Button painting tutorial

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12/22/2011

True confessions .....again

If you read Cathy's comment yesterday you saw she noticed that all my blocks were comprised of the same pieces... I've confessed to this several times on the blog...  Piecing is not my favorite thing and on a cold snowy day in January I will spend the day piecing LOTS of blocks... both 11" and 6"  They are usually in neutral colors so no matter what RR I sign up for during the year I will have blocks I can use....

So all the blocks (with a few exceptions like the suffrage quilt) that you have seen me do over all these years have been from the exact SAME two patterns. This is the 11" pattern and I have a similar one for 6" block.. It's so simple that it is mindless...combine all the As, all the Bs and all the Cs. and assemble.  I stack and whack and turn out a pile of blocks in no time at all.

Here is an example I used in a blog post a couple years ago.  Sometimes, as in the blocks I just did, I have to piece fabrics together first to get the right size...

I initially got this pattern off the Internet years and years ago and the site has been long gone.  I have tried others methods but for me this is the fastest and easiest way to get to the fun stuff....embellishing..

It was more evident in the Morris quilt blocks because I deliberately used the large check on the exact same piece on every block as it will be part of the continuity from block to block. 

7 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 22, 2011 at 10:04 AM

    Gerry, I bookmarked a site quite a while ago that offers PDF patterns for blocks. Check out http://www.nostalgicneedleart.blogspot.com/ (sorry don't know how to make that a live link here) there are 36 blocks posted. They even have a vintage image in the center so you can print it on computer printer fabric and then just piece around the image if you want. I have printed them on paper (ignored the image) and then just pieced like you do.

    Sharon B also offers block patterns on her Pin Tangle blog. Click on "crazy quilt details" in the right side bar and you see all the posts where she has detailed her "dropped the button box quilt". She has posted the pattern for each block she has talked about so far.

    I'm with you, I like having a pattern so I can think about color distribution, texture differences without worrying about angles and sizes of patches so it doesn't end up looking like a "pinwheel".

    Have a very Merry Christmas!!
    SusieW

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  2. Mosaic MagpieDecember 22, 2011 at 11:56 AM

    True Confessions....I thought this was going to be an old romance magazine story. I like the idea of having a block you can whip through. The piecing is the unfun part to me.
    Deb

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  3. AnonymousDecember 22, 2011 at 12:26 PM

    Thank you for the idea of repeating block arrangements. I've been wanting to try this but thinking out the fabric bits is a stumbling block for me. I've been reading your blog for some time now and once the blocks are turned every which way and all the trims are on I really don't notice it's the same layout. Linda

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  4. Arlene WhiteDecember 22, 2011 at 1:20 PM

    I'm with you Gerry, I don't like the piecing either. And I use a pattern for my 12" block and I have 5 different ones for the 7" size.

    Arlene
    http://arlenes-crafts.blogspot.com/

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  5. Susan ElliottJanuary 4, 2012 at 4:51 PM

    Sorry...I'm reading from oldest to newest post to get caught up...didn't realize you revealed the secret...again...

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  6. ConnieJanuary 9, 2012 at 3:02 AM

    Clever - I hate piecing too.

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  7. AnnetteFebruary 1, 2016 at 12:15 PM

    Hello Gerry, well after spending forever to piece 3 blocks I thought I think I remember using patterns so I have found this and going to use a pattern I hate the making of blocks. so enjoy your blog and thanks for sharing so much.

    ReplyDelete