It's March 15 and that means it's time for Just Takes™ blocks at Dear Jane.
There are two blocks this time. A beautiful compass design called Grandma's Favorite Compass and a block of Flying Geese you'll recognize from a previous set of patterns.
Unit 6
Block 23
Block 24
It was 80 degrees in Grand Rapids today and this is what I'm dreaming of...............I love seeing the sunlight reflecting off the water and dancing on the tree branches.
Today's the day! It's time for the 5th set of Just Takes 2 blocks. I hope you've had a chance to finish the last group. Can you believe you've already made 18 of the blocks in this quilt and it's only the first of March?
You should probably take a deep breath before you scroll down and take a look at the blocks for today.
Okay, I heard that gasp all the way over here in Michigan! We don't want you to be nervous or intimidated. We have step by step instructions for you.
 Block 19
I changed the red center on this block to white and added redwork embroidery. If you've never made a Feathered Star block this will be a great learning experience. It's a 15" block so the pieces are small enough to be delicate but large enough so you don't feel too overwhelmed. If you're in love with some of the embroidery on my block (which we hope you are) there's an Optional Redwork Embroidery Pattern you can purchase as a digital download HERE. There are 14 designs to choose from and they're sized perfectly for the squares and triangles in this block.
If embroidery isn't your thing - don't worry - the block is beautiful on it's own using red fabric for the center. Either way there are a few things you can do to guarantee success when sewing.
Take your time! I can't stress this one enough. Work slowly and you won't have any trouble putting this together.
If your fabrics have a soft feel to them I suggest using Magic Sizing or some spray starch on them before cutting your pieces. I like Mary Ellen's Best Press Clear Starch Alternative 16 Ounces-Lavender Fields. It'll make a big difference in the stability of your fabric pieces when working on this block.
Make sure you're sewing an exact or slightly scant 1/4" seam.
Press seams open where suggested in the instructions. I know this goes against almost everything we've ever learned but trust me it helps.
There are some additional tips on the pattern sheets and here are a few pictures I took while sewing my block.
Press seams open where instructed in the directions.
By pressing some of the seams open you have a clear view of the intersections of the feathers in your star when sewing these strips to the background squares and triangles.
A completed corner section. (I had cut my background square extra big but wouldn't do that again.)
Here's a look at the first partial seam you'll be asked to sew.
The partial seams sewn on the background triangles.
The kites!
Adding the white corners if you're making your block with a red center.
*** We have found an error on the foundation patterns for the Flying Geese on Blocks 20 & 22. The beak of the last goose has fallen 1/4" so the angle is incorrect on pieces A14 and A15!
It's February 15 and that means it's time for the second set of Just Takes™ blocks at Dear Jane.
A couple of these blocks are a bit challenging but if you follow the instructions you'll be fine. There's even one block where I used more than one piecing techniques when I worked on it! I'll share with you what I did.
These are the next 5 blocks!
They are all 9" blocks blocks this time. Brenda and I had fun working on these. Once again, you'll get a chance to practice several of your quilting techniques on this bunch. If you need help with the quilting techniques there's help in the Instructions section here and in the lessons on the Dear Jane software.
Block 14
Easy peasy rotary cutting and machine piecing. I'd love to do a whole quilt with these blocks and put redwork embroidery in the open spaces but I'm not adding embroidery to this one for Just Takes 2™.
Block 15
It was easiest to foundation piece this block. Follow the cutting instructions and you'll have it done in now time!
Block 16
I thought this block was going to be a real stinker and it did present some challenges but this is what I did. I foundation pieced the center and points. I machine pieced the points to the center.
remembering to start and stop my stitching at the beginning and end of the seam lines.
I did this for all four points of the block.
I used the template to cut the side pieces of my background fabric and started to sew them following the instructions for Y Seam piecing but still machine stitching. This is where things came to a screeching hault. No matter how much I fiddled with the seam I wasn't satisfied with how it looked at the pivot point. The foundation paper may have made it more difficult to navigate. Maybe it just my state of mind but I was having trouble with it.
I decided to combine machine and hand piecing in this area. I machine stitched from the corners toward the pivot point and secured the end of my stitching by backstitching. I then hand pieced the pivot area and wonder of wonders - all four pivot points turned out great on the first try. The point I want to impress on you is this - don't be afraid to combine techniques within an individual block to achieve the results you want!
Block 17
A great fun block to foundation piece. I wish I had the time to make an entire quilt of these blocks too. Set on point like the quilt in the exhibit they're stunning.
Block 18
Simple machine piecing and some applique to work on during your favorite television show.
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