Erica's Stitches

Here's the next block.  The quilt has been filled with 9 and 10 inch blocks so far.  This is the first and only 11 inch block.  It will not have sashing and therefore has to be accurate.  That's why I did the other Le Moyne stars first. I've searched and haven't found this block documented.  I probably haven't looked at the right sources.  I found a Blazing Star which is a Le Moyne with the star points made up of 4 patch diamonds. And the Liberty Star is a Le Moyne Star with the star points made up of 3 strips like a Rail Fence. The center of this block is a Le Moyne but the star is extended.  I pieced it just like I did the other stars, but I had to piece the diamonds first.  The proportions are different but otherwise it is the same. My first one went to plan.  The second one did not.  With this block it's hard to tell until the very end and I got the results I was expecting when I did the first one.  The center...

These are the first of the blocks I wasn't really looking forward to: Le Moyne Stars. I know I've made some of these a while ago.  I've made at least one by hand and I've also tried machine piecing and I'm not in love with either method.  So, my strategy has been avoidance but the quilt I'm reproducing has Le Moyne Stars so I'm making them. To remember how to make them I've looked at books and searched through online tutorials and settled on this one from Artquiltmaker .  It's different from the usual method of piecing the star and then setting in the corners squares and edge triangles. One of the stars had a circle pieced over the star.  I don't know if that was intentional or to hide a less than perfect center.  I started with that one in case I needed to hide a less than perfect center. So, following the tutorial I took a deep breath, tried to respect the bias and not sew into the seam allowance and came up with my first s...

Last week I showed 3 blocks so there's only going to be one this week.  It's called Wild Goose Chase.  Isn't that a great name for a quilt block? When you look for images there are many variations.  Some look just like this one but others either have more flying geese units or triangles instead of squares in the corners.  Still others are completely different.   Here is my favorite Wild Goose Chase reference . My Wild Goose Chase is a 10 inch block and at 41 pieces is complicated.  Imagine adding in 4 or more flying geese. However, the pattern that is created when the blocks touch each other are beautiful and would be worth the effort. This is the last block in the quilt that is in my comfort zone.  The remaining blocks are going to stretch my limits and make me learn new techniques.  Luckily there's not that many left. I'm also running out of completed blocks to show.  I have 2 for next weekend and I just start...

Next up are 3 baskets   My first problem was the handles since it seems like a lifetime ago that I last did applique.  I don't really enjoy applique and usually avoid applique patterns.  But, the basket blocks look great so I must.  The raw edge fusible method which is the easiest doesn't really go in this quilt.  If I had more blocks to do, I would probably do machine applique but for the 6 baskets I decided to go by hand and it actually went faster than I thought it would.   I know that I'd done freezer paper applique before but I forgot the details so I found Kim Diehl's Simple Applique which walked me through the steps.  I prepared the freezer paper applique using her methods but hand stitched instead of machine.  For the handles, I hand drew the shapes knowing that they wouldn't be perfect.  But, the originals weren't perfect either.  Each handle has it's own personality. The first basket I'm cleverly calling Baske...

The next two blocks are set on point and finish to 10 inches. The first very similar to the 25 patch I did earlier except that it is on point and has 41 pieces! It is pieced exactly the same way except for the triangles at the edges.  The original block had white with red polka fabric in the center and edges and I managed to find a similar fabric.  Notice how the light squares are different fabrics?  The original quilt was the same way.  I think it makes the finished block more fun.  In the original, all the fabrics were white with different spot patterns.  Most of the reproductions that I found used a cream or ecru background and I wish that I had found more whites. I really had fun with the modern version.  I used some of the black dots that I found that weren't right for the traditional block and kept the same color placements. The next block is very similar and looks like it would be easier to piece.  It wasn't. ...

I'm continuing on with blocks for my sampler quilt with blocks with the Hens and Chicks unit (or similar units).  Both blocks are 10 inches. This block is called Old Maid's Puzzle in EQ7.  When I search online I find this block and a simpler pattern with the same name.  Here's a web page with some fun color combinations and quilt ideas for this version of the block . I like the way the block turned out, but once again, I had poor stripe planning and have the upper left and lower right corners marching in a different direction. Grrr. The block I am copying has 3 different plaids in it.  Finding plaids has been a challenge and this block has the only 3 plaids that I could find.  At least I found 3. My brighter version of the block has no plaids and no stripes so there were no worries getting it pieced. I couldn't find a name for this block but I'm sure I could if I looked long enough.  It is the same as the Square in a Square ...

The blocks are getting more complicated. The next block I'm calling Square in a Square in a Square in a Square.  I'm sure there's an official name for it.  It's a 10 inch block. Block 4  of this quilt is a simple Square in a Square.  This is the same concept only more triangles. This is the first of 2 blocks in the quilt that have writing so the center is muslin.  I edited out my inscription which is why it looks dirty.  There are actually 3 blocks that could be used for inscriptions. The other 2 will be coming along later.  Here's the block in the other colorway. The next block uses a unit called Hen and Chicks. There are 2 of them in this block.  The chick is the small black triangle surrounded by red and the hen is the bigger triangle. I remember seeing Eleanor Burns making this unit on a Saturday morning Quilt in a Day program and being amazed at how she simply made the unit.  For some re...