At any rate, I have been doing some sewing, mostly projects for my Pay It Forward challenge. In case you haven't heard of that, it's when you post on facebook, or any other social media, that the first five people to respond will receive something from you in the next year, but they then need to offer something to five more people each. So theoretically, I do something for five people, then those five people do something for five people each, so 25 people, then those 25 do something for five people, and so on. Depending on how this goes for me this year, I may offer it on my blog next year.
I don't want to post pics of my Pay It Forward challenge projects on my blog until they are given, but I have been working on something as leaders/enders that is going to be a fun project.
I saw this block in one of Quiltmaker 100 Blocks issues, and it's been in the back of my mind ever since. It's sort of a split 36 patch, but the neutral side isn't all squares.
Four blocks can play together like this...
...or this...
...or even this!
Since the block is split diagonally, any log cabin layout will work. In these photos, my diagonal squares look black, but they are actually navy blue. I cut all of one piece of solid navy into squares, and I have enough to make 100 blocks. I'm figuring I'll end up with two square quilts, one set 8x8, one set 6x6. These blocks finish at 12", so an 8x8 setting with a border is a queen/king sized quilt.
This week I assembled a quilt center, while assembling the backing (made of 10"squares) as leaders/enders. I cut the inner border for it today, and I have the outer border sewn but not pressed. I finished making the blocks for another quilt, and was working on a border for a different quilt as leaders/enders while doing that. I used the bonus units from those quilt blocks to make another project, and now I am starting work on a wedding quilt I need for November. All of the quilts I am working on, aside from the one I showed blocks from above, need to be completed and given away this year, so I may be skipping around a lot, but as long as these projects are moving closer to completion, it doesn't really matter.
Mostly I am working on so many things at once, because I feel so lousy, that I am sewing up as much as I can, rather than sewing a little, then pressing, then sewing some more on one project. I sit and sew until I absolutely have to press, then I do that with lots of breaks. Even the sewing I am doing with frequent breaks. I just don't have a whole lot of energy, but someday this cold will be over, and I'll be back to normal.
I did want to mention something that really helps me get pieced borders and backings done. If I work on the pieced border or backing as leaders/enders while working on the top, then I usually have the backing and borders done before the quilt center is finished. Sometimes when the quilt center is done, you just want to get it finished, so you skip the great pieced border you had planned, or decide to use yardage or buy a wide backing fabric. I am trying to use what I have, (I haven't bought any fabric in five months), so pieced borders and backings area great way to use up some smaller pieces. I have plenty of yardage, but not always what I am looking for, so doing pieced borders and backings helps me use up the smaller stuff, and be more creative as well. If you want to get into pieced borders and backings, and find yourself giving up and using yardage, when you had planned on piecing something, try doing the borders or backing as leaders/enders, and see if it helps you, like it does me.
1 comment:
That is a wonderful idea about the borders/backings. I'd love to know what type of pieced backings you do? 10"sq, 1 yrd segments, etc.
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