Beer, Sub Blocks and Disappointment

I hope you are having a nice Labor Day weekend. I spent some time working on blocks, did some housework, and got stressed because there has been a new development that may impact getting to go home by the end of the year. I am not going to get into it on the blog. It is something that may work itself out and, at the worst, just cause a delay.

GRRRR.

But I worked off some frustration in my quilting room and made progress on my Bridal Sampler.

Most of the blocks contain half square triangles. Oh - for nonquilters (aka my kids), here is an example of what I am talking about when I say "half square triangle:"


My favorite way to make half square triangles is to start out by putting two pieces of fabric, right sides together. I mark where to stitch and cut on the lighter fabric with an erasable marker. In this example, the straight line is the cut line and the dotted line is the stitch line.


I made the block "Contrary Wife" using the same fabrics that I did for Contrary Husband. I am just sure I am not the first person so clever.


I generally pin the fabric together, and stitch a quarter inch on either side of the cut line on the diagonal. Working with fabric this size just seems easier to handle and doesn't slip out of place as easily.


I only needed four half square triangles for Contrary Wife but made eight. I will use the other four on another block.


Because the Sylvia Bridal Sampler has six inch blocks, a common size for a sub block is 2 inches square (for a block with four rows) or 2.5 inches square (for a block with three rows). Contrary Wife has three equal sized rows/3 columns (nine sub blocks total) so with the seam allowance, each sub block is 2.5 inches square.

Non-quilters - see what I mean about 9 sub blocks, 3 per row?


Here is the completed block:


My kids - You leave on a quarter inch seam allowance all the way around. Although these are six inch blocks, that is six inch FINISHED (finished blocks are stitched to other blocks or sashing). As they just sit there, all alone, they are actually 6.5 inches square because they have a seam allowance.

I am seriously thinking of getting my youngest her own sewing machine. A Janome. She has not asked for one or intimated that she would allow one in her apartment. She does not sew. But I think she would be fabulous at it. I'd get one for my son but he has his own hobbies although at least my dear daughter-in-law knows how to sew. My middle girl lives in a closet with no room so she gets nuthin. Well, maybe I could get her some yarn and some lessons in knitting. If she got a bigger place, I would DEFINITELY get her a Janome because she is very creative and enjoys color. Unless she moved to a house with a yard. In that case, I would get her a lawnmower.

I also did Broken Dishes, with the blue fabric I'd used before.


Broken Dishes is a simple block which, if you look at it closely, consists of four rows and four columns of half square triangles. Each sub block is exactly the same, just alternated on the placement. Because each row has four equal sized sub blocks, they are each two inches square.

Here is Road to Oklahoma:


Kids, count 'em up - another one with four sub blocks per row which means they measure out, individually, to two inches square.

Here is Friendship Quilt. I think that is kind of a stupid name but I like the block. It was easy and I used some funky colors.


Friendship Quilt is another one with three sub blocks per row so they each measure 2.5 inches square.

Here is Card Trick. I love this block. It's a bitch to make, though.


Did I just write that?

Actually, Card Trick isn't that hard to make. You just have to keep track of where to set the colors. Like Contrary Wife, it has three equal sub blocks per row, which means you square them to 2.5 inches, each.

After making five blocks, today, I now have sixteen completed. Here they are:


I posted several weeks ago that we were making beer. We poured it into the kegs, today, and are waiting for it to cool down to pump it full of CO2. Husband brought me some "flat" beer to sample. It is a light summer beer with a mellow flavor.


It has a nice, natural head, even without added CO2.


Very clear.


Here's my buddy. She didn't get any beer. She thinks beer is nasty.