String Piecing Set-Up

front view

I have a crumb station already set up and now I also have a string station and they sit side-by-side along the same wall. Gee....sounds so indulgent and really it is. :)

Making crumb blocks and string blocks is a very messy process. Having things set up and readily available to just sit down and sew as the mood strikes makes it a lot more likely that these bits and pieces will end up in a quilt. If I do feel some strange compulsion to tidy the space I can easily collect the bits and pieces of fabric and stuff them back into the bins.

view to the left

I have moved what I call my portable ironing station to the left of the machine so that I can press as I go. It is really just an old typing table on wheels - remember those??? - that I can move around to any location in my sewing room.

I am so very fortunate that I have a few sewing machines and enough space to be able to have this set up. Of course my sewing room is somewhat crowded but it works well enough for me. :)

I decided to use one of my Singer 301 machines for making these blocks because it has a slant needle and I can really see where the needle is going to stitch. Because these string blocks are light on one half and darker on the other, I need to be fairly accurate with the placement of those first strings. I have drawn a line corner-to-corner on my foundation papers and it is very easy to see this line for sewing accuracy.

I am ready to go!