Week 31 Empty Spools

I needed some time at the sewing machine today so I got this weeks block done on the day it came out.

There are weeks it is a real challenge to keep my own rules. And this was one of those weeks. I made the block to the 8" size and I used my background in the right place. But I just did not like how the block looked following the instructions on the BB posting with all those seams in the middle of the spool. So I disregarded the instructions and made the block with a center square for the spool part even though I had those corner diagonal seams to achieve. Several others had used a striped fabric to represent the thread on the spool and I liked that idea despite the title of the block being Empty Spools.

My technical director has just fixed me up with Willie Nelson playing on the computer speakers so I just might go back into the sewing room and search out some fabrics for last weeks block. And I can hear Willie while I get a start on that block.

Week 29 Railroad Crossing

I'm a little late and out of order but anyway, here is the block for week 29. When I had all the blocks out for week 26 I noticed that there was only one that had used this dark grey so I needed to use it again so it did not stand out too much.

As always, my stitching is better than my photography. The two small silver dots near the top are the pins holding the block down.

Week 27 Irish Chain

For this week's block I decided it was going to be all about the fabric - the motif on the fabric rather than the color of the fabric. Had I been following my own recent rule this should have used a blue fabric in the square areas as this is a Union block. But I had been recently gifted this great fabric with shamrocks on it and it seemed serendipitous for this week.

There was an amount of fussy cutting. And sadly, as I finished the last seam I discovered a mistake. For right now I am going to leave it. But I might have to let my conscience win out and fix the error at a later time.

Would you fix this mistake?

Week 26 Barbara Frietchie Star

I'm really not sure why it took me so long to get this weeks block done. It was Saturday when I started with it by trying to select fabrics but nothing seemed to be working out to my satisfaction (perhaps because I was not at home but was stitching with friends for the afternoon). Once I got home I decided to get all the blocks out and have a look at them as a set. This really helped as I could see which other fabrics I had used with that one troublesome colored fabric with the union motif on it that I wanted to use.

Next up was a lesson in how to cut a striped fabric when you want all the stripes to go in the same direction. And then a humbling effort to try and get points to match up and there were quite a few in this block. Finally I decided "enough" and went to take the photo. Now after all that effort to fussy cut those corner motifs wouldn't you think I would be careful with them? Nope, got inside and looked at the photos on the screen and I had taken the photo with the block upside down. So back outside I went much to the bewilderment of the dog who could not understand why I didn't want him to follow me.


Twenty five weeks of blocks made for an easy way to lay them out. And then there is the troublesome week 26 hanging out all alone in the bottom row. I have placed the blocks in the weekly order so it is intriguing to see how the darker ones seem to cluster together.

I hope everyone else is satisfied with their progress on this project. For sure making blocks that you are then going to photograph and post on the blog makes you acutely aware of mismatched points and less than accurate sewing. So overall this is a good way to encourage slower and more careful stitching.

Week 25 Calico Puzzle

With great excitement I actually got the block for this week finished today, Saturday, the day it was posted. It has been weeks since I was able to do this.

Some weeks ago I noticed that each block was noted as being either a Union or Confederate block. I took that as a cue to select from either the blue or the grey stash for that days block. But maybe I need to get the pile of 25 blocks out and lay them out together and see if this is a good thing to do or if I should revert to my prior practice of combining blue and grey in the same block.

Looking at the name for the block I wondered if it might have been more apt to dub it "math puzzle". The first sentence in the instructions read "These measurements will give you pieces a bit large which you can then trim to an 8 1/2" square (8" finished) block." That was a clue to say "proceed with caution". Once again I wondered if these blocks came originally as 12" blocks that have been scaled back to 8". This was a 9 patch block made to 8" finished size and so the math was challenging. I did trim pieces all the way through and not just at the end. My last task was to trim the 8 3/4" block down to 8 1/2" by trimming 1/16" from all sides. Not what I like to have to do.

Week 24 Ladies Aid Album

Here I am with this week's block. I had to ponder this one for a little while since red is not really in my fabric selections for this project and the block is meant to show an early "red cross". In the end I decided to go with the blue colorway as this is a union block and choose floral fabrics in honor of the ladies who provided all that aid.

My supply of the pale grey fabric that I have used in every block so far is getting close to being used up. Unless I can find a new source for it (it has been discontinued from the Jinny Beyer palette in that colorway) I will need to switch to another similar fabric.

I am still expecting an applique block - surely that seven sisters star applique way back in week 3 will not be the only one. And I better do some more serious thinking about how I am going to set these so I can be on the lookout for a sashing fabric.

Another couple of weeks and we will be halfway on this project.

In response

to a request I am going to show you a "full frontal" of two of the quilts shown briefly in a recent post.


Here again is "Welcome to Chestnut Ridge".


And here is "Don't it Make My Brown Eyes Blue".

Please understand the quality of the photographs is impacted by the circumstances of taking them i.e. in a show, looking up with bright lights from above.