Patchwork

Thank you so much to my reader Jeanne who  let me know the placement of color was messed up in one of my blocks yesterday – it is now fixed and so glad to find out now before it was all put together in the quilt.  The messed up block on the left – how did I not notice that! And the fixed one on the right.  Thank you!!

Now did you all know that before last year or so when there was the big Great Granny Quilt Along follow along this block was actually known as “Grandmother’s Pride” and probably other names as well.  In the new “modern” version of the block where the name of the game is get done with the block as fast and easy as you can the white pieces are cut different sizes then it used to be.  This might because so many use precuts now?   It used to be 2.5 inch white squares were used or half square triangles for those that were really careful!  In this version you use 2.5 x 3.5 and 2.5 x 5 then trim the whole block up – but this is where it can get weird – seam allowances do not match unless you are really careful especially if you do not use sashing.  It very much says in all the blogs I saw about this quilt to trim your block to 12.5 inches – well to do that you have more than a quarter inch seam all the way around your colors.

Now when you put the blocks together look at the area I point at in the above and below photo – if you want all these seams to match whether you use sashing or not you have to really look at your blocks.

Here they are pointed in the same direction – but the next row isn’t

Now this example (next photo) has all the blocks in the correct direction for the white seams to match up.

In this photo of an older pattern you can see that the block finishes with a 1/4 inch seam all around and you then do not have that problem.

Right now I am contemplating trimming my blocks to the 1/4 inch seam all the way around to get rid of this excess – I just do not like the way these blocks finish for some reason.   I like the way it looks the old way better than the layout for the new version.  I think this reason for me always goes back to hand quilting where I quite often quilt with the design of the blocks not an all over panto or swirly filler where it doesn’t matter as much because you are not always following seam lines.

Some have mentioned white sashing to go with what the background already is and I have seen several on line that did that.  That is an excellent possibility  and most likely what I will be doing – I already have a border planned and it probably isn’t anything anyone has thought of! I might wait and show that as I get going on it.  Let’s just say some applique is in mind and yes I think this quilt is going to end up in my hand quilting pile which right now only has one quilt ahead of it for now!  It is just calling out to me to be “old fashion”

I swear right now that I am not buying any new fabric this year unless I need it (famous last words right?) unless I need it to:

1-  finish a project and need it to finish it
2– if I need a wide back or regular width for backing
3– for background to use up the scraps

BUT – I really need to stop looking at fabric on line if I am going to keep my word – I was just looking at fabric last night (for some reason who knows why) and I came across the most delightful jelly roll – I had not see this line before – it is by Jan Patek and it is called “Front Porch” by Moda.