Rolling Stones with Templates!

 

And the winning block (#3 of twelve) over at Little Bunny Quilts QCQAL is Rolling Stone.  While it's not the block I voted for, I've been seeing it a lot on Pinterest and so glad to have a reason to piece a couple of them.

 

Look what else I found in my stash to go with my polka dot assortment.  And it's a companion for the funky print I added while making the second blocks -- it might be a 20th century fabric?!  By Jean Ray Laury who was ahead of her time in the area of design.

Marti Michell's Template Set B will be perfect for this 12" block.  The "grid" of the block is 3 equal units by 3 equal units.  

The templates really shine when making "square in a square" units. but it's very important to trim the corners of the squares as well as the triangles!

And this is why!!  No need to find the centers of the square or triangle as you match them -- the trimmed corners line up perfectly and this means these units will be more consistent and square.

I used template #8 to cut the center square and also the 2 1/2" strips into rectangles for the side units.

Ready to stitch!!

Stitch the opposite triangles in place.  I press the seams towards the triangles so the points at the corners of the square are less bulky which I appreciate when I set together all the units.

Second set of triangles and those trimmed corners still align perfectly!!

Here are the finished square in a square units -- look how uniform they are!!

Another funky block almost finished!

 

I wasn't sure I would be able to make the 6" version this week.  Each unit of the blocks needs to be 2" finished.   But by working with templates from both Sets A and B, I pulled it off.  I used B #12 for the center and the rectangle units.  A #5 and #7 worked together to make the square in a square unit.

Normally I don't need (or want) to trim units, but this one was a sliver large so I center B #12 on each square in a square unit and trimmed them. 

I did just graze off the corners of the black squares when I set the little blocks together, but it's hard to see!!

So here are my finished Rolling Stone blocks side by side!

And here is everyone hanging out together -- hmmm, am I going to make two quilts or use them all together?  You can VOTE for Block #4 here!  There are six choices and each has a link to Pinterest so you can explore the possibilities of that block.

This was the happy view from my ironing board yesterday when I was working in my studio!!  The silver maple is in full bloom!  This one is ahead of all the rest in the neighborhood -- must be catching extra rays off the roof of the house.  Maybe it will be full of insects this afternoon when the sun comes out?

Hope you finish something this week!!

 

Mary Huey

www.maryhueyquilts.com