Challenge 2 – Improv Wedges
What is a wedge? A wedge in this challenge is just another name for a trapezoid (think of a triangle and chop one point off). It has 4 sides unlike a triangle with three sides.
Materials:
✓ Rotary cutter with BRAND NEW blade and mat
✓ Sewing machine with neutral thread – i.e. cream or light grey, etc.
✓ The fabrics in your palette – leftover cuts from challenge #1
Preparation:
a. Cut 6” - 7” x half of a width of fabric (WOF) strips (6”-7” x 20”-22”) from each of your fabrics You will be cutting these strips to make the wedges for this challenge. You should have some left from Challenge #1
b. Trim the selvages off the strips.
Things you might like to try in this challenge: (You’ll be making 3 units. Maybe try something different in each)
• Colors: Consider using only 2 colors or 2 colors and a pop of another color every so often
• Widths: Try varying the width of the wedges within the unit or try all skinny or all fatter units
• Random: Try a totally random draw of wedges and sew them together. You might even end up with two or more of the same colors next to each other Give up some control!!
Challenge:
1. Press all of your fabrics before proceeding.
2. Stack 2 – 6 fabrics on top of each other as shown in the picture
3. Make diagonal cuts with narrow edges between 1” and 3” and the wide edge so it is larger than the narrow edge. These cuts can be made easily without a ruler / straightedge. Make them random sizes (See the recommended video given below ) Try to stay away from curves for this challenge. You’ll have plenty of time to try curves later!
4. Reduce your stitch length to 2 – 2.25. The smaller stitch length will help keep the seams together when you trim the blocks or cut them into smaller sets of stripes.
5. Mix up all of your wedges
6. Take two wedges at a time and sew a narrow end to a wide end right sides together and slowly feed the wedges under the presser foot. By sewing narrow to wide ends, the unit will tend to be rectangular vs. curved. However, every so often, you don’t have to follow the “rules” and it might make your unit a little more interesting.
7. It’s easy to chain piece these wedges in pairs and then sew pairs together until you have a piece that measures at least 18” long. Press or at least finger press well after each seam - carefully so you don’t stretch the fabric Give them all a good press at the end. Repeat this two more times.
8. To complete this challenge, make at least THREE units of wedges that measure at least 6” x 18”. These 3 units DO NOT need to be sewn to each other. Each unit doesn’t need to be trimmed. If you don’t know where you’re going to use the wedges, don’t trim them until you know! (And as long as any scrap is at least ¾”, keep it for a later challenge or if they are big enough, piece them to make another wedge to add into your wedge unit.)
9. Last step – place your units on your mat to show its finished size or put a ruler near it. Place a label with your name on it and place it on or near your unit. Take a photo and post it in the Challenge #2 album on Shutterfly. Please pay attention to the deadline for finishing/posting if you are interested in being in the drawing for the prize for finishing challenge #2 Celebrate!
Videos and Resources
Challenge # 2 Improv Wedges 3 – 6” X 18” STRIPS of wedges
1. Mister Domestic Teaches Kimberly How to do Improv Piecing Quilting | Fat Quarter Shophttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRcvkBzUOGs
Challenge is due on Monday, February 21
2. CANADIAN MQG BLOCK LOTTO CHALLENGE - WEDGES AS TOPOGRAPHYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtM9VBfutF4
3. Written tutorial: wedge slabshttps://aquilterstable.blogspot.com/2018/06/wedge-slabs.html
HAPPY NEWS for Grisdela Curves and Stripes Workshop Participants
Were you in Cindy Grisdela’s workshop? Did you make wedge blocks during the workshop using your modern mystery palette? If so, each wedge block you made counts for 5” of your 18” in your final challenge units or 4 wedge blocks = 1 unit for the challenge, 8 blocks = 2 units, or 12 blocks = all three units! Take a photo of your quilt (if you sewed them together) along with any extra wedge strips to make the additional length. Post that photo in Challenge 2.
Hints and Variations:
1. Narrow ends of the wedges should not be cut thinner than 1”. They are hard enough to piece this small. Try wedges between 1” and 3” to start with. Remember you have ¼” seams that make these wedges skinnier. You don’t want to end up with triangles or rectangles!
2. Create a larger set of wedges so you can trim them down later to the size you want to end up with.
3. You can always make the beginning and ending wedge wider than you need to help with trimming or combining sets in longer units.
4. If you want a very skinny wedge, cut it a little larger and then trim it after you’ve sewn it to the stripe next to it to make it easier to work with.
5. Piece scraps of your fabrics and sew them together to make pieced wedges. Piece them into your wedge unit.
6. Press or at least finger press after sewing each pair of wedges. Press to the dark side or just press all of the wedges in the same direction. Check for any shadowing if you have some lighter fabrics next to dark fabrics. Trim the darker fabric or press it in the other direction. I don’t generally press seams open unless I’m trying to reduce bulk.
7. Short rows of wedges can be made with leftover fabric from scraps or leftover pieces from other challenges.
8. Improv wedges are good to use as borders, sashings, or even just pieces of “fabric” to use in your other units.
For additional inspiration visit these Modern Mystery Pinterest boards and look for quilts using improv stripes:
• BNMQG’s Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/bnmquiltguild/bnmqg-modern-mystery-2022/
• Nancy’s Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/napmath/modern-mystery-ideas/