Hemispheres QAL {Color, Fabric, and Cutting}

Are you excited!??!!? I am. Obviously. Haha. Ok. Let's start talking about your quilt! If you have not gotten your pattern yet, pop over to Aria Lane and scoop one up!

Fabric

The first step will be to decide what kind of fabric you are going to use. Solids? Prints? Both? You've seen this image a few too many times by now. It's the original Hemispheres done in Kona Solids.

Here are some pictures of the quilts done by our testers. This first one is a take on the original. Multi colored with a gray background done in a twin size. 

Twin size Hemispheres quilt top by Stephanie Daniel

This one is done monochromatic with one pinwheel popped in the bottom corner. Pretty, right?

Throw size Hemispheres by Brooke Boon

But how about some prints? What would it look like in prints? Just as beautiful, see! And print/solids combos are always wonderful!

Crib size Hemispheres quilt top by Abby West

Crib size Hemispheres quilt top by Lisa McGriff

Wall size Hemispheres quilt top by Kelly Smith

Color

If you haven't noticed, this is a very versatile pattern. You can change the look of the quilt in so many different ways just by where you place your color. So, if you look in the back of your pattern, you will notice that you have a coloring sheet! How fun? Here is what I came up with for the wall quilt I will be making during this Quilt Along using mine. I need Halloween themed decorations!

 

But that's not the only option to change up the pattern with color placement. Check out theses color mock ups. 

See how it changes! It is all the same pattern. So get out those colored pencils or markers, and see what you come up with! I am sure there are more variations out there waiting to be discovered than just the ones I have shown.

Cutting

So cutting. The MOST IMPORTANT thing you need to know about this pattern is in regard to the templates. When you print out your pattern, you MUST MUST MUST set your printer to 'no scaling'. If you don't, your templates will not print out the right size. Once you print it, measure the little one inch box to make sure it measures exactly one inch. If you aren't sure how to make sure your printer is not scaling your prints, feel free to comment here or in the Flickr group, and we can help you for sure.

Another important cutting tip to maintain precision is to use your rotary cutter and ruler to cut all of the straight edges. You will need to cut the curves with scissors (unless you are awesome with a rotary cutter!), but you can speed up the process and keep your pieces accurate if you use a ruler for the straight edges.

Ok, so Week 1 is pretty benign. But these decisions are important! They will shape the whole quilt. I hope you enjoy coloring with your design sheet and finding your favorite layout. Once you find your ideal scheme, get cutting and get ready for next week!

Also, please share your photos of your fabric picks and coloring sheets in the Flickr group and using #hemispheresqal on Instagram. We want to see your progress!