Tattoo Girl quilt - the process begins

The Art of Tattoo art show is quickly approaching, so I'm getting my sewing butt into gear! Here's what I've been up to with my next quilt project. I'm working on the Tattoo Girl quilt using the fabric that my mom gave me for Christmas. I'll combine the purple and yellow fabrics to create a double nine patch quilt block.


I started by cutting out two inch strips of the yellow and purple fabrics. This handy ruler with the slits in it pictured below is called a June Tailor. If you don't have one, then you should run out and get one right away! It makes rotary cutting consistent and easy as a snap.




I cut many, many strips of yellow and purple fabric because I knew I had a lot of nine patches to make!




I felt terrible for disturbing the sleeping kitty passed out on my sewing chair!




I then began to sew the yellow and purple strips of fabric together by facing the fabric toward each other and working with a 1/4" seam allowance. Purple, yellow, purple. Then yellow, purple, yellow.




Here's what the two color combination fabrics looked like when they were finished being sewn together.




I then went back to my cutting mat and June Tailor ruler to cut the color combination strips into two inch segments again. Here's what the two stacks looked like afterwards.




I then used one piece from the purple stack and sewed it to a yellow piece, which was then followed by another purple piece. Again, face to face with the fabrics with a 1/4" seam allowance.




That process completed a nine patch block. Not too shabby on my points matching either!




I'll then take the above block and sew the solid yellow piece pictured below next to it in order to complete the process of the double nine patch. Purple, yellow, purple. Followed by a yellow, purple, yellow underneath that row. Complete with a purple, yellow, purple at the bottom. Does that make sense?




I plan one making 6 double nine patches to border the Tattoo Girl fabric focal piece. But all that sewing is for another day. And so it that blog with more photos! Stay tuned!