Commentary about works in progress, design & creativity
Guiding Star came out on November 7, while I was away. It reminded me of Come Together, which I posted about earlier. This is the third, I think, Sawtooth Star type block.
Fortunately, I brought my fabrics and was able to get started. I know there are only a few more weeks left of this project, then I can put all of the blocks together. I am looking forward to that.
I really liked the way this block went together. It came out really well in terms of the piecing.
I found the color suggestions to be confusing and more so since I was working without a design wall. I am pretty happy with the way the block came out, however.
I am finding my fabric choices to be an unusual combination. They are good work with because the fabric is high quality. However, I am not sure I would have picked them had I really thought about it.
I was reading Around the Block** and found a block that was similar to this one, Crockett Cabin (pg.47). It has a few fewer HSTs than Starlight Path. In Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Quilt Patterns**, there is a section (pg.137) with blocks of the same structure, though with different layouts and numbers of HSTs.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
One of the blocks that arrived in my inbox while I was in Portland was Safe Harbor, Block 16. It is a kind of Square in a Square block.
I was very interested in the way the corners were added. Instead of a template for the blue pieces, the designer used a flippy corners method. Very clever!
I am behind on posting these.
After a hitch with my email subscription to the Patchwork Palooza blocks, I was able to quickly make Block 15 of the project after receiving the pattern from Friend Julie.
This looks like a Lozenge Plus block to me, though the PLUS in the center looks a little fatter.
In Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Quilt Patterns**, this block, #1970, is called the Spool Block and is attributed to Nancy Cabot, c.1938.
In Jinny Beyer’s The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns, this block is #186-2. It is also called the Spool Block from Nancy Cabot (glad they agree!). Beyer references The Chicago Tribune, April 1, 1938. I should go look that up sometime.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
Patchwork Palooza Block 14 is called Spin Cycle in this project.
I found the block in Jinny Beyer’s The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns, where this block is called Southern Belle (58-1). It is by Clara Stone from Practical Needlework, ca 1906.
The name could be all about the way the block is colored. I saw it also called Double Pinwheel, but the units may have been turned to enhance the Pinwheel look.
How many times can I say palooza? A lot apparently.
Now that I have finished the last backlog block for this project, and while I waited for the next block to drop, I needed to get busy on the alternate blocks. There are 21 of them and they will all be the same. Don’t worry, I am not going to bore you (even more?) by posting each one I finish.
There is a lot of chain piecing and sewing, then cutting of strips to make the units that make up these blocks, so it took me quite awhile to finish the first block. I did eventually and it isn’t anything special, IMO. It is an Irish Chain type block.
I didn’t find the exact block in my sources, but may yet do so. In Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Quilt Patterns**, a very similar block to this one is called Single Irish Chain by Nancy Cabot, 1933. It is similar to Pennsylvania (pg.231-2023).
I put a couple of blocks on the design wall to see what I had. So far, so good.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
This is the last backlog block. The PP project calls it Keep the Fire, but it is a Bow Tie block. I am not sure why the Patchwork Palooza people are renaming the blocks. I suppose it makes the block fresher.
I found it in Jinny Beyer’s The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns, where the block is called Necktie (73-1). It is by Ruth Finley, ca 1929.
I have to make this block for another project and I found the instructions to make this one SO easy. I have always dreaded the flippy corners method. No problem on this block. It came out great, especially after the grief with Block 8.
I am almost finished with the backlog of blocks.
I finally finished block 5, Card Trick, or, as the Patchwork Palooza people call it, Go Your Own Way. I don’t like this block. I always have trouble making it, which seems very odd to me. It shouldn’t be a difficult block, but for me, it is. Apparently, it didn’t like me either as there was a lot of ripping involved in finishing it.
In Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Quilt Patterns**, this block, #1674, is called Crow’s Nest or Card Trick. Both names are from Beth and Jeff Gutcheon. In the Encyclopedia it is colored very strangely, so you can see the card effect. It looks more like an Ohio Star, but with half QSTs instead of regular QSTs.
