Courtyard Blocks

 I have been working on the Courtyard blocks, which I still love. I drew up the block in EQ8 to see how I could arrange them, without the hassle of sewing them edge to edge.

This was the one I really liked.

70 " x 84"

But this was nice too.

67" square

I really like the idea of a 1" frame around all the blocks, so that sent me back to the cutting table to find the original fabrics and see if I could get enough 1.5" strips. Some of the fabrics were completely used up by this, and I felt a pang. I know the aim of the game is to get rid of every last scrap, but some fabrics are hard to let go of.  Oh well, it's done now.

I'm laying out the larger design, even though it will be awkward for me to finish. Those big triangles and borders will need a sizeable chunk of fabric, and I would love to use up 2 of my longer lengths. I'm great at scraps and nibbling away at FQs, but it would be wonderful to use actual yardage for a change. Even though the triangles only require three quarters of a yard, and a yard for the borders, it will still be a chunk of fabric.

EQ8 puts the total yardage at 7.45 yards, which is gratifying; that's quite a lot out of the scrap bags once and for all.

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Little Cross Blocks

I've been concentrating on the Little Cross blocks, needing to see some progress there. 

I don't want to make a big quilt from these blocks, it's just a way to use up some of the blocks I've already made. I was on the verge of not cutting any more, but it's such a good way to use up partial strips that I've reconsidered.

A 9.5" strip will make the cross; it needs a 5" x 2" rectangle and 2 2" squares. 

To make it even more scrappy, you can use different fabrics for the cross.

The background needs a 14.5" strip cut into 4 2" squares and 4 triangles cut with  a triangle ruler such as an Easy Angle.

The cross is made with the 2" squares flanking that rectangle.

The triangles are added over the arms of the cross. They are way too big, but that means they don't need any careful positioning. The point of the triangle should be roughly in the centre of the blue piece. I can sew these on really quickly chain piecing style. 

The triangles are pressed outwards, and the block trimmed to 4 3/4". I usually just trim it to a quarter inch past the points of the cross, which is nearly always the right measurement. That tiny length of bias in every side means it can be finessed to fit the 1.5" strip around the block.

I added the 1.5" strip round the block by cutting 4 3/4" rectangles and 1.5" squares from contrasting fabric. I'm trying very hard not to be too be picky about what I put where.

 I'm using pale fabric for the light crosses because white seemed too big a contrast. This lets me use up even more of the 2" strips, which makes me happy.

I have more than enough of the dark crosses, so I need to concentrate on the light crosses for a while. I'm quite happy to stockpile them with the rest until I come up with a new way to use them.

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A Use For Every Scrap

Seeing Bonnie's Sunnyside quilt gave me an idea. My little cross blocks formed the same shape as her pieced blocks; The setting is wonderful, and I thought, Hmm, maybe I could set my little cross blocks like that. If I had some light ones with a dark background.

And there you have it, a way to use up my scrap 2" strips of any colour, and also use my 1.5" strips as the setting. Perfect.

I've made quite a few of the light crosses with dark triangles, but I will need a whole lot more; I think I have enough of the dark crosses to be going on with.

This motley collection of 2" strips weren't long enough to make my Courtyard blocks or the new cross blocks, so I set to and cut all of them into squares. 

I already have a drawer full of squares, so I think I'll have to find a bigger box to store them in.

I don't like using 1.5" squares, but I cut them from the end pieces of the 2" strips, because it seemed wasteful not to..

It took no time at all to amass a sizeable stack of them. I may end up donating them to my sister if they annoy me too much.

I made a few chain blocks from some of the 2" strips.  I used the strips that didn't blend in with the others I was using, and that were long enough to get several squares.  I won't dignify these with a project box. They'll live in the Orphan Block drawers until I find more strips for them, or sell them.

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Scrappy Mountains Scrap Quilt

I've been concentrating the last few days on getting these blocks set into a top.

It's Bonnie's Scrappy Mountain Majesties pattern, and I have made this pattern 6 or 7 times. It's my go to for scraps that have landed in my stash with no idea of what they should be. I just cut 8.5" strips and squares, and make these blocks whenever the inclination strikes.

The whole time I was sewing this together I kept pondering the mystery of a set of blocks I was working on last year. I went through everything in my sewing room, in the shed, down the shop, and I could not find that set of blocks. When I marked this top off my UFO list I could see the other set of blocks on the list; 100 blocks, on November third, 2025. It was a whole quilt's worth of blocks, and I had no idea where they were.

Today, while looking for my box of 1.25" strips, I moved a bolt of fabric and saw an unfamiliar box. When I dragged it out to have a look, lo and behold, it was my missing blocks. I'm very glad they turned up, but I need a bit of a break before I tackle putting them together. There are 6 rows sewn already, so it won't take long, but I have no idea why I put them away in the first place.

