Dandi Duo

Finished Size: 66” x 80”

Pattern: Meter Maid by Abbey Lane Quilts

Pantograph: Meandering Marigolds from My Creative Stitches

Suggested Skill Level: Advanced Beginner thru Advanced

Why I like this pattern:  It is fairly straightforward and the only skill you need is to be able to properly nest seams and maintain a consistent ¼”.  

Important Tip: One of the little tips I heard/read somewhere is that it is best to stick with 1 (or 2 at the most) brand of template/rulers.  Otherwise, your cuts could be a tiny fraction of an inch off which doesn’t seem like a lot but when you are working with a quilt, a 1/16th” here and a 1/16” here adds up to ¼” or even a  ½” off which is almost impossible to recover from.  You would think that template manufacturers would be able to agree on what an inch or ½ inch is but apparently not.  Plus, your cuts can vary depending on how you line up a template on your fabric.  You might line up one way with one brand and a different way with another brand. In the end, you’ve got inconsistent cuts and when it comes to piecing, consistency is key!

This was the first quilt where I really experienced that problem.  I only used 2 brands of rulers and templates (Creative Grids and Quilter’s Select, including Creative Grids Stripoloy XL) but I really struggled with blocks that came out too small.  This makes it impossible to get a full ¼” seam.  Some of my seams barely met so I had to use a permanent fusible backing to reinforce those seams.  It was a major headache!  Next time around, I will either only use the Stripology XL or a regular ruler…not both.