FAQ

 Frequently asked questions for A Ribbon Runs Through It. By this point in time, most of you have received your first installment of fabric and the pattern.

I have heard from some of you with very valid questions and concerns. There seems to be a theme to your questions; and I will use this page to address them.

- The first packet of fabric makes blocks #1-4.  Save the leftovers just in case you make an "oppsie". I will be posting directions to make a throw-size quilt to go along with your quilt.  The blocks I've made are shown below.  I'm waiting to post the directions so you will have more fabric to work with.  Also, I haven't written the directions yet!


- The cream fabric is for the first 4 blocks.

- I do not prewash my fabric.

-  I highly recommend that you starch your fabrics first.  Yes, there is a wee bit of shrinkage, but you will have plenty of fabric to make the first four blocks.  Really saturate the fabric with a heavy spray starch.  Let it dry before ironing, so you don't distort the fabric.  I use the Heavy Finish Faultless Spray Starch.

- The stated sizes on the Block Layout Sheets are the size of the pieces that you are cutting.  Please refer to the cutting chart for each of the months.  

- Please follow my directions for making the double flying geese.

- As far as I know, there is only one size of the Fons & Porter corner trimmers.

- Yes, the 1-1/2" x 3" Bloc-Loc ruler is worth the cost.  It is a very common size for Flying Geese, and you will get a lot of use out of it.  You can also use it to trim up the square in a square component.

- I use Aurifil thread for all of my piecing.  My favorite colors are 2311 and 2314.

- I do not shorten my stitches when I make the components. That would just make it harder to rip out! 😁

- If you want to make a king-size quilt, you will need to purchase the following:
3-1/4 yards of teal - to add another 6" border
1/3 yard of the pink - to add a 1" inner border
1/2 yard more of the 108" backing

- Some quilters are pressing all of the seams open.  I only pressed the seams open when I stitched the double flying geese together.

As more questions are posed to me, I will answer them and post them here.  Just enjoy the process, take your time, and read the directions and follow the tutorial.

Soon,

Lynn


59 comments:

  1. Thanks Lynn!!!!! And You're so right that the Bloc-Loc is worth the price!!!

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    1. I agree, Paula. The rulers add to so much accuracy to those pesky little double flying geese!

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  2. I should have that size Bloc-Loc after having done several of your quilts.

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  3. I need to purchase a blocloc ruler, what size do you recommend?

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  4. sorry... I just saw it is the 1 1/2 x 3 ruler

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    1. It's my understanding that several of the shops are experiencing delays. Hang in there! It will be worth the wait.

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  6. je viens de faire les 2 premiers blocs.Un régal.je vais attaquer les 2 prochains.Merci Lynn pour les explications sur le blog c'est plus parlant que sur le papier.

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    1. Vous êtes les bienvenus. Je suis tellement content que le tutoriel ait été si utile.

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  7. can someone tell me what size bloc loc flying geese I need? I am so confused with this.

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    1. The 1-1/2" x 3" Bloc-Loc ruler is the one you will need. It is confusing because the directions tell you to trim your flying geese to 2" x 3-1/2".

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  8. I have completed 14 of the main blocks. They look beautiful and seams and points lined up nicely. However, I am concerned because many are slightly oversized (up to a 12 3/4 inch square.) Since I don't want to loose my points, perhaps I could sew the sashing on the blocks and then cut those units to the correct size. Any suggestions?

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    1. You could always give the blocks a shot of starch, and they may shrink just a bit. Or ease them in as you say.

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  9. Maybe it is such a small amount that I can just ease it in.

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  10. I love the design and the pattern is written perfectly. My question is why the kit contains 28 yards of fabric when it could have been made with much less. Thank you.

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    1. There are hundreds if not thousands of seams in this quilt. The only place I could have cut down on the fabric is the border. If I didn't cut mine lengthwise, it would have saved on fabric. But then, all of the sprigs of flowers would not be lined up. I also have to allow for a few "oopsies" in the cutting.

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  11. Lynn, love this quilt. A friend and I are working on the first set of blocks and struggling with maintaining a 12.5 inch square. We did not use the heavy duty starch as recommended but we are considering as we continue. Will this negatively impact the quilt with most blocks starched and some not? Thank you.

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    1. I do not think it will have a negative impact on the quilt. You will love working with the starched fabric.

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  12. wondering about the actual yardage requirements in case I ever want to use this pattern again. It is lovely and so much fun. Are they listed somewhere? Can't seem to find them in the pattern, which seems a tremendous oversight.

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    1. The fabric requirements are all listed on the back of the pattern. I'm wondering if you didn't receive that page. Please send me an email to: sewnwildoaks@gmail.com and I will send you the back page.

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    2. My apologies. You are correct, its right there. I put my pattern in a 3 ring binder and tabbed instructions, sq in a sq, hst, and fg, so i could flip to them quickly. Somehow, the last two pages got stuck together. (could have been crumbs from the payday bar I was eating while doing my book) Thanks for finding it for me! Go have a payday bar as a reward!

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    3. This made me laugh! Thank you for the morning chuckle!

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  13. When will you be posting your next tutorial on the ARRTI ?

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    1. I hadn't planned on a tutorial for the side setting block since the block is so easy and self-explanatory in the pattern. Is that what you are looking for?

