This block drove me nuts!

I looks like a simple enough block.  Squares and triangles except for the one long green piece that occurs 4 times, once in each quarter of the block.  I figured "no sweat - I'll just cut a rectangle, then fold back the paper foundation to cut the angle of the attached triangle.  Figured I could do this in less than two hours - no problem, right?

3-4:  Robbers

Wrong!  Two things are happening here that tend to give me fits.  Primarily, it is not a symmetrical block.  Trying to reverse it in my brain so it looks like the foundations is something I've never been able to do well.  See that large brown triangle?  Took me at least 3 tries before being convinced that the hypotenuse didn't go in either of the places I was trying to put it while sewing on this triangle.

Secondly, it involves fairly large half-square and quarter-square triangles.  I know my triangle math - add 7/8" for half square triangles and 1 1/4" for quarter square triangles when figuring the cutting sizes.  I figured adding an extra quarter-inch more on each leg was enough.  Wrong!  I needed to add at least 1/2" in order for the triangles to be big enough in all directions.  Especially on quarter-square triangles.  So all but the smallest triangles were barely big enough, and had to be placed perfectly to give adequate seam allowance on all edges.  Needless to say, placing them perfectly was almost impossible.  I did so much ripping that my poor paper foundations were falling apart.  I didn't want to waste fabric by cutting bigger pieces, so instead I wasted several hours.  I did recut several pieces towards the end - I just wanted it to be over.

And now that it is over, I did some investigating in Electric Quilt.  Low and behold - it is possible to make a mirror image when printing foundation papers.  It would have helped so much on a few of the blocks I've already finished.  At least I know it now for all the rest of them!

I figured I could finish this second row easily today, but now I'm not sure.  I really want to, so I can move on to another of this month's goals.

Design wall - er, floor! - Part II

I didn't want to take the civil war diary blocks off my design wall - it involves standing on my ironing table or the top step of the stool, and I don't like heights.  I figured for this shot the floor works OK.

Here is the current "shot" of the shoo fly blocks.  This is all the blocks I've made, minus the 10 "negative blocks" that don't have "positive blocks" to partner with.  I definitely need to keep better track the next time I'm cutting for these quilts.

If you compare this picture with the last one, you'll notice that the addition of reds and a few yellows really perk up this quilt.  Hopefully there are more yellows in the scrap basket - if not I'll need to supplement from the shelves.  I know there are many greens in the basket, which is what this quilt needs the most right now.  I'll focus on those in the next cutting session.  I have no idea if there are any purple or orange scraps in the basket - if not I'll pull from the shelves for those also.  Pinks likewise.

I'm loving how this is coming together!  Now I'm thinking of a pieced border from half square triangles to use up all those I've added to that box.  I'll play with that when the time comes.

Design wall Monday - Part 1

Two full rows of Civil War Diary, plus 7 of 11 blocks of the third row, are currently on my design wall.

As soon as I press the shoo fly blocks I made yesterday I will add them to the design wall.  That's why this is part 1.  I'll post part 2 this afternoon.

Scrap Basket Sunday

I took time to make one more Civil War Diary block this morning, and then switched my focus to shoo fly blocks.  Remember this picture?

This is what these squares and triangles look like now.  One finished block and 51 almost finished blocks.  All that is needed are the two crosswise seams in each block and then a good pressing.

I should have gotten at least another 20 blocks from these scraps, but I ran out of pairings.  Squares left with no triangles to match, and vice versa.  Sets of  three triangle squares instead of four.  Now the remainders are residing in the totes for 2 1/2" half-square triangle squares and 2 1/2" triangles.  No worries - there are certainly plenty of scraps left in the basket for dozens more blocks.

3-3:  Bad Box

This block went together quickly, as the only parts I paper pieced were the corners.

June Schnibbles Parade

Be sure to check Saturday's posts on Sherri's and Sinta's blogs to see the June Schnibbles Parade.  So many wonderful Gentle Art quilts!

June's vintage pattern is Dulcinea, which I'm thrilled about!  I bought this pattern four years ago, along with fabric.  It's been stashed in a drawer since then.  It is time to bring it into the light and turn it into a quilt!

Death Penalty

3-1:  Death Penalty

Another very interesting block.  I've gotten much faster at piecing these, because I'm cutting out all the pieces before I start sewing.  This one took awhile but wasn't difficult, until I got to the last seams.  There is a great deal of bulk at those four points where the striped triangles touch each other.  Between lots of steam and a good blocking I've managed to conquer that bulk at last.

I made five blocks from this row in 2008, and this makes six, so I have only five more blocks to make before finishing row three.  They will have to wait until tomorrow evening, because I'm focusing on shoo fly blocks tomorrow for Scrap Basket Sunday.

Two rows

Top two rows

I changed some settings on my camera and this picture seems much better than those I've posted lately.  If you click to enlarge this you can really see the details. 

Edited to add:

I just discovered that this is my 1000th post.  Wow!  I've always been chatty, so I guess that shouldn't surprise me.  I don't have a give away to go with this milestone - I'll come up with another reason for a give away later in the year.

Civil War Diary - Row 2

 

Foragers

2-11:  Foragers

An interesting block.  Looking at it, you'd think it would be an easy block to make with straight piecing, as it consists of half - and quarter-square triangles and nothing else.  Here's the catch.  The hypotenuse (long side) of each triangle measures 2" finished.  That means the two shorter sides finish at 1.41" - certainly not a measurement we find on our rulers.  That means paper piecing, which means this took a long time.  Eight sections!  That makes it very difficult to press it nice and flat during construction, so this block most definitely needed blocking.  Here you see it pinned inside the 6 1/2" square I've drawn on my ironing surface.  I didn't even try to press his as it is held with so many pins.  I just spritzed it well with water and am letting it dry on its own.

Somehow I managed to reverse the lights and darks compared to how the block looks in the book.  Not sure how that happened, but it is OK as far as I'm concerned.  I'm certainly not doing this one again!

Our grandson has a 5:00 t-ball game so I'll be away from the machine for awhile.  I won't have to worry about dinner - Subway sandwiches go easily to the game.  This evening I'll sew the second row together.  Now it is time I need to make a decision about the cornerstones. 

I love the poison green fabric I used in this block.  I've had this piece a LONG time, and all I've left is a fat 1/8 yard.  I have lots of other greens in my stash, but next to nothing that is this fabulous poison green.  Even fabrics that were called "poison green" when they came out.  I need to start scouting for this color again, as I want to use it a lot more.  In the meantime I've been hoarding this piece, cutting a few pieces from it now and then but no quilt getting more that a little. 

If any of you know of a line currently available that includes one or more prints this color please let me know.