Trip Around the World Tutorial 3

Before you read the next paragraph I want to explain the 'breakpoint position' is the fabric that touches the outside edge at the center of all 4 sides.  In other words, it is the fabric that makes the largest diamond shape in the quilt.

Second, you don't have to decide what fabric is going to be in the center of the quilt at this time.  You will be able to audition a lot (or all) of the fabrics after you have unpicked a full sequence of loops.

I have previously posted photos for what is described in the first few sentences below  Check it out here.

Unpick one seam on one of your loops and place it up on your design wall at the left hand edge (or lay it on your sheet if you are working on the floor).  Unpick the next loop at the seam between the top 2 colors of that first strip.  Place it to the right of the first strip.  Unpick the next one at the seam between the top 2 colors of the second tube segment.   Place it to the right of the second strip.  Continue doing this until you have as many loops opened up as you have fabrics (16 for twin, 20 for double/queen, 22 for king).  If you unpick one at the wrong place, it can be used somewhere else so don't re-sew it.  Now you can move the strips from the left edge to the right edge one at a time until you see every fabric in the breakpoint position.  If you take photos and use 2 mirrors at a right angle you can create the look of the whole center.  The mirrors you can purchase that have a hinge holding them together are small, but you can still hold them up to your actual fabric section that you are auditioning to get an idea of what the center will look like.

Here is a post where I was auditioning colors for the center by moving the strips one at a time from the right edge to the left edge.  (Backwards to what I just described above.)

(At this point what you have unpicked is the left top quarter plus the center row.  You don't want to duplicate the center row so that is why you will unpick one less tube for the rest of the top of the quilt.)

Once you have chosen the order you like, you are ready to unpick the seams for the pieces for the rest of the top half of the quilt.   Unpick the second half of tubes (to the right of these original strips) at the seam between the bottom 2 colors of the previous strip.  This will make your fabric move down one step each time.  You know you are done when the first strip on the left and the last strip on the right are identical.

Now DO NOT sew the top half of the quilt together.  You will have all vertical seams if you continue with my tutorial, BUT if you sew the top together (vertical seams) and then sew the bottom together (vertical seams), and then sew the 2 halves togehter, you will have one horizontal seam across the quilt.  This may stretch the center and possibly always be visible as a seam going the other way.

Tutorial 4 will continue tomorrow with bottom half designing and sewing the quilt top together.