In Jinny Beyer’s The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns, this block is #143 and also called Card Trick, but doesn’t have the QST in the center. It is listed as from The Perfect Patchwork Primer by Beth and Jeff Gutcheon.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
Block 12, On the Horizon, is done. I am keeping up, though I know I am posting out of order.
I am still working on the alternate blocks and will continue to do so until I finish them.
Block 7, North and True is finished!
It took me a long time, because I was sewing other things and using this as leaders and enders. It didn’t take years just longer than a small block should. I was working on donation blocks and sewing bits of the Country Revival/Sad Quilt together. So many projects happening at once!
I have to figure out if this needs to be trimmed. I think so, but getting the block done feels like an achievement.
I am keeping up with Patchwork Palooza and am on to block 7.
As you can see it is cut out and ready to sew. I am unsure if I will have to trim it. The corner triangles look a little large.
I finished Patchwork Palooza Block 11! I am excited as I only have a few more blocks to make to catch up.
So far, I haven’t been able to find a block like this in either the or in Jinny Beyer’s The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns. I can’t believe nobody ever thought of it, but so far I haven’t found it categorized.
The latest Patchwork Palooza block came out on Friday and I am pleased that I finished it. I didn’t finish it until last night, but I don’t want to get behind again.
This block is called, by the Patchwork Palooza people, Set Sail. Historically it has several different names, including Old Maid’s Puzzle or Hour Glass or School Girl’s Puzzle. You can find this block in Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Quilt Patterns** as #1317.
The name Old Maid’s Puzzle is from Ladies Art Company #25. Not very P.C., as many of these names tend to be.
The Hour Glass name is from Grandma Dexter. I had never heard of Grandma Dexter and had to look it up. Grandma Dexter is listed in the bibliography of the Encyclopedia of Quilt Patterns** as a “series of booklets published in the early 1930s from the Virginia Snow Studios, apart of the Dexter Yarn and Thread Company and the Collingbourne Mills in Elgin, IL. Hmm. Interesting. More puzzles as I have never heard of that company either, but I am just interested and not an expert.
The School Girl’s Puzzle name is from Needlecraft Supply 1936, n.12.
I also found it Jinny Beyer’s The Quilter’s Album of Patchwork Patterns, where it is called as Crosses & Losses (73-9). The name comes from Ladies Art Company, 1897. Beyer says it is also known as Bouncing Betty (!!??!!) (Progressive Farmer, 1933), Fox & Geese (Finley, 1929) and Hour Glass, as mentioned above.
This is a block that I have always admired. I know I made a similar one for the Handbag Sampler. I don’t think I have ever made it otherwise, so it makes me glad to have the opportunity to try it again.
I have also made a few of the alternate blocks. I think there will be another piece of sashing, but for now, I have a few of the blocks laid out without it. I just chose some random blocks, though I see now that two of them are Sawtooth Star types. I’ll choose some others once I get more of the alternate blocks made.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
I finished block 4 last week after making block 3. I really want to catch up so I am heads down making blocks as I can.
The designer of Patchwork Palooza calls this block Whirl & Settle. It is a classic Sawtooth Star based block. In Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Quilt Patterns**, this block is called Indian Star. It was originally published in the Kansas City Star in 1937.
**N. B. : Obviously, you should shop at local quilt shops and small businesses. However, if you are too busy or can’t find what you need there, I use Amazon affiliate links and may be paid for your purchase of an item when you click on an item’s link in my post. There is no additional cost to you for clicking or purchasing items I recommend. I appreciate your clicks and purchases as it helps support this website.
I finished another one of the Patchwork Palooza blocks that I skipped. This one is called “Light Keeper” by the project designer.
I might have used lavender instead of the blue, but I like it. As mentioned, I am concerned I will run short of the lavender. I didn’t decide not to use the lavender because of that, but I need to make sure I don’t make decisions like that. If I do run out of the lavender, I can either buy more or consider it a design challenge.
Julie’s block looks great and very different from mine. That is the thing I love about block projects.