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A Growing Stack of Blocks

I don't like these blocks set straight, but prefer them tipped on point. They will have sashing between them, but I haven't thought that far ahead yet. I'm just making more and more.

I'm up to 32 already, and I'm not sick of them yet. I'll have to do a mockup in EQ8 and get an idea of what it might look like. I couldn't find a name for them in the Barbara Brackman software, and Mereth suggested Courtyard, so that's what I'm calling them.

I'm busy spinning up a lovely dark fleece, but when I break to have a cup of coffee I've been going through this set of books.

They are a Time-Life set from quite a long time ago; I haunted Ebay until I found a complete set, and then paid an exorbitant amount to have them posted over here. There are 20 titles, covering everything from architecture to food, and I love going through them.

Yesterday I chose the Quilts volume, and made a note of some that caught my eye.

This would obligingly use up a lot of my tiny strips, as well as a chunk of meterage for the sashing.

I know I've complained about my blue stash, and how I'm sick of the colour, but this would be perfect for my repro blues. I made a schoolhouse quilt when my son was in kindy, nearly 40 years ago. I made it as a prize in their raffle, and it was won by my son's best friend. Alas, there is no picture of that, only one of Jonny clutching it happily. I really doubt it has survived, but it's a nice memory.

When I've gone through all the American Country books I'll start on my collection of Country Living. I treasure these, especially the older ones which featured quilts on nearly every page. I was lucky enough to find 20 issues in an opshop, and grabbed them all. What a find!

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Decisions, Decisions

I got busy and put the borders on my scrap squares quilt. The green was the perfect stop border and the light blue made the perfect frame. I love having a huge stash so that there's always something to find in the border department. Though I had to ask Mereth for her piece of the blue, because I couldn't find mine. I know I haven't used it all, as it was a big bargain piece, but I've misfiled it somewhere. All I found were some strips cut for the blue scrap quilts. I need to sort out the stash so I can actually find things again.

In the sewing room I have been happily sewing up these blocks.

I can't find a name for them in EQ8. I will have to allocate a name for them so I can label the project box. I absolutely love piecing these, they're like a checkerboard, but with extra triangles. It makes me happy to lay out another one and methodically piece it together. So much so that I have 27 blocks, and I'm not sick of them yet, so I've made a whole heap more kitted blocks. I will need to consult EQ8 for a setting, because I definitely will not be joining them edge to edge. That would be a pressing nightmare with all those seams meeting.

I need my design board, but it's still full of the Fancy 4-Patch blocks. I keep telling myself to sew them together and be done with it, but I have thoughts about that. I know I want to keep it and quilt it myself, but the thought of all that cream is putting me off. Do I want a mainly cream quilt that will get grubby? What an annoyingly sensible question. How will I quilt it?  I would like to use a Baptist Fan pattern, but cream thread might look awful on the print fabric. I should just do whatever I want to. But still I hesitate. Should I substitute darker alternate squares like Tazzie's quilt?

While sewing up my checkerboard blocks, in my happy place, I spied the leftover HSTs from the Fancy 4-Patch. Hmmm. What if I made a little practice piece, to see what the quilting would actually look like?

When I finished the block I was working on I started putting together little 4-patches, and found the leftover cream fabric, and voila! 

A little practice piece, ready for quilting. When quilting all-over patterns on customer quilts I've often been surprised to see that their chosen cream or white thread doesn't look garish or out of place. Maybe it will be fine on my 1800s repro fabrics.  We'll see. I now have a cute little 18" quiltlet, and no more leftovers. 

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Some Finishes At last

A while ago I started several blue scrap quilts in an effort to get rid of those scraps altogether. What a ridiculous proposition that was! Of course there are still boxes of scraps left over, but at least I have two single bed tops to show for the effort.

The first one is Four Patch Fun, which was a Bonnie leader-ender.

I like the pattern, but I wish I had made it in pink and yellow like her quilt. I'll probably start that one before the end of the year. I have no will power.

This one is Triple Treat, another leader-ender project. I started it to use up those red four-patches, but they weren't accurate, and so the blocks didn't measure what they should have. I hope I've learned a lesson about checking sizes. I really don't enjoy having to fudge every seam, and it was sheer hard work to get the blocks into a finished top.

I was cleaning out project boxes and this was in the Dear Jane box. It's all the remnants of making the blocks, and I'm not going to be needing any of them, as I won't be making the pieced border triangles.

There were a couple of larger pieces, but it was mainly tiny scraps. I don't think I'll be making any more 5" blocks in the future,

so I'll donate them all to Mereth, who loves scraps of all sizes. She will appreciate them so much more than me.

I'm not often awake at daybreak, but I did manage to see the dawn sky the other day. So pretty; if only I was an Early Bird instead of a Night Owl!

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