Square in a Square

A completed block

The fifth block is composed of nine 4" Square-in-a-Square units. The central square side is the hypoteneuse and has to be measured and the"line" on the ruler estimated. Making a template would solve the problem but here I have drawn nine 4" units on graph paper and cut them out, placed a square in the centre and added larger than needed to opposite corners, pressed and added another two and then trimmed with a quarter inch seam allowance all round.

Drawn foundations

Oversize HST's added to opposite size corners

The succeeding stages

Completed unit from the reverse

Completed units ready to piece

Sisters catch up

I've been out and about lately including this last weekend in France on an exchange visit where we spent time with a friendly and jolly village group. We drove to Poperinge in Belgium and stopped at the border both ways after years of openness. Strangely we were shielded from constant news by our programme of activities and I only caught a few rolling headlines on our host's TV before setting off on a glorious morning walk up the Mont des Cats - asserting the positive and solidarity in face of the negative.
So not much sewing from me and instead more from Sisters:

And from Sisters

My daughter likes this one

Wreaths Part Two

Here are pictures of adding the final corner pieces, blue and white version.

Adding diamonds to triangles in stages

Carefully pinned so seams meet

Flipped and pressed

Wreath Making

Friedlander fabric (mosty) version

Blue and White version

Next up for the U3Ais another block involving partial piecing and that is the wreath block as I call it but I am following the color twists pattern from "Choice Scrap Quilts".It's easier and quicker than it looks. The centre is an octagon and first frame  of fabrics is added with a partially pieced first piece.

The piece on the right has only been patially sewn and the piece on the left is
pinned ready to sew along the whole length of the seam.

Border complete from two close but different fabrics I then
added corner triangles.

Here I pieced the finalcorner sections completely before adding.

Still Sisters

This and all the other quilts in this post were on show at
Sisters and were inspired by Tula Pink's 100 blocks book.

Workshop Day

I led a workshop with Bethersden Quilters on stackandwhackerysquares which many were apprehensive about but on the day found once the cutting was done it was all play, fun and plain sailing and produced lots of blocks. Here is some of their work; I'm afraid I can't put names to all the fabrics. It was interesting to see all the different fabrics at the outset and then how they translated into these squares.

Two ladies used this very successful curtaining fabric

This is a Philip Jacobs fabric that I have in a
different colourway so I was very interested in
how it turned out - nice!

Lovely fabric from Barbara who is going to
make a fresh spring quilt for her bed.

Christine's pale pink and on the right Judy's.

I don't know the name of this maker but the Amy Butler
fabric works very well.

The pink and green blocks are
 made from a thicker
decorating fabric made by a beginner
and very successful too.

Judy's bright flowers once more, a small repeat
but jolly blocks.

Vivien's peacock feathers worked well in a
subtle way.

Janice's fabric came from Thailand  and is another
subtle one.

Elaine made masses of these black and white blocks before
anyone else had got started. She had been one of the doubters
but was entranced!

From Pat, lovely fresh colours.

And from Brenda - she did lots too in very effective fabric.

From Sisters

I think these are Tuka blocks

I love this type of quilt  - a setting for Tula blocks?

More Tula blocks - there was a whole group of these.

Bargello Dry Run

My guide

Block trimmed to 12.5" unfinished size.

I am planning to set a bargello block as the next stint for Bonnie Quilters but as it's an unfamiliar technique I thought I'd better do some sums and have a practice. I will change a couple of measurements to vary the slope but here's the first effort. I deliberately made my block bigger but trimmable to allow for all the seams and any inaccuracies. In the event I was surprised by how accurate I was - thanks Pfaff!

1. I started with two 2 1/8"  strips of 4 fabrics,
the 1/8 being "wriggle room".

2. Join in pairs

3. Join the pairs but sewing from the opposite
ends while keeping ome edge straight.

4. Press all seams in the same direction

5. Sew the long edges together to form a tube.

Start subcutting strips starting with the outer edges of the block; first cut 2".

Continue from each side with 1.75, 1.75, 1.5",1.5" 1.25". 1.25 and a single
centre 1" cut.

The centre is unpicked between Fabric 1 and 6, then from the
centre between 3 & 4, then 2 & 3, 1 & 2, 1 & 4, 4 & 3 and
3 & 2.

Repress alternate strips in the opposite direction so seams
will nest and sew into pairs.

Join the pairs sewing from opposite ends to avoid bowing.

Place 12.5" square ruler on the block and trim evenly on all sides. The 6" and
6.5" lines will fall on either side of the centre strip.