Hurray for Finished Blocks!

I'm always so pleased when the Cheddarback blocks are finished, and even more so when they're particularly difficult blocks like the ones this month.  I cut the fabrics for all the blocks (except 49) at the beginning of the month and worked on them when I had time, pinning, stitching, pressing, etc.  I finished them last week but haven't had time to post.  These are this month's blocks, most to least favorite.

Block 50

I love this block pattern!  It's almost like spools but not quite.  This block probably has a name but I haven't found it yet.  I'm making a few more blocks for my Everyday Patchwork sampler quilt and will definitely make one of these.  This is a 5" block that was paper-pieced in three rows.  I don't enjoy paper-piecing but I admit that, when carefully sewn, the blocks are about as perfect as one can make.

Block 52

This was an easy block because each triangle/square needed to finish at 1".  Gay provided a great pattern.

Block 51

This is a 5" block and the first pineapple block I've ever made.  This, too, was paper-pieced.  The original was created somewhat differently with a triangle on each side where the brown bars are.  Doing it this way prevented the need to sew Y-seams.

Block 49

This is the 12" block for the month.  I'm surprised and pleased it turned out so well (even though some of the points around the edges will disappear when stitched to the sashing).  I think this was one of the most difficult in the whole quilt, so far.  Gay gave us a pattern for a simpler block, but many of us wanted to do a block like the one in the original quilt.  Someone in the Facebook group found a Jack's Chain and made that.  She gave finished sizes but the sizes of the cut triangles was hard to figure out.  I cut the pieces and the next day Gay posted a pattern she found and adapted to the correct size.  Unfortunately the sizes I cut and the sizes of her pattern didn't match.  I combined the patterns, cutting down some of the pieces but left the triangles since they were off by such a small amount.  It worked but it wasn't the best way to make a quilt block.  And those Y-seams!  Challenging, to say the least.

Block 53

This 5" block is my least favorite of this month's group.  The pattern, too, is a simplified version of the original.  It was quick to stitch and we didn't have to sew more Y-seams.

I have several months' worth of blocks to sew together with sashing and cornerstones.  Maybe I'll get to them in March.

You can see photographs of the original Cheddarback blocks at this post at Sentimental Stitches.  Many thanks to Gay Bomers for creating and giving us the patterns and hosting the sew-along on Facebook.

Finishing these blocks was my One Monthly Goal for February and since I've met the goal I'm linking to One Monthly Goal February Finish Link-up at Elm Street Quilts.  Thank you for hosting, Patty.

I'm also linking this post to
> Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts
> Beauties Pageant 71 at From Bolt to Beauty and
> Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More
> BOMs Away! at What a Hoot Quilts
Thank you for hosting, ladies.

--Nancy.
.

January Cheddarback Blocks

One of my daughters suggested we take a trip for a few days this month since she has two weeks off.  Sure, I said.  And then I knew I couldn't put off the Cheddarback blocks and got right to work.  But they took longer than I thought.  Whew!  Some of them were very challenging.  Many thanks to Gay Bomers of Sentimental Stitches for creating this sew-along of an antique quilt.  You can see this month's blocks here.  Block 44 is the only 12" block.  The rest are 5".  Here they are with a few notes/comments about each.

Block 44

This block required foundation paper-piececing, a new technique for me.  This was the second ever that I've pieced using this method (and also the second in this set of blocks).  Though I don't enjoy foundation paper-piecing I'm pleased with the accuracy of the process.

I've you've read recent posts you'll know that I altered the colors of some of the fabrics for the blocks in this set.  The original Cheddarback Block 44 had a striped fabric similar to the one in the center of this block.  The stripes in the fabric I had were a pale grey.  I used a Micron 08 to draw the lines darker.  Also, the original fabric for the large triangles has solid dots so I may fill in the ones in this block.

