Had I wanted to practice a new technique or two I couldn't have found a better sew-along than Cheddarback. I decided early in the sew-along that I didn't enjoy y-seams and last month I learned that I don't enjoy foundation paper piecing. No matter. This month we have a large block with too many y-seams to count and two more paper pieced blocks. I'm hoping that "practice makes perfect" even if it is for techniques that I hope not to use too often in the future.
These are patterns for this month's blocks and the fabrics I will likely use. Original blocks in beautiful color are
here.
The first block on the left, above, is a substitute pattern Gay gave us for the original block, at right. Though it will be more difficult I prefer the original block in all its quirkiness but had no idea how to recreate it. I was pleased to see that
Robin had a version on her blog made from a pattern her husband created from the original image. And then someone on the Facebook group posted a link to
Jack's Chain at
Quilter's Cache and gave measurements for printing. Jack's Chain uses 9-patch blocks for the squares but other than that it looks very similar to this block. I'll try that pattern using squares instead of 9-patches and hope for the best.
You can see all the originals for this month's blocks at
this post at Sentimental Stitches and order the free patterns till the end of the month. Many thanks to Gay for making these patterns available to us.
Finishing these blocks is my One Monthly Goal for February. I'm liking this post to
One Monthly Goal February Link-up at Elm Street Quilts. Thank you for hosting, Patty.
--Nancy.
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It looks like you're all prepared for the battle - ha! I love the blue stripe, that's going to look so good. One of my blocks turned out really ugly, I mean REALLY ugly. I don't know if I'm going to make something else or just let it blend in. We'll see what next month brings. Speaking of next month, according to the picture of the quilt, it looks like we're in for a reprieve. Next month's blocks look pretty straight forward for a change.
ReplyDeleteThank you. And a battle it will be this month, I think, Robin. I cut out all my pieces yesterday. I noticed, though, that the directions Gay gave for several of the blocks are simplified/alternate versions of the way the blocks were originally made. I'm not good enough at drafting patterns to change them so I'll make them her way, except for the 12" block.
DeleteHow does it happen that blocks turn out ugly? It happens to me fairly often. I'll put the fabrics together and think they'll be great. And then they aren't. Or I didn't stitch well enough, or whatever. I'd like to see your "REALLY ugly" block. It will probably blend in, this quilt is so busy.
I'm looking forward to a simple month with Cheddarback. It will be fun to whiz through five blocks in a day or two!
Good luck with your hexagons! It's nice that you've got an easy pattern for a fallback if they don't work out. (And I love that blue stripe for the background!)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gayle. I think I'll need all the luck and any other help I can get with the hexagons and triangles!
DeleteI think the blue stripe will work but it's an uneven stripe and if turned upside-down the stripes don't match. It mostly matters for the triangles surrounding the hexagon in the center. At least that's what I hope.
I know you are up for the challenge! BTW, I didn't do any paper piecing. The pineapple block starts with a 2.5" square unfinished surrounded by one inch cut "logs" with 1.5" flipped corners. I don't remember the exact measurements for the other block, but it did include sixteenths which pretty easy to cut. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your vote of confidence, Karen. I have all the pieces cut out and now just have to begin sewing.
DeleteAbout the pineapple block. Thanks for the measurements and simplified way of making it (instead of paper piecing). After I cut the pieces last night I was looking more closely at the original block. She did not sew it as a pineapple block but sewed strips of flying geese for the X and used triangles for the sides. I sort of wish we'd been given that pattern. And the pinwheel-like block was sewing with weird shapes. I'm sure Gay simplified those two patterns for the sake of ease in piecing and to alleviate the Y-seams it would have required. I hope to start sewing today.
Good luck to you, Nancy. I applaud your bravery in going for the original design. I am such a wimp with Y-seams!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Janet. I'll need luck and lots more to make a success of the blocks this month! After this quilt is finished I'll probably never choose to make a quilt that requires either y-seams or foundation paper piecing. I'll join you in being a wimp with Y-seams.
DeleteInteresting block! Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and good luck on your projects.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Patty. And challenging, too!
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