My hubby said he'd wake me up just before MN to see the New Year in. What time will the BOM post? I'm EST. I'm so excited!! Sandi in FL

Ritzy is right about using the same ruler throughout a project -- one inch is one inch... unless you are using a different ruler where someone else's one inch is not exactly the same one inch!

And I'll throw another suggestion in... use the SAME MACHINE throughout the project (and if you don't, then do Margo's one-inch test so that you are assured that your one inch is the same!). Each machine and each foot (by which we often measure a quarter inch) is a tad bit different.

So hang in there, everyone - for those of you who are joining us on this year-long ride, hang on! It may get bumpy at times, but I will offer plenty of tips to get past those bumps. Only a couple more hours --

Happy New Year!
Sue Garman

Bummer! The other day when DS and I bought fabric for the workshop this weekend, I forgot that I needed black fabric for my background for the BOM (Yes mom, you can tell dad that I do not have enough left from that bolt I bought in 2007). And I had found a black that I liked. So back to the LQS today, hoping that they still had some left. Well they did so I bought all of it (just under 10 yds). But they didn't have any black Masterpiece thread that people have been recommending. So stopped at another store and they don't carry Superior, mostly just embrodiery threads. I went to the website and there isn't another store close that carries Superior so I won't be able to start tomorrow because I'll have to order the thread. So I can't start the BOM tomorrow. Oh well, I have 28 1-yd pieces of fabric to press, plus the fabric I bought today and I do have other stuff on my list to work on.
Frances

Something I learned about accuracy is--use the same ruler thru out the project.

Sally, I have trouble with precise too and before even thinking about this BOM helping me, I set a goal to make 2009 a year of improving my basic technical skills. I have been running into battling with poor construction skills. So I'm delighted for this year long lesson!

Frances is right! I think the pattern could be enlarged on a copy machine. In every set of patterns, Sue includes a one inch square test area that we are to measure before we start to make sure that our printers are set to to the right scale. If you print it out, then figure the percentage you need to get it to the scale you want to use, I think it might work fine! You could cut the original sections apart before you make the copies to make sure that each unit prints on one page. It would be worth a try if you are going to try to make all the blocks in a larger scale, but it's way too math for me! LOL!!

And, if you don't want to use PP, you could always use the patterns she provides to make templates for another method if you want to.

OK, maybe I will give in and use paper. I have a copier that increases or I could take it to the office if it needs to be on larger paper. Or I may just scan it into the computer and redraw it. If there are only 45 degree angles that would be the easier way to do it since I have to add more lines to the paper to do it my way.

Annis,
You could figure out the percentage difference from Sue's block to the size you want and then print out Sue's foundation and take it to Kinkos and have them blow it up.
Frances

For the January directions for the feathered star, Sue only gives directions for paper-piecing. After that, there will be more options for how to put the blocks together, but she strongly recommends that we use the PP techniques because they are so accurate, and with this many pieces, it makes it all go together much easier.

I made my first Feathered Star blocks back in 2005 after Marsha McCloskey visited our quilt guild. I'm making my quilt king sized so am planning on resizing the block to the size of one of the blocks in her book and will be piecing it without paper. I hope I find time to do this along with continuing the 2008 BOM. Will Sue be giving instructions for piecing without paper too? I just reread your first blog and it sounds like she is. Precision piecing is my specialty and this is going to be an exciting year! I wish I could share my paper piecing technique with everyone but I'm not sure how to go about doing it on line. Maybe I won't be able to do it this year but hope to sometime in the future.

That's just one of the wonderful things about quilting, Margarita! There are so many different ways to accomplish everything, that everyone should be able to find something that works for them. This was my first paper-piecing project, and I learned so much!!
The most important lesson I learned, I think, is that careful measuring and precise trimming are critical to everything fitting together well in this kind of project. It's not hard to do, but it's a step that a lot of us tend to skip. We just need to get into the mindset before we even begin that we are going to take our time to do this right, and it's going to work! Sue and I will both offer pointers along the way, and I hope that anyone else out there with suggestions and/or ideas will jump right in to help!

Margo

Thank-you for all you tutorials, I have followed some, and others I do differently. I am looking forward to the 2009 BOM. (I did a Feathered star a long time ago, ended doing 2 because the first one just would not lay flat at all. ) I know the second one is in a quilt, but I wonder what i did with the first one

Margarita in Auburn, CA

I have never been a percise person - I am totally scared to death about this - I have tried to measure before and always had tons of tweeking at the end...I cant wait to see if I get through block ONE!
Sally

Good tutorial on the quarter inch seam! Thanks! I will test my quarter inch today! Mary Kay