BLOG 403

BLOG 403

 

When I feel like it, I cut a few more 5” squares to make more half-square triangles for the current scrap quilt. This exercise is really a way of getting the most out of my remaining scrap fabrics and clearing the rest out as give-aways so I can draw a line under them.  The more observant of you may have noticed that there are no florals in this quilt but perhaps you may recall that last year I made 2 quilts with my remaining floral fabrics, a crazy quilt and a corner log cabin. This particular patchwork square is very versatile and there are lots of combinations of settings, just as in the lights and darks of the log cabin design.

 

              Scrap squares

 

                More squares

 

 

             Different setting

 

I was saying last week that I was wondering what to tackle next, but of course there are the 279 3” quilt squares that I made for my daughter Tess, to represent her daily breast cancer ordeal from diagnosis to the finish of her treatment.

I laid them out in piles of repeated motifs near to my sewing machine, mainly to make sure that they were going to be spread equally throughout the quilt and that I wasn’t going to be left with several of the same! From these I chose 9 different squares and placed them in sequence beside my machine. Remember that these squares have been meticulously cut to size so I am able to place them accurately edge to edge in order to sew a wide zigzag across them. I have chosen several variegated threads for an interesting effect.

             Tessa’s squares

 

 

              9-patch

 

I started with 1 and 2 on the top row and sewed them together, before picking up 1 and 2 on the second row and feeding them through straight after. These were followed by 1 and 2 from row 3. On my machine foot there are some useful red marks, the centre one being in the centre of the foot. I made sure that this mark went accurately down the middle of the 2 squares.

              Zigzag

 

 

     

                 Machine foot

 

 

           Continuous zigzag

 

 

When the vertical line of zigzags is completed, all the squares are joined together with thread in sequence and this helps to keep them in order. (And just as I was about to join the third square in each row, I noticed that I had placed 2 star motifs in the same 9-patch!!)

                Altered block

 

I joined the third square in each row in the same way to complete the vertical seams.

             Vertical seams

 

The squares were then rotated 90 degrees so I could zigzag each horizontal seam to complete the 9-patch block.

               Horizontal seams

 

 

             Detail

 

I am not sure how I am going to ‘set’ them in sequence to make a quilt, but I shall keep making 9-patch blocks and adding them to my design wall while I ponder it. (To sash or not to sash ….??)

               Design wall 1

 

 

              Design wall 2