First Saturday

We have quilts from two of the colorways for First Saturday completed, and I'll be making the third (Batik) block each month. The patterns from Lori Smith are terrific, with assembling and pressing directions, and the only thing I really had to be careful about was the seam allowances. What I decided to do was measure the pieces as I was putting them together, instead of waiting until the block was completed.

Here are some more First Saturday tips:

1) Starch the fabric for best results. We like the Mary Ellen's Best Press or heavy duty spray starch. Spray the pieces (separate darks and lights) and let them absorb the starch, then press dry. Be careful not to stretch the fabric.

2) Cut carefully. We included a smidge more fabric than the pattern will say, but there's not much more! In most cases, there's not enough fabric to oversize the blocks then trim later. If in doubt, measure twice and cut once.

3) Check your seam allowance as you go--don't wait until the block is done! For example, in the first block there are half-square triangles that are sewn next to a 2" square. The half square triangles need to measure 2" as well, and if they don't, you need to adjust your seam. The blocks this year have lots of pieces in them, so you will need to be accurate.

4) Pressing arrows are included in this pattern, so you won't have to guess. Once in a while, there are none, so you can choose for your self.

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