HSTs and Depression Blocks

Playing with my fabric counts as decluttering – doesn’t it?  As I was dealing with scraps I have been cutting tumblers, 1.5 inch strips for a future pineapple, and chunks 6 x 9.25 inches for HST triangles.  I am making 12 HST at a time with triangulations paper.

Half square triangles – my dilemma – I have been thinking for some time that I wanted to make another quilt using the Depression Block.  I need a lot of variety for what I want to make and there are many ways to make HSTs.  To me one of the easiest is to mindlessly sew on printed paper and cut them apart.  But in the case of 2 inch finished HST I make 12 of the same fabrics if I use a full sheet.  So if I was doing another way I could have more variety. 

My solution was to make more than I needed and they would be in my stash available for other projects.  I got this idea from Lynn Roddy Brown when she spoke to the Plano Guild last year.  She talked of “mental health sewing”.  Pointing out if you sewed 9 patches or triangles that it would be simple and easy and these components would be available to later incorporate into quilts.

As with many ideas as soon as I thought I’d apply it I found others who had previously advocated for it.  M J Fielek spoke at guild in July about “Beautiful Quilts Out of Simple Shapes” and she also mentioned Edyta Sitar and her book on triangles.

So when I started in early July I wondered how many should I make.  Previously when I made depression blocks the finished block was 12 inches but with 2 inch triangles the block will finish at 8 inches.  There are 16 HSTs per block. It will take 100 blocks or 1600 HSTs If I make a quilt that is 80 by 80 inches square.  Well the good news is I am going to have an alternate block – probably a kaleidoscope block so I only need half that amount plus extra to make a rectangular quilt.  I determined that if I made 2000 HSTS that would give me variety and extra for other projects.

By mid-August I had 1073 HSTs and I couldn't wait and I decided to start making blocks.  I will probably add to box of HSTs as I sort through fabrics and/or want different colors. 

  

As I do this there are other project being worked on and I think I have found the layout I like on the large tumbling blocks.  I removed the blocks that had segments of diamonds and am just using full and small blocks.  I think it will have gray background.  It’s a little confusing as my design wall is also gray.

2 Workshops with Gyleen Fitzgerald

I took workshops on Friday and Saturday.  It was lots of fun.  I knew I liked Gyleen Fitzgerald's techniques as I had seen her on The Quilt  Show and I have her pineapple ruler and book.

The first class was called Going in Circles.  The techniques presented were clear and easy then we had one on one help with arranging the designs.  A lot of good information was shared.

All the fabric is from my stash.  We were instructed to bring 4 color groups and not be too matchy.  I decided at the Dallas Guild lecture on Thurs. night that I wanted to take this class.  I didn't have a lot of time to pick fabrics but I chose magenta/yellow/bluegreen/white.  I think I ended up with lots of light and the whites read as solid.  The two yellow florals and two of the blue greens read as basically the same fabric.  So I think it was interesting color choices, but the yellow dominates as do the lights.  The way we did the construction we used the fabric amounts equally so it wasn't possible to limit the yellows.  They really come forward.  I think I should have had more motion in my whites, also.

The Saturday class was Play Modern.  This was a fantastic class.  Gyleen's butterfly technique is so great to make these easily.  When I first started quilting around 1993 I tried to make a tumbling block quilt and I found it too difficult.  I am happy I learned now and I have several ideas in my head about future quilts.

Supply list was 3 one yard pieces of fabric for the big tumbling blocks.  I had the darkest purple in my stash as I purchased it last fall for Bonnie Hunter's Mystery and then used a different fabric.  I don't have many one yard pieces of fabric in my stash so during lunch at Friday's workshop I went to a quilt store and picked out the light and medium pink/magenta.   The accent pieces are from stash.  The class was a technique class and I am trying different designs but my progress so far is below:

I highly recommend this teacher.