Sunday, July 31, 2011

Farmer's Wife blocks

#13  Buckwheat.
I had to dust off my math skills for this one.  I actually drafted it on graph paper and measured the base unit square, which is set on point.  Finished size is 1 7/16", so I cut the 4 square units 1 15/16" (using the square = +.5" rule). The tricky part was the triangles -- there are two kinds.  Half square triangles use the same finished measurement but get 7/8" added -- so they were cut 2 5/16".  But the quarter square triangles (the ones along the outer edge of the block with points facing in) have a different base measurement: 2" finished.  So I used the quarter square = + 1.25" rule and cut those squares 3 1/4".  Even though they are the same size triangles as the inner HSTs, if I had used the same cutting method the bias stretch would have been along the outer edge of the block, which is not something you want.  If that happens, the block is a hundred times more likely to stretch out of true square alignment.  I'm happy with the fabric choices on this one, and the corners are pretty good.  I was really careful with the sewing and the block is actually a tiny bit bigger than 6.5".
#14  Butterfly at the Crossroads.
Again with the math.  I didn't have to draft this one, but it's based on units that are 1/5 of 6", which works out to 1.2" -- or one and a scant quarter inch on the rotary ruler.  So the squares are 1 3/4" (scant), HSTs are 2 1/8" (scant), and the rectangles are 1 3/4" (scant) x 2 7/8".  The fabrics are from a thrift store shirt in an ugly ("puke colored" my son says) orange Hawaiian print, and remnants from boxers I made for Steve from a French map fabric.  (Any fabric with maps on it is great for Steve).

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