Thursday, February 06, 2025

PQ 16-3 Common Blocks & Free Motion Mavericks

Hi and welcome! I hope that you're hibernating in your studios and playing with fabric 😊. It's a great way to cope. I've also read books and listened to many audio books - my way of coping when fabric isn't enough. 😉 Let's talk about lovely stuff and fuel our creativity.

Common Blocks

This week's theme for Project Quilting is Common Blocks. I might have been disappointed in the theme if I hadn't been totally immersed in block construction for SAHRR. Since I'm on a roll, I might as well keep going.

Common Quilt Blocks wall hanging

I used the beautiful hand-dyed fabrics that were gifted to me a while back by now-retired textile artist, Elaine Quehl. I was lucky to inherit bags of the fabric she took to workshops when she was teaching. Elaine was surprised that I was still playing with these. I think that I'm probably good for a couple more years. 😍

Three common blocks - friendship star, nine patch and pinwheel

I chose these blocks because I made 8 half-square triangles at a time and then figured out how I could use them! I also wanted something that was very common and also easy. I find that if I can make the HST then sewing them together is not too difficult.

Quilting the blocks that were to be turned into a journal cover

My blocks are pretty good but unfortunately I wasn't as careful with adding strips as I was piecing the blocks. In my quilting universe, wonky is more than fine! I was going to turn these blocks into a journal cover but last night, after quilting the piece, I just had no patience to keep going. I ended up using the pillowcase method to add a backing, even after quilting it with its own backing.

Quilting on the envelope/pillowcase back

Stitching the edge of the whole piece and then going back to add a few quilt lines to the blue fabric in the front made the new backing more than secure.

You can see on the photo that I used many easy FMQ designs, from squiggly lines, loops and twists (I call them fj because that's what you're writing in cursive!) to feathers.

When I showed my daughter the placemat, she was thrilled and asked if she could hang it on her wall. I agree with her that the fabrics look so great together. I'm glad when my colour instincts work!

February's One Monthly Goal (OMG)

I'm working on many projects. Some will be finished very soon (like my "Snow Happens" wall hanging) and others are scheduled to be finished at the end of March (the two SAHRRs). There is a quilt that doesn't need much work finish, but unless it's elevated in priority, it could languish for months. Therefore, my February's OMG is my Floral Fusion wall hanging, the quilt a-long hosted by Denise at The Quiltery.

Floral Fusion just needs a little more FMQ and a binding!

What I learned

I enjoyed making these blocks based on the 8 HST that I had made.
Since I was going to make a journal cover, I needed the piece with the three blocks to finish at 14" x 10". Since my friendship star block was 6", I added a few borders. For my 4" nine patch and pinwheel blocks, I ended up adding strips of fabric between and around them. Unfortunately, I didn't trim both blocks to the same size - that's why they are slightly wonky! I don't know why I thought that this would work... I would say it was the fatigue talking.
No wonder I wasn't up to making a journal cover. I could have waited a day or two, but I want to make more blocks for the SAHRR, so I really didn't want to spend more time on this piece.
Did you notice that the photos of the piece are taken both as a placemat and in a different direction as a wall hanging? It's my daughter who turned the placemat around and frankly, it looks much better in that direction.
I'm so glad that my daughter wants this on her wall. It'll look great over her new desk!

Free Motion Mavericks

Welcome to week 518 of Free Motion Mavericks! It was a productive week! Thanks so much for linking up. Here are the projects from last week that included FMQ, ruler work or walking foot quilting.

Melva of Melva loves scraps has been using her pink scraps. She made these two lovely pink baby quilts...but the scrap bin doesn't seem to be getting any emptier!

Melva's two pink baby quilts

Gail used a mini charm pack to make a lovely bag. The fabric and supplies got moved around a lot on her quilting table, so when she got tired of moving it, it got done!