Saturday, February 06, 2010

Saturday Sampler #6

My sampler quilt block for this week is finally finished. I must admit that I found this one to be challenging, and since I've been quilting for almost 20 years, that tells you something about this block!
It doesn't look that trickey, but it had me ripping out a few times and miscalculating and making too many pieces for some parts and not enough for others :(
I really enjoyed using their technique for "fast flying geese" and I had seen it described on many websites - click here to see one - but I hadn't tried it yet. I briefly thought to myself I'll just change the measurements and use the method I always do for sewing flying geese, but then I remembered how I make my kids eat new foods every week saying "it's good to try new things" and I guilted myself into trying the new way! 
Just look at these beauties all lined up ready to cut off the dog ears to put into my jar! The blocks turned out the correct size and I was happy with them, but it totally confused me in terms of how many squares it takes to complete one block. I ended up with about 8 extra geese, but I'll look for another pattern where I can use them.
And here is my new 12 1/2" Saturday Sampler block, which has 81 pieces!


Block Name: Blazing Star 

Designer:  Deanne Eisenman
Pattern: Quiltmaker 100 Blocks magazine (block #64)

11 comments:

Mary said...

That is a lot of FG. I like doing them the 3-d way... have you done that? Pretty!

Vicki W said...

I love that block!

Jackie's Stitches said...

Another beauty! I love the fabrics and the dark star. 81 pieces, wow!

Karen said...

It doesn't seem like it would have 81 pieces. It certainly is pretty and is well done. Now that you conquered one, you can make a whole quilt with this block!

scrappy nanna said...

I love this way of making geese. You need one large square and 4 smaller squares and that will make 4 flying geese.Then I use my Eleanor Burns flying geese ruler to square them up unless they are a strange size then I have to use a rotary ruler.I told a friend that you saved the dog ears and they thought you sewed with them until I told them they were for decoration....pretty block.

sewnut said...

I really like the block that you made.
The instructions for making Flying Geese (from the link) are just like the ones that come with the "Flying Geese X4 no math ruler"
I use that method a lot, and sometimes I screw up which fabric ends up being the goose and which is the Background. Then I have extra flying geese too!

Kathy said...

Thanks so much for visiting my blog. I hope you are the lucky winner! I love your work. I also visited your quirky quilter site. I was too late for the giveaway but I loved seeing all her fabulous quilts. I'll be back!

Fenland Textile Studio said...

Hi
I must admit this isn't my favourite way of doing flying geese. I love your completed block, the colours just are fab. Thank you for popping over to my blog. Angela

scraphappy said...

Another great block. I like all the colors and how well they play together. And you got to try out a new technique as well.

Sarah Vanderburgh said...

I love your colour choices for this block. I have accumulated several 'bookmarks' and printouts of different ways to do geese. I like to try new ways - I don't like waste triangles. I usually will sew them together and keep them -for something:)

dianne said...

that is the way that i make flying geese (if i need more than one - and i always do) - i was forced to try it (and i screamed and kicked the entire way) by a shop hop block kit and i am always amazed that it WORKS!

my word verification is "prood" - ha ha ha!