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    2. So there will be no additional tutorials on the ARRTI?

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    3. Yes, I’ve only been quilting for about a year and have so much to learn. I’m having trouble with the triangle blocks. Will you be doing a tutorial for them?

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  14. I thought this quilt was a king when I ordered the kit. I notice somewhere that you have to order extra material for this kit. The question I have is the back of the quilt. I need an extra half yard which I don't know how to incorporate this extra yardage and even if I can order the extra material for the binding and pink sashing.

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    1. I want to enlarge to King, and I ordered additional fabric. Are there instructions somewhere about how in increase? Sorry if this was answered elsewhere.

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  15. Hi Lynn - I have put together the last blocks but I am confused on where to trim. It appears to me in your pick there will be spaces still between after trimming? Won’t this make it not have a good 1/4” of material all the way across to catch in seam? Sorry to sound stupid but I have never done one of these and would love to see a real visual of trimming line. Thanks for your help. Sure would hate to make a cutting error at this point.

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    1. If I'm understanding you correctly, is the trimming you are talking about on page 26? When you stitch the first pink border on, stitch with the block on top of the border. You will be stitching through the intersections of the seams on the block. Does this make sense? You will not have gaps, but I can see why you think you would.

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  16. I have finished up to blocks month 5 and 6 and July is half over and have not received any instruction or fabric for month 7 and 8. Are you late in sending them out?

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    1. I wasn't finished with my post and hit the publish butten, I am doing ARRTI and so far I love it.

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    2. I'm sorry your fabric hasn't arrived. You will need to contact the shop where you signed up for A Ribbon Runs Through It. I'm so glad you are loving the quilt so far.

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  17. I am working on the first ribbon set. The HST is to be cut at 5 inches? I cut squares for A and C and cannot get 2 7/8 square when I square up only the 2" as in all the previous blocks using HST 5" squares. Should the squares be larger??? thanks. Polly

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  18. Can you show us how to trim the setting triangles?>

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    1. Dear Kathy. I put a tutorial together to trim the setting triangles here: https://sewnwildoaks.blogspot.com/p/side-setting-squares-for-ribbon-runs.html

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  19. Am I missing something here? I can’t find a link anywhere to subscribe to your blog! ☹️ I absolutely love your patterns BTW.

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  20. ok am I missing a page of instructions? when the sashing pieces are done am I correct in thinking the one strip (A) gets sewn on either side and then the second strip (B) gets sewn onto the sashing posts and then sewn the length of each row?

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    1. I'm so sorry you are missing a page. Please send me an email so I can send you the page you need. sewnwildoaks@gmail.com

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    2. Yes! I am missing the same page of instructions for the sewing the sashing to the blocks

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  21. Will there be a tutorial for the setting blocks (Month 9)? Especially interested in clarification on cutting all the corners off … instructions say 1/4” from the inspection. Maybe a silly question, but which point exactly is this meaning?

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    1. Correction … from the INTERSECTION. :)

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    2. I put a tutorial together for the setting triangle blocks located here: https://sewnwildoaks.blogspot.com/p/side-setting-squares-for-ribbon-runs.html

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  22. Hi Lynn, I too am a bit confused about the cutting instruction for the set-in blocks. I think the confusion lies in the written instruction and the picture. Written instruction does indicate from the seam, but the picture shows from the intersection of the where the A squares intersect with each other. The written instruction makes more sense to me. But before I trim, please clarify. Thank you.
    Best regards, Carolyn

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    1. Dear Carolyn. I'm sorry the directions and images weren't clearer. I just put a tutorial together which I think will be helpful. It is located at the top of my blog page under the rest of the tutorials. https://sewnwildoaks.blogspot.com/p/side-setting-squares-for-ribbon-runs.html

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  23. When do you expect to send out the instructions for the throw quilt mentioned above? This quilt has been so intense but has also been fun to put together. Thank you so much for sharing this quilt with us. It's obvious how much work went into all the materials you have posted and published.

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    1. Dear Diane,
      The tutorial is located on my Aug. 28, 2022 post here: http://sewnwildoaks.blogspot.com/2022/08/a-ribbon-runs-through-it-extra-fabric.html
      I put the tutorial in Google Docs so you can easily print it out. --Lynn

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  24. Lynn, Thanks so much. I don't know how I missed it in August. Looks like fun.

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  25. I just realized that I no longer receive your emails. How can I get my email back in your list so that I receive them? My email address is aew238@west.com. I didn't realize how much I missed getting them. Thank you so much, Ann West.

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  26. So sorry my email address is aew238@westetal.com. Ann West

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  27. I always wash my fabric to prevent shrinkage and dye transfer when washed, especially batiks.
    Is there a reason you don’t wash your fabrics?

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    1. Thank you for your question. The dyes are so much better now than they were in the past. The only color I wash first is red. I like the crispness of the unwashed fabrics. I do heavily starch my fabrics prior to using them.

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  28. Strange question about the Ribbon runs through it quilt. I just purchased a pattern and I am wondering what would you recommend for fabric to come close to the material you used. I am not able to find all the fabric in the line you used so if you could help me out a little. Thank you Linda M

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  29. I just started the Monthly Ribbon Quilt and was wondering where I can get a wooden hanging rack to dry my fabric after starching?

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    1. I would check on Amazon or an antique store. Thank you for making my pattern!

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