COLOR MY WORLD--MONTH 9-- TALL BUILDINGS # 4

We've come to the last of the Tall Buildings--# 4 is here and it is the tallest. 

These 8 Tall Buildings # 4 will go on either side of the 4 Skyscrapers, Left on the left, Right on the right.

These are big and there is lots of sewing. The seam allowance that joins the lower portion of each Tall Building is very important, so the Shadow fits properly.

My friend Pam is doing a great job sewing each month ahead so I have pieces for my demos. Here they are finished: 

Here is the Right Side, ready to be sewn together. There are 6 small sections that need to be joined so the Shadow can be sewn on the right side. If those 5 seam allowances are off a few threads EACH seam, the shadow will be too short or too long:

I know the question that is sure to come--What SIZE is this supposed to be? Measuring the paper patterns, they are about 17.75" Finished--that is when sewn into the quilt. With seam allowances, they are about 18.25" on the LONG side when UNfinished.  The top angle is steep so the seam allowance to the very top  will be longer than the usual .5" 

The numbers are "about" because these are  hand-drawn patterns and there is a little variation. There is also variation due to each person's seam allowance, skill with precise paper piecing, even the thickness of the thread used. As long as they are close to that measurement, things will be fine.

I say each month--I never once tried to measure these units when making the quilt last summer. I had  accurate paper patterns, sewed accurately, and used 60 wt. and 80 wt. thread. It all fit together just fine.

TIPS FOR SEWING THE TALL BUILDINGS TOGETHER:

If you haven't started to join the Tall Buildings together yet, now that all 32 are done, it's time. On the Left side sew TB #1, #2, #3, and #4 from left to right.  On the Right side sew TB #4, #3, #2, and #1 from Left to Right.

IMPORTANT SEWING TIP: Be Sure to backstitch at both ends of the seams joining the Tall Buildings. They will ultimately be part of the outer ring that will be a complete circle. The Upper Road center circle will be joined to this outer ring. There is much  handling and pinning and time under the needle to make that final circular seam. Having secure seams at both ends will help A LOT. 

It is important to align the seam correctly. Because the outside edge is an angle, the top of TB #3 will stick out from the top of TB #4. 

You want the seam to be exactly 1/4" wide. If the two buildings aren't aligned correctly, you won't have an even edge across the top, where the border fabric will ultimately be sewn. This is how the outside seam should look: 

I pressed the seams open here. I think on mine I pressed the seams toward the Shadow--it's slightly easier to press and creates a real "ditch". As I knew I was quilting mine and would have lots of "stitch in the ditch" quilting, that was part of my thought process. Do whichever you prefer: 

Left Side, Back 

Left side, Front

You will know you are doing it correctly as you see the outer edge forming a straight line. This is the outer edge, where you will join a border during the quilt assembly--that comes in Month 12. 

It is fun to see the progress many of you are making. Please post your photos on the Forum, under the Topic Tall Buildings -- Show Your Progress Here  If you have trouble uploading photos, there is information to walk you through the process: Uploading Photos Step by Step

In Month 10 we will make the 4 Little Houses in the City--they sit at North, East, South and West.

Let's quilt.

Barbara