There are no photos in this post. Sorry.
I recently picked up a copy of Quilting for Christmas. The quilt, Country Wreaths, on page 70 caught my eye. I stopped to look and I figured out the piecing before I even looked at the directions. The directions, as it turns out, are different than I would piece it! The directions have you stitching a row of four 2" squares together and then stitching that row to a row of blocks made with some half-square triangles. That is not the way I picture it. Follow the link above. The quilt is pictured on that web site, study it and then come back here.
Tum, dum, de dum.
Back already? Good. Now here is how I would piece this block:
I'd make the square in a square.
I make the four patches where one of the patches is a half square triangle.
And then assemble the block by putting two of the four patch units together into units. Two of these units would then be sewn to opposing sides of the square in a square. Corner blocks would be sewn to the other four patch units and then stitched onto the main body of the block.
It made me stop and think. That is the way I assemble a quilt top too. Every time I sew long rows together something goes haywire. Therefore, I assemble in units. The units start to get a bit bigger each time. I will end up with two quilt halves that I then stitch in one long seam -- the only long seam in my tops. I learned this technique from Mary Ellen Hopkins.
Sew, how do you put your blocks together into a top? Rows? or Sections?
I generally piece my blocks in rows - it is the only time I actually use pins (unless it is a very difficult section) - I might have to try sections next time....happy blogiversary btw!
ReplyDeleteI am usually a row girl, but sections does work for me on occasion.
ReplyDeleteI almost always piece in rows - just the way I've always done it. It seems to work just fine for me.
ReplyDeleteLOL, I was looking at the first quilt looking for a square in a square!
ReplyDeleteOkay, looking at the quilt you were discussing, I don't do anything consistently, so sometimes I do rows and sometimes I do sections, whichever is easier at the time. When I do a Dear Jane block, for example, I usually do start in the center and work my way out, in sections, like you are talking about.
Anything big, for me generally works better in rows.
These blocks look medium, so would probably work well either way.
I'm back, did you miss me. I just can't let it go. I like the square in a square idea. Then I would strip piece the row of four squares together. This way, I could make a whole bunch at one time.
ReplyDeleteI assemble the MEH way too. (But I have had a few hiccoughs with that method too.) I like you have issues with long rows.
ReplyDelete