whirlygig (St Brigid cross)

Whirlygig (St Brigid Cross)
Block finishes 8 inches

Solid cut four rectangles 1 1/2 inches by 4 1/2 inches
Print cut four rectangles 3 1/2 inches by 4 1/2 inches

Sew solid to print, Press to the solid.
Sew into halves, pressing to vertical solid.
Sew into blocks.
I wait with pressing the final seam until setting the block.

My design, use at your pleasure.

Most of my directional prints spin around the block, fitting for a whirlygig. I did keep Alice and her print upright. Though, she did fall down the rabbit hole and spinning would have been fine for her too.
Planning 120 blocks set 10 by 12, to finish 80 by 96 inches.
Will piece it into 4 block units then 8 block units. I'll describe that in the setting post.
I anticipate the solids forming a lattice over the top.

Isn't that orange/black batik in the sample block lovely? I bought a remnant of it and it is nearly all used up.

cobbles, top completed

Cobbles
9 by 10 blocks, 90 blocks, finishes 81 by 90 inches

Block finishes 9 inches
Solid: Cut one 3 1/2 inch square
Print: Cut two 9 1/2 by 3 1/2 inch rectangles, two 3 1/2 inch squares

Block pressing: away from center square

Assembly
Rows: alternate horizontal and vertical seamed blocks so no internal seams to match. Start every other row with a horizontal seamed block.
Row pressing: press towards vertical seamed blocks.
All blocks will nest.

My design, use at your pleasure.

I chose to keep my directional fabrics directional so the solid seams to hover over a complete print.
I am working on the Whirlygig blocks now where I let everything go every-which-way, appropriate for a whirlygig! (Spellcheck does not like my spelling for whirlygig but I do.)
I am making a similar one to cobbles, bullseye, which has a smaller center square.
Lots in the production line at different stages!

cobbles

Cobbles
Block finishes 9 inches
I plan to make 90 blocks set 9 by 10 to finish 81 by 90 inches

Solid
Cut one 3 1/2 inch square
Print
Cut two 3 1/2 squares
Cut two 3 1/2 by 9 1/2 inch rectangles

Press first seams away from solid
Press block away from center row

If you turn every other block there will be no internal seams to match, just the corners, making quilt top assembly simple.

I have about 70 of the blocks all laid out so I can grab a few minutes of sewing every day.

My design of a traditional pattern. Use at your pleasure.

Andy and I had a lovely visit to Quebec City this summer where we walked the cobblestone streets.

tip #49, don't cut out everything

steps

In preparation for fall semester, while finishing up several quilt tops I cut out some projects to sew once school starts.
I am pretty sure how big each quilt will be and how many blocks will be needed, but I don't cut them all out, mainly to wait until after making a bunch of blocks to see what other colors/values/scales are needed. Also to have space for some new fabrics that may come my way while making the top.
I like to save room for about 20%.

whirlygig

cobbles

16-patch, top completed

I love the 16-patch block. It is a strong grid and when done in scraps, the grid gets messed with.

72 blocks set 8 by 9
80 by 90 inches

These blocks finish 10 inches.
Cutting:
Solid: eight 3 inch squares
Print: eight 3 inch squares.

My design using a traditional pattern. Use at your pleasure.

patience corner sampler, top completed

Patience Corner Sampler

130 4-inch finished blocks
Set into 130 6-inch finished quarter blocks with an added 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 rectangle and a 2 1/2 by 6 1/2 rectangle.
Set into 30 12-inch finished Patience Corner Blocks and 5 half blocks (I added a row of half-blocks to my final set).
Layout was 5 blocks by 6 and a half blocks.
Final borders cut 3 1/2 inches.
Top finishes about  66 by 84 inches.
The set is my design, use at your pleasure.

In early 2018 Temecula Quilt Co. had a sew-a-long with little 4-inch finished blocks.
https://temeculaquiltco.blogspot.com/2018/01/quirky-quilt-sew-along.html
It was a pleasant project to work on as I set up my sewing space in our new place.
About 20% of my blocks are from her designs, the rest are my own based on traditional patterns. I used Tonya Riccuci's method from her Word Play book for the letters of my name in the bottom right corner.

 I put them together using a Patience Corner set that I describe here.
https://kleinmeisjequilts.blogspot.com/2018/10/patience-corner-set.html

lower right quadrant

lower left quadrant

upper right quadrant

upper left quadrant

stacked bricks, top completed

Stacked Bricks
80 blocks set 10 by 8, finishing 80 by 96 inches.
My design, use at your pleasure.

Block finishes 8 by 12 inches
Cutting
Solid: six rectangles 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches
Print: six rectangles 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inches
Could work with precut 2 1/2 inch strips and strip piecing, but I cut all my pieces because I work from scraps.

Piecing
Piece in columns of 6, pressing toward the side that ends in a print.
Sew block together nesting seams.
I wait with pressing the center seam until I assemble the quilt so I can be strategic to nest seams.

Assembly
Sew two blocks together along the 8 inch sides, then sew two of these units together into a 4-block unit.

Make 4 rows of 5 units.
Just three longer seams to complete assembly.
With careful pressing all seams of quilt will nest.

chevron, top completed

Chevron
Measures approximately 75 by 90 inches
120 blocks set 10 by 12
My design, use at your pleasure.

Block finishes 7 1/2 inches
Cutting:
Solid: one rectangle 3 1/2 by 2 inches, one rectangle 5 by 2 inches
Print: one 3 1/2 inch square, one rectangle 3 1/2 by 5 inches, one rectangle 3 1/2 by 8 inches
Pressing: always away from the square, leaving final seam unpressed

Assembly:
I don't like the idea of sewing long rows of small blocks so I put then into units.
Sew together into four-block units.

Take two units, press left one with block seams down, right with block seams up.
Combine into 8 block units.

At this point I lay out the units and determine the final setting. Sew into three rows, sew these rows together.

visiting my quilts, Lake Michigan lake house

It was my birthday this past weekend and we were invited to the lake house of friends. I love going there in part because I get to visit my house quilt made in 2006 as a fundraiser for those affected by the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. The pattern is one of Bonnie Hunter.
https://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/happy-scrappy-houses.html

living with my quilts, postage stamp

What I find wonderful about this quilt is I know all of the fabrics, I have memory of each one.

tip #48, make some samples

I am often sketching on graph paper or any paper for that matter. I am pretty good at visualizing what the block will look like, but the move to fabric can lead to decisions on scale and orientation that don't come to mind on paper.
In preparation for fall I would like to have a plan and blocks cut to fit in sewing time between the busy semester of classes. This morning I moved these 6 blocks from paper to fabric. Now, which to move forward on first?

cobblestone

steps

framed whirlygig

whirlygig

bullseye

pickets