Sunday, March 8, 2015

DWM: take two sets of blocks....

Four more blocks came later

Thread is not fabric, so this is a Lent-legal purchase. It was also a great buy at 40% off. This was the first order I've placed with Craftsy. The service was fast. I am now well-supplied.









Last summer I won the guild's block-of-the-month: twelve Clay's Choice blocks in Civil War repros. At the same time the Block Swappers exchanged 6.5" 9-patches in Civil War repros.

At the time I thought about combining them but other projects took precedence.

This past week I put both sets of blocks on the design wall.  Rather dark and dull.

Alternating four nine-patches with Clay's Choice would work size-wise, but four nine-patch blocks together would have a dark blue blob  at the center.  I decided to try two different kinds of sashing. In the process I found out that the Clay's Choice blocks were not all 12.5". That can happen when different people make blocks with numerous seams. I cut the sashing strips 2", sewed them on, and then trimmed the block to 14.5".  I had to make 10 additional 9-patches to have enough for the design I had in mind -- and I had to make 12 more 9-patches because that many were 6-1/4" rather than 6.5".  

What to do about the border? The olive green is not a CW print but it picks up the olive in the blocks. The blue is a Fons & Porter print that is almost old enough to be vintage.  
I'm pleased with the result! The flimsy is 84 x 84 and used 2-1/8 yards from my stash (not counting the yardage in the swap or BOM blocks).  [A future quilt historian will be able explain why so many quilt borders are 5.5" -- the quiltmaker used her 6 x 24 ruler to cut the border strips.]

I'm linking up with other quiltmakers at Judy's Patchwork Times and Beth's Monday Making. 

13 comments:

  1. Good solution to a sticky wicket. I avoid block swaps for that very reason -- unless it's a block that lends itself to trimming without losing the design.

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  2. I love it! You did a wonderful job of putting all of those blocks together!

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  3. I love it! Terrific solution for what to do with the odd sized blocks. Looks great and comes out as a good size.

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  4. Great setting for these blocks!! You are so clever!

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  5. Nifty setting idea. I love when you show the thought process of your designs. Gives all of us ideas of how to go about coming up with a design. I too like to "try out" design ideas. Some great ideas don't always work with the blocks we have.

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  6. I love the way you combined the blocks. It's a great setting. Very nice quilt.

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  7. Great design! Your quilt is beautiful.

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  8. Love your layout solution. Funny thing...my post today is about that same swap and how I'm using my blocks!

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  9. It is a beautiful quilt - great choice of using both sets of blocks, and laying out the nine patches teh way you did!

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  10. Beautiful combination of both sets of blocks.

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  11. Great Save. At first glance I didn't like the two groups of blocks together. That pink sashing and the frames really work well.

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  12. So sorry that the swapped blocks were so inconsistant for you, but you made it work beautifully! Will the rejects go into your Whatchagot Box swap?? LOL!

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    1. They didn't, actually. I think I will piece them into the back of this quilt.

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