Illinois
As I work my way through the Block A Day Calendar I am finding that some blocks tell me “Make me and forget me.“
Others say “Hmmm I’m interesting but not interesting enough for you to start pulling fabrics from your stash.”
Yet others say “Maybe later when you have more time you will make me.”
While others again say “MAKE ME……..RIGHT NOW!”
“Illinois” is one of those blocks yet when I first looked at the picture and diagram in the calendar I put it into the “Make me and forget me” category however when it was made up in fabric it really spoke to me.
It’s a big block - a really big block - 18 inches to be precise.
Fast to cut out (providing I remember to cut out all the half square triangles) and even faster to sew.
It does take quite a bit of fabric - nearly two whole fat quarters to make one block - now to me that’s a big block. Yet it appeals. Maybe it’s the triangles.
Can you see where I had to piece some strips together to cut enough triangles? Silly me thought I had counted right but I was two side triangles short. Meanwhile I had cut the left over fat quarter into 2.5 inch strips to go in my 2.5 inch box. Nothing like a quick bit of seaming fabrics together and recutting the extra triangles I needed. Hey I never said I was perfect…roflmol at the thought.
Maybe it’s the layout, maybe it’s just the block.
I can see this as one of those blocks that a busy housewife and mother might make as winter looms closer and her family needs to be kept warm. The log cabin is good - but only so good. Hubby is frantically cutting wood for the long winter, the children are bringing in the harvest of the vegetable garden and in Mum’s spare moments - what few moments she has - she sits by the fire, needle flashing in the fire light, busy sewing this block and it’s brothers and sisters to make a new quilt for someones bed. A quilt made with love and scraps and perhaps frantic haste as the leaves fall from the trees.
Then I fast forward to my time and I can see myself making this block in scrappy colours. Tone on tone creams or whites where the green is (in the calender photo) and scrappy fabrics for the triangles. A glorious mix of colours and textures, florals and stripes, spots and plains. Ahh the dreams I have - now to find time…vbg.
bunks replied:
This is a nice block and you can’t see the seams. What is interesting is that when I look at the photo all I see is the blue and the yellow recedes but in your block I see the opposite. The brown print hits my eye and the stripes recede so basically I’m getting a whole new block depending on which is the dominant colour.
May 16, 2008 at 12:49 am. Permalink.
jane replied:
I looked at my calender with great anticipation. It looks the same as yours but I have an 11″ watering can which I would never bother to piece. Why go through all that drama when applique would be so easy.
But I do know the feeling and it would be good to pick out a few colors as a base and keep them for when inspiration strikes and then they could be a sort of sampler block when finished.
May 16, 2008 at 1:34 am. Permalink.
Candace replied:
Your block is very pretty, didn’t see any piecing of pieces, until you pointed them out. They are in the spirit of quilting in my opinion. It was fun following along your scenario’s. I also enjoyed reading about the girl’s pincushions, and they turned out very nice also. Looks like budding seamstresses (quilters) in the making.
May 16, 2008 at 3:43 am. Permalink.
crazyqstitcher replied:
Great to know you’re back again sewing the BADs, which look terrific. Looove the Illinois block. The colours are just right. You conjured up a great vision of a family preparing for winter.
May 16, 2008 at 11:27 pm. Permalink.
Barb Mcf replied:
I love your block and the image of the family preparing for winter. I have a quilt that my great grandmother made when I was a child and in it, she has pieced together scraps to have a large enough piece to cut the triangle for the pattern. She was using the scraps from making clothing for the family and using every small piece she had. You reminded me of her. Thanks for the memories.
Barb Mcf
May 17, 2008 at 10:30 am. Permalink.