How are things going with your Confetti quilt? Are you surprised by how much background fabric and how many scraps it uses? I know I could hardly believe both. With all those tiny seams, it uses more fabric than you’d expect!

May is the halfway point in this leisurely sew-along based on my Confetti Quilt pattern. The patchwork pattern is a bit different for a foundation paper piecing pattern, but you’ll see the payoff in efficiency and flexibility.

Plus, it really does look improv-sewn!

I wonder, have you started to bend the rules with the paper foundations yet, to follow your scraps as much as the pattern? I totally do - - - which is why I sometimes end up in trouble with too-scant seam allowances. This month’s tip is how to fix that challenge, without a seam ripper!

May Prize

Creativity is its own reward, and I know you don't need to be convinced to sew. Still, it is rather fun to win new fabric, which might ignite a fresh wave of creativity! Fenceline Fabrics is sponsoring our quilt-along with a fun fabric prize each month.

Want to win this springy Rifle Paper fabrics bundle?

No. 1. Follow both @StitchedinColor and @FencelineFabrics on Instagram.

No. 2. Each photo you share to Instagram of your Confetti quilt progress this May enters you to win. Tag the photos with #ConfettiQuiltAlong!

I’ll announce the winner and contact them via Instagram messaging at the beginning of June. Prize ships free to the USA and Canada. An international winner will receive a gift certificate in the same value.

Tip

If you follow the guidelines in the pattern, regarding scrap size and background strip size, your seam allowances will be nice and generous. But sometimes a scrap that is actually too small begs to have its day in the sun. Have you ever pressed seams open only to discover that your just-added fabric doesn’t extend far enough pass the next pattern line?

I check my seam allowances throughout the machine paper piecing process by holding the block up to the window. Here I can see that the seam allowance between the F piece and the G piece will definitely become less than 1/4” if I continue as usual.

Since we sew machine paper piecing with a tiny stitch length (to make removing papers later a snap), unpicking any missteps is a major chore. Thus it’s easier to resolve scant seam allowances by changing the pattern rather than unpicking seams. With the Confetti quilt, there are no points to match and no specific measurements to attain, other than overall finished block size. Thus, there’s no reason not to simply move the pattern line to suit your scraps!

Do this with a ruler and writing tool. Simply draw a new straight line parallel to the pattern line. Tada, problem solved! Sew along your newly minted line instead of the pattern line, when you add the next piece. Generally the pattern-indicated background strips are generous enough to compensate for the extra bit of fabric needed in your next piece. Easy peasy.

Yesterday I was in a mood - an independent, come-what-may mood. There are two additional pattern-alterations in this set of purple blocks below. Each time I edited the pattern to suit too-small scraps that wanted to be used. This time I didn’t even bother drawing a new pattern line. I sewed these lines by referencing the existing pattern line with my presser foot.

The Confetti block is not a quick sew, but it’s very forgiving. Just keep sewing!

Community

It’s such fun to see this quilt come to life in so many different ways. Cheers to each of you for following your muse! Check out these lovelies:

Visit #ConfettiQuiltAlong on Instagram to see more from our community. You can share your photos with us by adding “#confettiquiltalong” to the image caption when you add a progress photo to your Instagram feed.

My Progress

I’ve added two new blocks to my Confetti quilt this week. Each one features scraps from my latest finish. With these blocks, anything goes because it’s all colors in!

If you’ve been following along for awhile, you know I’m usually a one-project girl. With this sew-along, I’m coming back to Confetti in between projects. I’m finding it really easy to pick up and put down. The directions are self-evident on the pattern printouts, so I don’t have to reorient myself. Plus, it’s fun to use new scraps as I go.

Time to tuck theses pieces back into my work in progress basket. My stack of pretty confetti blocks is growing!