Just my musings about life, quilting, my family and my dog.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

September UFO DONE!!


TaDa!!

It was a challenge to get this finished this month because I have my boy here!!  More on that in the next post, I want to talk about this quilt today.  This quilt was begun as a leader/ender project about, I don't know, SIX years ago!  I began by using  2-inch squares of dark fabric and sewing them into 2-patches.

When I got a HUGE pile of those, I started L/E (leader/endering) pairs of 2-inch squares of muslin.

When I got a HUGE pile of those, I started L/E 1/2 square triangles.  I did this by pairing larger muslin and dark squares (about 3 inches each) and sewing on both sides of the center diagonal line then cutting them apart to make two 1/2 squares that I trimmed to 2 inches. 

When I got a  HUGE pile of those, I started sewing them to the two squares of muslin or two of the dark 2-patches to make strips of 3. 

When I had a HUGE pile of those, I sewed a single muslin square to two dark squares.

Soon (a relative term), I had three piles of strips of 3-patches that looked like this:



FINALLY, I started sewing these strips together into 9-patches.  I sewed and sewed and sewed until I had 192 of them.  I was finally ready to lay out a quilt top and the playing commenced.  I decided to sew them together into the blocks you see by sewing 4 of the 9-patches together.  I wanted a zig-zag effect so I sewed an extra bit onto the end of each column of six blocks.  Looking at it now, I would probably end each row with a half block. 

Those of you who are very clever will have figured out that I could have accomplished this same effect by sewing 4-patches into 16-patches and then adding the 1/2 square triangle thingy that looks like a flying goose.  OR, I could have sewn... well, there are many ways to skin a cat, this is how I did it because I wasn't sure about the final layout.

The thing I like about this block is that it can be used in MANY layouts as you would use a log cabin block.  The advantage, as I see it, is that I can make them easily as a L/E project while making other quilts.  I see L/E quilts as almost making themselves.  The blocks just get sewn together while I am making other quilts.  The only direct attention I spend on them is when it comes to putting all the blocks together into a top.

The other thing I LOVE about this quilt is that I consider it almost free.  The only fabric in it that I actually purchased is 1/2 of the backing.  I pieced the batting from leftovers of other quilts and all of the 2-inch squares are scraps from my other quilts but mostly from my quilt guild friends who know how I will use any tiny scrap that they don't want to be bothered with.

Big decision is where I will donate this quilt. 


Hop over to Patchwork Times and see the other FINISHED UFOs!



9 comments:

  1. I love your process - I have also been doing that leader/ender thing and have a lot done, but needed a plan. Thanks for sharing and it is wonderful. Judy C

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  2. I enjoyed your description of how this piece came to be. It's like getting the whole thing for free -- it is essentially free fabric, thread, time..... Gorgeous end product, too.

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  3. Gorgeous! Scrappy quilts have such a cozy look about them. My favorites, without a doubt. ;o) Congratulations on a great finish!

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  4. What a great way to use up some scraps! It turned out wonderful - congratulations!

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  5. It doesn't matter how anyone else would construct these blocks - what you did made sense to YOU and therefore worked. It's a great quilt - I'd have a hard time parting with it!

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  6. Way to go! It's an awesome "free" quilt!

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  7. Lovely design--congrats on your finish! Pretty incredible for being almost free (in both fabric and your time as a leader/ender). I need to try that sometime--but I'm guessing it would just mean another UFO! Thanks for sharing your method!

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  8. Congrats on your "huge" success, the quilt is lovely.

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  9. What a beautiful quilt made of so many scraps. Great job!

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