January Block Lotto - Inspired by Gee's Bend

 Block #4 - Celebrating Lucy T. Pettway

This month my inspiration comes from a quilt called “Snowball” by Lucy T. Pettway, who  made quilts for seven decades.  Snowball is made up of red and white quarter circle blocks, assembled to give the illusion of a circle in a square.  For our block lotto, I’m changing up the block construction to a hand appliqued squircle - a cross between a square and a circle - and maintaining Lucy’s vibrant red and white palette.  The block finishes at 5” square.  

Fabric requirements

Red fabric - solid, or tone on tone, or small scale red print

White fabric - solid, or tone on tone

 

You will also need the following

Fabric scissors

Pins (regular or applique)

Needle and thread in contrasting colour for basting

Seam gauge

Needle (milliner’s or applique)

Thread that matches squircle for the needle turn applique

Note:  If you are new to needle turn applique (or you would like a refresher), here is a link to an excellent how to video by guild member Jenn McMillan. 

Another good resource is the book “Savor Each Stitch” by Carolyn Friedlander.  The following instructions are based on the above resources

Cutting

1 - 5.5”x5.5” background fabric, either red or white

1 - 4”x4” squircle fabric in whichever colour you didn’t use for the background

To make the block:

1. To cut the squircle, use sharp fabric scissors to round the corners of the 4” square squircle fabric.

2. Centre the squircle on the background square and pin in place.

3. Use a contrasting thread to baste the squircle to the background square ¼” from the raw edge (use seam gauge for accuracy).  Remove pins as you baste. 

4. Thread the applique (or milliner’s) needle with thread that matches the squircle fabric, knotting one end.

5. Using the tip of your needle (or your fingers) fold raw edge of squircle under to meet basting, creating a ⅛” turn-under allowance. 

 

Bring the needle up from the back of the background block through all layers close to the folded edge. 

Direct needle down through background fabric at folded applique edge, and back up through squircle ⅛” from previous stitch. 

6. Continue around the squircle until all edges are folded under and stitched down.  Knot thread on wrong side of block.

7. Remove the basting thread and press. 

You are done!  The block should measure 5.5” square.

November Block Lotto - Inspired by Gee's Bend

Block #3 - Celebrating Mary Elizabeth Kennedy

This block is inspired by a quilt made circa 1935 by Mary Elizabeth Kennedy.  Once again the quilt is called “Housetop”, and once again it is made up of log cabin blocks, in a striking white and aqua colour scheme.  I’m changing things up by sewing curved log cabin blocks with turquoise and low volume scraps.  For the curved log cabin construction, I referred to this tutorial from the blog “Said With Love”.  The block finishes at 11” square.

Fabric requirements

Turquoise and low volume scraps.

Cutting

From the turquoise scraps:

2.5” square

2.5”x 3.5”

2.5”x 5.5”

2.5”x 6.5”

2.5”x 8.5”

2.5”x 9.5”

2.5”x 11.5”

From the low volume scraps:

1.5”x 2.5”

1.5”x 3.5”

1.5”x 5.5”

1.5”x 6.5”

1.5”x 8.5”

1.5”x 9.5”

To make the block:

Use a ¼” seam throughout.

Join the 2.5” turquoise square to the 1.5”x 2.5” low volume strip.  Press.  

Join the 1.5”x 3.5” low volume strip.  Press.

Join the turquoise 2.5”x 3.5” strip.  Press.  Then join the turquoise 2.5”x 5.5” strip.  Press.

Join the low volume 1.5”x 5.5” strip.  Press.  Then join the low volume 1.5”x 6.5” strip.  Press.

Continue adding strips in this manner until all the strips are used up.  Press.  

You are done!  The block should measure 11.5” square.

 

October Block of the Month - Inspired by Gee's Bend

 Block #2 - Celebrating Martha Jane Pettway

This block is inspired by another quilt called “Housetop”, created by Martha Jane Pettway, circa 1945, and made of quarter log cabin blocks.  I was drawn to her colour scheme - a lovely light green with light tan, and a bit of bright red for contrast.  I’m taking two of Martha Jane Pettway’s colours - light green and bright red - for this month’s block, with just a bit of white to break things up.  The block finishes at 12” square.

Fabric requirements

Solids - light green, bright red, and white (or substitute near solids that read one colour)

Cutting

From light green solid:

2”x 2”

2”x 3.5”

2”x 5”

2”x 6.5”

2”x 8”

2”x 9.5”

2”x 11”

2”x 12.5”

From bright red solid:

2”x 2”

2”x 3.5”

2”x 5”

2”x 6.5”

2”x 8”

2”x 9.5”

2”x 11”

From the white solid:

Remove one of the red strips from above and replace it with the same size white strip

To make the block:

Use a scant ¼” seam throughout.

Join the red and green 2”x 2” pieces together.  Press.

Join the green 2”x 3.5” strip.  Press.

Join the red 2”x 3.5” strip.  Press.  Then join the red 2”x 5” strip. Press.

Join the green 2”x 5” strip.  Press.  Join the green 2”x 6.5” strip. Press.

Continue adding strips in this manner until all the strips are used up, pressing between each addition.  Note that at one point you will be adding a white strip instead of the same sized red strip.  Trim block to 12.5” square.

You are done!