Block 45

This is the last block I made because I thought it would be easiest, and it was.  I would never in a million years put red and lavender/purple together, but those are the colors in the original block so here they are.  I used to have a fabric similar to the light fabric in the original block but it's gone.  I think I passed in on because it was poor quality.  I doubt people who use my finished quilt will search out the original and compare all the fabrics.  Sometimes the best I can do is a similar color.

Block 46

This is my first-ever foundation paper-pieced block.  It looked like the hardest of the five for this month and I wanted to get it out of the way.  It's probably the most imperfect of all the blocks in the whole quilt but it's DONE!  If you want to read more about that experience click here.  For the briefest of moments I considered trying to find a striped fabric for the gold triangles.  I came to my senses before I wasted my time, realizing that dealing with stripes would be one too many challenges in this already difficult block.

Block 47

Isn't this a sweet Ohio Star?  But again, it's not perfect.  Others mentioned that the block turned out too small.  I was grateful for the heads up and remembered that 5 doesn't divide into thirds evenly and guessed we'd need to sew scant ¼" seams.  I cut the blocks a 16th inch larager and took slightly scant seams and it's still slightly too small on one side.  Not so small that I'll remake it, though.  This is another block in which I altered the color of the fabric so it would be closer to the color in the original quilt.

 Block 48

This 5" block is almost perfect unless you look closely.  (Please don't.)  You'd see valleys that don't exactly match, points that don't exactly meet, and fabric that has waves.  And worst of all, with a tape measure, you'd see that this block that is supposed to measure 5½" measures 5¾".

I knew this would be hard because of the 8 points that meet in the center and the 8 y-seams (but not as hard as the foundation paper-pieced blocks).  I cut out the pattern then stitched the star together, stopping the seam a ¼" from the edge of the fabric on the outer points.  I stitched the points in twos, those into halves, and the halves together.  Then I pressed it.  At that point I looked at Gay Bomers's excellent instructions for sewing y-seams and realized that I'd already made a few mistakes that I couldn't easily undo.  I went ahead with my original plan, to stitch the y-seams by machine.  It turned out better than I expected so even though not perfect, it will go into the quilt.

The background fabric in the original star block is a black/blue thorny print on a light background.  I knew I'd never find anything similar so used a fabric I thought reminded me just slightly of the original.

Several of these blocks were really difficult for me.  When I finished them I breathed a sigh of relief and hoped we were finished with the hard ones for this quilt.  Then I looked at Gay's photo of the quilt and realized there are more challenging ones to come.  Gosh, I'm learning so much.

Finishing these blocks was my One Monthly Goal for January.  I'm linking this post to Patty's One Monthly Goal January Link-up at Elm Street Quilts.  Thanks for hosting, Patty.

--Nancy.
.

First Foundation Paper Pieced Block

This is the result of my first attempt at foundation paper piecing.  You'd think it would be perfect but no, those side triangles contorted the block a little so it's askew.  It's possible that the points in the corners will not be points when I sew the sashing on.  I'm not going to remake it, though.  I think it's good enough for a first effort. 

 
I used Gay Bomers's directions, here, and I thought they were excellent.  She used a much simpler block than this as an example.  I had trouble getting the hang of reverse -- the printed side of the pattern is the back -- and I kept making thoughtless mistakes. 

Do you know dogs and their behavior?  Have you ever seen a dog go through a difficult experience?  Maybe it was tumbled by another dog, or perhaps it fell from a step, or maybe it chased a cat or a rabbit that got away.  It had a rough time but the dog picks itself up, gives itself a good shake to right itself, then trots on to the next adventure.  I wish I had a little video to share.

Anyway, I feel like that dog after this first attempt at foundation paper piecing.  It was a rough experience but I've shaken myself right again and am working on the second foundation paper pieced block for Cheddarback this month.

I'm glad this block is finished!  One fifth of my One Monthly Goal down, four to go.  In the word of my blogging friend Robin about the blocks for this month, "Whew!"  I agree.

--Nancy.
.