I couldn't sleep very well so I got up early and decided to print and start part three of the current Quiltville mystery. With anticipation I opened Bonnie Hunter's blog and read the instructions.Well.
Hmmm.
We're supposed to make 60 string blocks.
In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit. . .I don't like string blocks.
I'm not crazy about foundation piecing either.
I just made a stack of foundation pieced heart blocks for a charity and ripping those papers off the back drove me to distraction. And string blocks? Well, they just aren't ORDERLY. They aren't planned, they aren't patterned, they aren't geometrical, all the things I love in quilts. They're just strips - and strips and strips and strips. Ugh.
And they're all out of our white or cream background prints and neutrals. Does't sound very interesting to me.
I had pulled a selection of about 30 neutrals for this quilt, white on white, cream on cream, small prints with white or cream background, the kind of neutrals I use. They coordinated very nicely. Just because it's a scrap quilt doesn't mean to me that it can't have some sort of rhyme or reason. When I read these instructions my heart sank, and I retreated to the stash closet and started gathering up everything that had a white, cream, ivory, ecru etc. background, regardless of the color in the print. Which didn't net me very much more, because that's the kind of neutrals I don't use. When I want neutral, I use NEUTRAL, and when I want prints, they are more colorful.
So I finally had the stack shown in the picture. I'm afraid they will make very boring string blocks. I thought about making 16 patch blocks instead, or something else I like better, but decided to let Bonnie stretch my horizons with this one and follow along.
But I have to protest that I am a geometry girl - I like the flow and interaction of intricately pieced patterns, and strings don't catch my eye. Never did.
You remember the "Christmas Lights" mystery and the two blocks I thought didn't go together at all? The one where a very mild comment about "I don't think I understand the overall design of this quilt" got me vilified on the chat group? That one, I split the blocks and made two different quilts with the two types of blocks. Let's hope I don't end up hating this quilt too and trying to rework it.
Thank goodness I bought a scribble pad for foundation paper, though.
5 comments:
I agree with you on the strips, but at least you're finding time to do it! I haven't gotten that far yet.
I saw that the clue was up. My first reaction was 'string blocks'? I can't remember the size of the block but is it possible to just use a square the same size as the finished string block? That would add a bit of consistency for that orderly mind. I know, because I am the same way *giggle*. BTW, I am not doing the mystery.
LOL - Oh ye of little faith! You can always hold it out until the last minute. String blocsk add a LOT of old fashioned charm to a quilt.
I SHOULD add that I'm not doing this one. Have fun!
Enjoy the challenge. I look forward to seeing what you make.
What? you vilified....remind me to stay away from chat groups.
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