all my major strip cuts are completed and I check them off in the pattern booklet, file them in the relevant sections of the binder and take a break for lunch. It's been about another hour and most of my morning has been spent organising things.
I have yet to obtain fabrics I can sew, but I know it's tantalisingly close now. I'm off for lunch but I'll be back in another update to show you how I'm progressing with the fabric slicing and dicing for the first unit.
The first time you see it all it's a lot to take in. My most frequent comment to beginners is to read, read then read the instructions again. It does all make sense once you wrap your head around everything. It's a really well written pattern structure.
Wow, that seems really overwhelming. I'm glad it's so well laid out!