Friday, July 10, 2020

I am currently obsessed with this block, made from 2" strips.  It's easy to put together, and it seems the perfect block for all those odd strips of repro fabrics littering the scrap drawers.  In fact, I like it so much I have used most of my precious scraps to kit up another 30 blocks, and I can't wait till I have time to sew them all.
I'm tossing around ideas on how to set the blocks together; I thought maybe pink sashing, but that didn't appeal, nor does shirting. I'll ponder that as I sew.
If a strip is too  small to get a whole block out of I cut whatever pieces I can, and then mix them up in these blocks. I have heaps of red strips to get rid of, and they make a nice focal point for the block.

I like this one set edge to edge and on point; I'm not going further with these until I work out a pressing method. I really hate having to mash seam allowances together when I'm assembling blocks.

I've been making 3" nine-patches as leader-enders, but I find them too boring. I'll go through my books and try and find an antique ninepatch to base a quilt on, and then I'll be happier about making dozens of them.
Now that I have so many 2" x 4" bricks cut out I've begun using them as leader-enders.  
They will get sewn together in pairs first, then I'll sew the pairs together to make longer rows, and then I'll join all the rows.  It will keep me busy for a while and that's good; it really puts me off when I run out of leader-ender pieces

And because I'm really fickle, I pulled out an old project, Beloved, from this book.

I've kitted about 50 blocks, and I have 55 finished blocks.  There are the pieces for another 10 blocks by my machine, so I'll have 65 blocks soon.  The problem is, I distinctly remember telling Mereth that I had 80 finished, some time back in February.  So I'm missing 25 blocks.  I have no clue at all where they are, and I really don't want to rip the sewing room apart looking for them.  My best plan is to keep making blocks (it needs 144!) and keep cleaning up the sewing room, and at some point I"ll open a container and find the missing blocks.  I hope....

3 comments:

  1. Those "red cross" blocks really spark my imagination--a controlled scrappiness that appeals to me. Good luck with figuring out a smooth meeting-of-the-seams, though!

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  2. Anonymous2:26 AM

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  3. Your wonderful quilts are generally exactly what I love...scrappy and inspired by tradition. Since you're looking for nine-patch inspiration from an antique quilt. you might like the "Cotillion" quilt from the book, Treasure Hunt by Linda Collins and Leah Zieber.
    https://www.shopmartingale.com/treasure-hunt
    I had almost 300 nine-patch blocks languishing until I found this beautiful, but simple, setting. The top went together quickly and has a traditional, but special, look. You might like it, too.

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