Piece n Patch

I always wanted to make beautiful Pambono designs. I don’t have access to any of the books here in Pakistan. I tried to get some free patterns from the net but I could not make any presentable pattern. Once I tried to print a design from a website (I am actually the subscriber of that site). I took the print, enlarged it, made templates of the pattern and tried to make it my way! Some good was done. I made a quilt from that design. It was beautiful and I liked it.

One day searching in the old book shop in Vancouver, Canada I saw what I could never believed what I was seeing there. One no 2 books of Pambono, right before my eyes on the quilt books shelf. I picked them like a loving new born, felt them, cherished them, took a stool, sat down and opened the book and went through the whole like a journey long desired. Then I bought both in less than 7 dollars, old book shop, shrine of love.

I selected one design, read all the instructions of how to use the book then selected the fabric and set to cut the pieces.

I am a template lover that I can’t do without one. That’s why I find paper piecing very difficult although I do make templates for that method as well. But for this I was determined to do as told. It’s my habit to follow the book first and then change any if I can’t adapt the original method.

So I tried to cut all the pieces in the way the book mentioned, but right from the first cut I was unable to follow. I couldn’t understand 3/8 or 7/8. I found for the first time that I don’t have the ruler with 8 margins, I have a collection of rulers including rotary, so I tried approximate method such as ½ inch or ¾ inch, but I had to make enormous calculations, and in general the piece cut was not accurate, then I found one ruler with 8 sections in an inch, and tried to cut again, but there were so many pieces of the same size that I could not make out which one for what. I cut small pieces of paper and with tiny clips put details on each. Sometimes the piece was so small that I had to wrap the paper around it. But anyways I did cut some. Then as old habit dies hard, I thought if I have to cut one size in different colours, why not make a template of that number. I took out my stock of old X-rays and made a lot of templates for that design, and tried to write the details with marker, but again the 3/8 piece was too small to write.

I tried that method along with the books method, but in the end I had very out of size pieces cut and stacked in the trays, like candies in the basket.

Next I sat down for sewing. I am very fabric conscious. I can’t stand any wastage, whenever I cut with templates I try hard to set them in the manner that least fabric is wasted. At-times I keep squares and triangles templates handy to cut from the sides’ leftover fabric, such as lone star sides cut triangles. So when I sewed one small side square to the sides of main piece, on four sides, and cut the square along with the main piece, I had a pool of cut triangles under my feet. I was deviated. I can’t stand so much wastage: its murder! But since I wanted to follow the book I carried on, next was cutting each piece separately. I am used to cutting 8 layers at a time, saving a lot of time, but now had to cut each square from 4 sides individually. It put a lot of pressure on my fingers and time was another factor of waste feelings.

I still thought that I was new to this method, so don’t worry. I will learn with the passage of time and will learn the tricks of the trade, and these problems will reduce as well.

But I was wrong! Through out the project I had to follow the same rules and time and again I was up to abandoning the project. On the other hand this long time patch-working had planted some patience in my habit, so I carried on. I could not take the piece in exact size, so the next was out of setting. I had to cut and re-size all the time, but didn’t give up. Sewing was pathetic and backside miserable sewing room was a mess with wastage and all that. Emergency was declared and nobody was allowed to enter. Fans were shut and in this summer heat I kept on working.

To add salt to my injuries, not knowing the true number of pieces for each block, I had cut 28 flowers, and now I was determined to sew all, for the guilt of wasting the left over, as I knew I will never be able to distinguish the pieces form the cut wastage. I made 28 flowers, and don’t ask how many discarded and out of size were left to mourn. I will make some thing out of them some time.

Now to my delight I have 28 complete set of patterns to use any where I wanted. I made pillows, some bed runners and some complete bed set out of them, for my upcoming exhibition at the Expo Centre. It is the inaugural exhibition of this centre, so I thought the design was real set for the occasion.

Apart form all the pain; I am happy with the lopsided end result. I will soon make some more as I can’t resist the beauty of the patterns. It’s a must have, only if I can reduce the wastage and convert the design to templates; fools paradise, but all is well if the ends well! I love the drawbacks as much as the correct ones, as my life time wish had fulfilled.

I will find some new rulers and practice it time and again, as the tininess is the beauty. I will choose some more free time and better season to stitch.