Sleight of Hand

It's done!  This quilt is my "Sleight of Hand".  The blocks are card trick blocks, made with no triangles.  Then set on point with alternating blocks.  It started here, back in Feb 2010, and is finally quilted and bound now.  The card trick blocks were really quick and easy to make, especially making them without triangles.  Then I sort of defeated that, by planning the tiny little squares in the sashing.  The quilt has been waiting in my closet for about a year, for me to get around to finishing it off.

It seemed logical to continue the card-trick theme on the back of the quilt.  One large card trick block, using the same construction technique.I'm starting to really like pieced backings.

Once it was basted last week, I quilted it with a diagonal crosshatch - and the backing is actually squared up too.  The top thread is cream, and the bottom is a variegated rainbow thread.  I thought the colours were too much for the front of the quilt, but they work on the back and add a bit of interest there.



This was my August quilt for the UFO challenge, so I'm getting caught up - a bit anyway.  Let's not look at the ones still to do for Jan, Feb, and Sept :)

Card Trick Blocks with No Triangles

Here is what's on my design wall for this week.  I pulled this quilt out of my UFO pile today. It's next on the list for quilting, although that won't happen until I get my machine back from the shop.  However, I thought I'd provide more detailed directions for making these 'sleight of hand' blocks - card tricks with no triangles.

 You need the following pieces for an 8" block:

• one 2.5" square and one 2.5"x4.5" rectangle, of each of 4 colours
• four 2.5" squares background

Sew the 2.5" squares of colours into a 4-patch for the center of the block.

Add the appropriate coloured rectangle to 2 opposite sides of that 4-patch, to create the center strip of the block.

Sew a 2.5" background square to each end of each of the remaining two coloured rectangles.  Attach these strips to the appropriate sides of the center strip.

Block should be set on point, for a true card trick look.

Design Wall Monday - Mar 8

I did not have a lot of time to sew last week, but I tried to make up for it yesterday.  On the left of the wall is my finished "sleight of hand" flimsy.   The card trick blocks were simple and very quick to make.  The setting blocks however, were much more detailed and seemed to take me forever.   However, it is complete, and made entirely from stash.

Beside that are 3 pairs of blocks for this month's block lotto.  They were fun to make, but more work than I expected.  And I certainly made a mess of my sewing room creating them, as I had most of my blue, green and purple scraps strewn across my cutting table before I was done.

Check out Judy's blog to see what other quilters have on their design walls this week.

Since I missed Stash Report Sunday, I'll include that here too.

I used 3.25 yards this week, for the 2 projects above, and nothing came in.  Not a bad week for the stash.

Total in this year - 42 yards
Total out this year - 46 1/2 yards

Net this year: 4 1/2 yards OUT

Design Wall Monday - Mar 1

My design wall is busy today.  Unexpectedly, I started a new project on the weekend.  I was inspired to make some "card trick" blocks (a non-triangle version - I posted about those here).  Having done that, of course I had to figure out how I was going to set them, so the card tricks and setting blocks are on the upper right of my design wall.

For some reason, I made 8 card tricks.  That was a silly number, because what size quilt can you make from 8 blocks?  Too long and skinny if it's 2x4.  So, I need to make 1 more block to round out this baby quilt.  Then I'll make the setting triangles.

Top left is my block lotto for February.  I'll be packing that up today and sending it off to the lucky winner.  And on the lower left is a bit more progress on my celtic hearts quilt.  Just the final border to add and the top is done.

Check out Judy's blog to see what other quilters have on their design walls today.

Sleight of Hand

Judy was making card tricks, and posted about how easy they are.   All those half- and quarter-square triangles - she has a different definition of easy than I do :)   But her post reminded me that I had seen a card trick block made entirely from squares years ago, and I'd always wanted to try it.

So, I sat down and whipped up 8 blocks, during the second period of the Canada-US hockey game today.  If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see the individual pieces of each block.  Not a single triangle in the bunch.

Since they look like card tricks, but are made differently, perhaps I should call these "sleight of hand" blocks instead :)