Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Challenges - updated

I like a challenge but this block almost conquered me!  It's for my Lincoln Way quilt. Goes by lots of different names Road to Kansas, Amethyst,  Priscilla,.... I chose it for the date 1912. Which is when the house was built and women got the vote.  From what I read on the Grandmother's choice blog, there was an suffrage automobile campaign that women drove through many cities and States including Illinois.  I also choose this block because it is similar to the coal miners block.  The first owner of the house had the lumber and coal yard. 
I have ripped this block apart at least 7 or 8 times... I'm surprised there's fabric left to stitch together.  I did have to recut one of the triangles to get it right.  It's still not lining up right but it is much better. 
I also started a mini triangle quilt from Sewcanshe Quilting Unplugged http://www.sewcanshe.com/blog/2015/7/3/quilting-unplugged-design-your-own-triangle-quilt  I thought my brain was gonna explode  trying to cut those triangles!  Once I finally got them figured out I cut enough to make a full size quilt instead of a mini!  They were fun to cut... Not so much to sew!  I really thought I had a beautiful ring for a double wedding ring quilt instead of a straight line. So nicely curved... :( but Caroline shared some great tips and tricks - #4 worked just like magic!  Here I had a curved strip of triangles that I was sure I had to rip out and I starched and pressed and poof! It was straight!  Super cool! 
Today I'm going to work on my first blocks for the We Bee With It quilting bee...  Red white and blue quasar stars  and practice the Illinois block for the Lincoln Way quilt.  I also need to work on the triangles quilt and the new Cozy Afternoon BOM block is printed out so I may get to work on it too. Updated : tried taking it apart again still no good... Then I started over and looked at the instructions again... Eureka! I've been putting it together in the wrong order - tried again and it's not perfect but it's much much better! (See last photo) Wow what a difference following the directions makes  😜



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