Since making my first two Posh Penelope blocks - pattern by Sew Kind of Wonderful - in April 2023, I knew this would be a long-term project. I originally thought blocks would be a piece-of-cake to make. I was so wrong! Though the pattern doesn't count steps, by my count, each block involves ten steps - sewing and trimming repeatedly, requiring undivided attention for each step. It's no surprise that I stopped making them.
However, my friend Elizabeth at OccasionalPiece-Quilt - having discovered the same thing about making these blocks - recently set a goal for herself to make four blocks a month until all 42 blocks were made. Her friend joined her - love it when quilters make a pact to encourage one another! - though she made eight blocks a month. We all agree that making these blocks assembly-line style, is most efficient.
So I set an eight-blocks-a-month goal for myself. These are July's blocks.
I now have 18 of 42 blocks made. Those strips and tiny square in the middle finish at ½"!
I'm also doing something that isn't in the pattern.
In one of the last steps, at each of the four corners of the four-patch block, a square is place (right sides together) to sew a triangle which is then trimmed ¼" from the seam. Rather than do that, I've been sewing another seam a half-inch away, and then cutting to divide and created an extra half-square triangle square. The little 2" (trimmed) blocks are on the left.
They are not used in the pattern, but when I'm finished making blocks, I should have 168, 2" HSTs! They'll be useable in something, I'm sure.
Our Central Florida MQG recently arranged a postcard swap with South Florida MQG. Our postcards were to have the theme "It's A Small World," and be mailed by July 1.
I used the theme as an opportunity to make something from the dozens of Curvelet blocks I've hand-pieced. (Templates by Jen Carlton Bailly of @bettycrockerass). I also used my new "arc" template to make four different center blocks.
After some rearranging, and hand quilting with perle cotton, this is the postcard I made for Nancy @nancyquiltsquilts of Punta Gorda.
This lovely postcard came from Nancy who said it's the first postcard she's made. I really like her additional of hand quilting too!
Your Posh Penelope blocks look wonderful, and you are almost halfway there!
ReplyDeletei love your posh penelope blocks...that is a pattern that is whispering to me as well...
ReplyDeleteGreat progress on your blocks. The idea of batching up a bunch of them makes great sense.
ReplyDeleteLoving your PP blocks, they look very colourful. No scrap left behind?
ReplyDeleteLove the postcards, and good to know they can go with or without an envelope. And wow RE; the Posh blocks. Good you found a way to move forward with them!
ReplyDeleteAll that lovely color! What fun the postcard swap is, too. Hold your breath and mail it is the approach with them I think. - Nancy
ReplyDeleteI've had this tab open ever since you published, meaning to comment on it. I'm loving those PP blocks! Isn't interesting how you fall in love with each new combination and each new block? At least that is what happened to me. There was only one I tossed in all of the 42, and by that time, I had a better sense of what would work in the block. And you've hit the ball out of the park on these eight! They are all so gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI also love your postcard, and love how you are collecting triangles for more small treasures. It didn't dawn on me until later about the triangles, so I lost the first batch to the trash. And I still have to press them and true them up -- you are smart to do it while you are making, but then you are very organized that way.
Carry on!
Love your little Curvelet postcard. So cute! I've tried making blocks a few at a time for a long term project and it seems I always end up busting them all out at once or loose interest and don't keep up. I think I'm all or nothing when it comes to my focus on projects. Perhaps it's quilter's ADHD
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