That 1/4 inch seam

Still working on my watercolor. The hardest part is keeping to the perfect 1/4 inch seam when putting my 4 x 4 squares together. Continuing on my work in progress...

The Zen of Making Color Wash Quilts

I've been taking a color wash class, Water Color Wizardy at Quilt University with Carol Miller. At first, the idea of putting together 2 inch squares was quite daunting. I'd saved up about ten baggies full of 2 inch squares and when the class came up, I told myself okay, here's challenge.

I found a picture I wanted to do from the internet. I processed it in Photoshop first by reducing the colors and then by adding a grid.

Then, starting from the left, I started from the bottom right organizing in four by four 2 inch squares. This worked okay, but, a big but, the surface was too smooth and things kept shifting. I then took out a table top flannel covered desgin board. Helpful. I then did one row, from top to bottom at a time. Upon finishing a row, I sewed them together VERY carefully to keep that 1/4 seam. During the process, I decided the piece was going to be too big and or I would run out of my 'water' colors soon. I cut the picture down to 6 lengthwise rows thus making the piece a bit more doable. (I have a bad habit of biting off more than I can chew and when this happens, I don't finish and thus end up with another UFO in a box.

During the process, I found laying out squares is a very peaceful process. I have Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and suffer from alot of pain. However, arranging the two inch squares took my mind away from everything except the work at hand. Very Zen.

When I finish the piece I will post it. Anyone with tips on water color quilts and or sharing them. please do so.