Patchwork Posse
Around the Block with Patchwork Posse: Block #2
Moving along to Block #2 in the Around the Block Round Robin. This Delectable Mountain block was designed by Becky from The Patchwork Posse.
Man, I am learning so much already. For instance, today’s lesson was, “Read the directions”. This was probably payback for every time someone has emailed me with a pattern question, and I momentarily considered responding, “Read the directions!” (Of course, you know I’d never actually do that! I understand that we all learn in different ways, and I enjoy answering your questions.) When reading through the block instructions, I totally missed that when the half square triangles are placed on top of each other to cut them, they are supposed to be right sides together. I spent well over an hour trying to figure out how in the world these strips — the ones that I had cut incorrectly — were supposed to be pieced to form the mountain. It made my brain hurt. Not only that, but I totally emailed Becky to say that I was sure there must be a mistake in the tutorial. Oops! Finally, I searched Pinterest, found a video tutorial for a similar block and saw that the blocks were supposed to be right sides together when they were cut. Problem solved. Apology email sent. Block started all over again!
This is one that I’m really glad to have finished! My 16-year-old kept walking into the room while I was sewing and telling me that it did not look like a mountain. When I was finished and showed it to her, though, she said, “Cool! It looks like a mountain and its reflection!”
Around the Block with Patchwork Posse: Block #1
One of my goals this year is to improve my quilting skills … and to actually finish a quilt-along! I’m excited about the new round robin quilt-along that started yesterday at Patchwork Posse, not only because some amazing quilter/bloggers are offering tutorials of their favorite blocks, but also because I get to do my first quilt block tutorial as part of it! (My block is scheduled for next month.) “Pop Rox”, the first block in the Around the Block Round Robin, was designed by my friend, Caroline, from Sew Can She. It’s a fun one that has just enough complexity that there’s a little bit of a challenge in it, but I was able to finish it easily after dinner last night. I struggled a little with getting my points to line up, but I found that increasing my seam allowance to right at 1/4″, rather than the suggested scant 1/4″, when attaching the triangles solved that problem for me. I think that may have been a cutting issue, rather than a problem with the pattern, though. Quilting requires much more exact cutting than sewing clothing!
A new block tutorial will be posted at Patchwork Posse every Wednesday through April. Once all 12 blocks are finished, Becky will walk everyone through adding borders, machine quilting and binding. Oh, and there are prizes! Every week, a great new prize will be given away to one of the participants who posts their quilt block pictures to Becky’s Flickr group. If you’re ready to give quilting a try or looking to build your quilting skills, come join in the fun!
