This is Part Four of my Color Book Tutorial/Sew-Along. For an introduction to this tutorial plus the finished book and links to all the other parts of this tutorial, see this post.
To finish our pages, the last step is to add the solid quarter-circles to the outside corners. This post just covers preparing the solids and the pages for the fancy corners. The next post will explain how to sew them on. (It was becoming too unwieldy for one post!)
For this portion of the project, you’ll need all your solids along with your medium-weight fusible interfacing. Also useful (but not required) is a piece of lightweight cardboard, such as from a cereal box.
1. Print the three PDF files for the templates: Color Book Template #1a, Color Book Template #1b, and Color Book Template #2. Follow the directions to make Template #1. [Optional] Transfer both templates to cardboard for easier tracing. (You probably will need to download and then print the PDFs, making sure to print to actual size. If you print from your browser, they will probably come out a little bit too small.)
2. Using template #2, cut out rough quarter-circles from each of the solid colors. Leave a bit of extra around all sides of the template.
3. Put each shape onto the shiny (glue) side of the interfacing and cut out a similar rough shape of interfacing. If your solid has right and wrong sides, be sure to put the wrong side against the interfacing.
4. Trim each shape closely so that no extra interfacing is extending past the edges of the fabric. Turn the fabric/interfacing piece over so that the interfacing is on the top and fuse it to the fabric according to the directions for your interfacing. Mine calls for dry heat, a hot iron, and pressing each section for approximately 30 seconds. Allow them to cool.
5. Once you have all ten colors fused, turn them over so the interfacing is showing. Trace Template #2 onto each piece. (I like to use an ultra-fine tip Sharpie for this kind of work.) Cut out all the shapes and set them aside for a moment.
6. Take out the trimmed pages. Arrange them (most easily on the floor) in five rows and two columns, like this: black/red, blue/orange, purple/yellow, green/brown, and pink/gray. Lay the appropriate quarter-circle on the top outside corner of each one. Make sure your stripes are also angling in opposite directions, as in this picture:
You may notice that my blocks aren’t trimmed yet in this picture. I decided it would be easier to trim them before this step! 🙂
7. Verify that you’re happy with how each block looks. Make sure that any directional prints look OK. For example, look how the zebras change in this block when I rotate it.
incorrect (upside-down)
correct (right-side up) Hi, zebras!
When you are happy with the arrangement of your blocks, remove each quarter-circle and put a straight pin there in its place. Make two piles – one for each column (black through pink and red through gray).
8. Take out Template #1. Put it on your first block like this but don’t make my mistake! Make sure your pin is showing!
There’s the pin, where it should be!
Trace the curve with a fabric marker or ultra-fine-tip Sharpie (very carefully) and then cut out the quarter-circle. Repeat nine more times. Remove the pins from the quarter-circles.
As you can see, I cut off the wrong corner (the pin is down in the other corner). It doesn’t matter with this block but I would have been really upset if I had a directional print that ended up upside down!
Save those quarter-circles for later!
Next time (I promise), we’ll be sewing curves!
Salmon and Souvlaki 