There are a whole slew of fabric Cathedral Window ornaments out there. I started with this tutorial from Constantly Quilting, which tells you what size to cut the squares and directs you to a tutorial on another website. I was disappointed with my results --
Then I looked at this one, over at Crafter Without a Cat, and got even more confused. It's a more complex pattern, but the tutorial that it steered me towards was better than the first one I started out with.
I don't know if I'd get better results if I tried again, now that I understand what I'm supposed to be doing, but for the moment I'm giving up on these.
Take a look at these ornaments that I found on etsy. I can't make one block, and she can put that many into a single ornament and have them look that good?! I'm awed by that level of skill.
Practice makes perfect, Michelle! If you'd made as many cathedral windows as that other woman, yours would be perfect too. You are just learning, so be patient with yourself!
ReplyDeleteIt's like everything else...practice, practice, practice. The ones at etsy are gorgeous, and for the item, inexpensive... I'll bet she's only getting $1 an hour to make them, and supplying the fabric and bathing for free. I like the multicolored ones!
ReplyDeleteMy mom made a baby quilt with that pattern years ago... for a grandniece, but only the one. Never made anything for the grandbabies. Go figure.
You'll get it. Just leave a little time between to let your mind figure it out.
Hugs
Thank you for the kind words on my ornaments, Michelle. I have never seen any cathedral windows done as small as mine, or for that matter, even close to as small. I do make more than $1/hr. They take me 3 hrs. to make from start to finish and I don't charge for my fabric, since it is just my scraps from my larger pillows. I got tired of having all the scraps and throwing or giving them away. My very first cathedral window project was a twin size quilt. I was self taught from a tutorial and a bad one at that. The first time I washed it, it fell apart! I cried for a half an hour. You can imagine all the hours that went into it. The tutorial left out a very important part. After that happened, I made it my mission to perfect the pattern. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the cathedral window block, but have never worked up the guts to try it. I'm sure with a bit more practice yours will look just as good as the etsy shops. Those are some very impressive ornaments.
ReplyDeletehttp://gogokim.blogspot.ca/2011/12/cathedral-window-pin-cushion-tutorial.html is a really good easy and clear tutorial.
ReplyDeleteYou can see the one I made on my blog peicing-it-all-together.blogspot.co.uk