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| 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.
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.
ReplyDeleteI love it! You did a wonderful job of putting all of those blocks together!
ReplyDeleteI love it! Terrific solution for what to do with the odd sized blocks. Looks great and comes out as a good size.
ReplyDeleteGreat setting for these blocks!! You are so clever!
ReplyDeleteNifty 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.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you combined the blocks. It's a great setting. Very nice quilt.
ReplyDeleteGreat design! Your quilt is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLove your layout solution. Funny thing...my post today is about that same swap and how I'm using my blocks!
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful quilt - great choice of using both sets of blocks, and laying out the nine patches teh way you did!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful combination of both sets of blocks.
ReplyDeleteGreat Save. At first glance I didn't like the two groups of blocks together. That pink sashing and the frames really work well.
ReplyDeleteSo 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!
ReplyDeleteThey didn't, actually. I think I will piece them into the back of this quilt.
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