Quilt by the Numbers - FMQ Decided

My current project is a quilt made from Zen Chic 10" fabric squares in the line Figures and a Kira pattern. Previous posts on it were 4/3/22 and 3/5/21 for piecing and FMQ planning respectively. Now I am ready to start quilting the assembled sandwich.

In my previous post where I was planning and working out the details of how I was to FMQ it, I used an Excel spreadsheet and did calculations ad nauseam. Then I got realistic. Once I understood the situation, I pretty much threw geometry and theory out the window to come up with a solution to get an integral number of small circles within two larger concentric circles. Certainly my Excel spreadsheet guided my guessing, but ultimately, I'd be restricted to using standard size templates and adjusting a bit. Now that I see my resulting diagram, it reminds me of a ball bearing with an inner race and an outer race, with ball bearings sandwiched in between. I am a retired mechanical engineer, so maybe that was my subconscious inspiration all along...? 

I had a set of Handi-Quilter templates for the 12", 9", 6", 4", and 2" diameter circles to use for the enclosing circles. All the even diameters use the outer edge of each template but the odd 9" diameter circle uses the inner edge of the 12" template. I used four out of the set of six for five diameters. I had to buy a Handi-Quilter mini-circles template for the 1.5" and 1.0" smaller circles for the inner chain of circles. I had other circle templates but not the exact diameters I needed. I was happy to purchase the mini-circles in other diameters to add to my repertoire.

So here are four blocks assembled in the circle quartet configuration and FMQ'd. I had to be careful and take it slow while stitching. The handling will surely be more difficult for a big quilt, but I think it will be manageable. I have a mid-arm Sweet-Sixteen so I need to move quilt and rulers in concert. Right now I plan to use turquoise thread although it does tend to blend into a few of the prints. Choosing a thread color is always difficult for me. As a relatively inexperienced FMQ'er, I fear a contrast will reveal my inadequacies; however, if it comes out good, I kick myself that the stitching does not show. It is true, though, that you cannot tell if you are improving, if you cannot see what you are doing while you are doing it, or how it came out once you've finished. This turquoise thread color choice remains an experiment and a challenge for me. Fingers crossed that my skilled performances show up in the contrasting regions (yellow below) and that my goofs get blended into the matching background (turquoise below). The design is clearly more visible on the white backing I used for my prototype. 

 

The straight lines in the diamond configuration quartets was easier to figure out. I did have to finagle to get half-circles to fall at the horizontal or vertical seams where the corners of the diamonds are formed. I was able use the HQ Swiss Cheese template for the 1.25 diameter circles. I got an additional use out of the HQ mini-circles template I had just bought for the circular quartets for the 1.0 diameter circles. I actually prefer the Angela Walters' straight rule Slim to the HQ equivalent straight ruler (which I own) because the lines are in black and white so they show up on light and dark fabrics both. HQ's registration marks are only printed in white.

The four blocks assembled with the central triangle pointing inward to form a diamond are FMQ'd below. I did manage to place the diagonal straight lines so that the small circles do fall in the corners. There are six per side on the larger diagonal and three per side on the smaller diamond. The stitching shows up better on the white backing. And so do my goofs!

Each block has circular FMQ on one half and straight FMQ on the other half. Below are two practice blocks. It was tricky fitting the circles evenly within an arc, as my multiple tries show in the left image. It also took a bit of measuring and a bit of fudging practice to get half circles on each end of a strait stretch so they would form full circles at the corners of the diamond. I did not succeed on the left. On the right is my second attempt: one circle and two half-circles in the smaller diagonal strip; four and two half-circles in the larger diagonal strip. In the circular quarter of the block, there are 5 ½ circles per larger quarter and four circles per smaller quarter.

Here is how the alternating circles and diamond quartets will nest. I am excited to try this on the real quilt. I will have sixteen times to get the concentric circles right and sixteen tries to get the concentric diamonds right. I think I will start with the circles.

 

Blocks: 64 = 8 x 8  = 16 quartets
Circles: 16
Diamonds: 16 = 9 diamonds (center) + 12 x ½-diamonds (edges) + 4 x ¼-diamonds (corners)

I am also pleased to have added to my growing circle template inventory. These are my rulers. Only the 1" and the ¾" have duplicates. I have used all but the 2 ½" circle; but I may use that on another project.