I spent the weekend working on the latest quilt top – 108 6″ blocks (9 x 12) – 12 unpieced squares, 96 half-square triangles. Earlier in the week I cut the fabric into strips, then into squares, matching 48 squares with 48 background pieces, marked the diagonal. That’s where I stopped on Tuesday. Yesterday and today I sewed 1/4″ each side of the diagonal line, cut along the diagonal, pressed and trimmed the HST blocks.

I’ve opted for maximum symmetry in this layout – at the same time doing my best to distribute the star centres as well as making sure all six fabrics are represented in the assembled on-point blocks with a decent distribution of fabrics on the periphery! That’s meant a lot of moving individual and sets of HST multiple times. (I just noticed in the photo that the direction of the background print isn’t consistent! You won’t see it but I can. I’ll have to try swapping blocks within each set to correct that!)

This is the layout at the moment. I realize nobody but me is going to notice the “clashes/repititions” that stand out for me. Besides, once I have the top stitched together, I’m thinking about appliqué of some sort in various dark purple/blue small prints (that will draw attention away from the overall fabric distribution beneath). I have no idea whether that should be circles of various sizes, or small diamonds (some of which might overlap), triangles? I’ve pulled several scraps

from various boxes and laid them out together. Until I assemble the top I won’t know what might work and what won’t. I have still more boxes to rummage through – I’ll do that tomorrow.

I’m finally moving on a quilt again. I’ll have time tomorrow and Wednesday afternoon to chain piece blocks together but before I do that I do want to check the layout at least one more time!

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I just took a careful look at the background triangles. I knew the background fabric had a directionality to it but I wasn’t aware of how it was going to play out.

The right leaning diagonals have the subtle background stripe horizontal; the left leaning diagonals have the background strip vertical. I looked carefully – they’re all like that. The background pattern is so subtle nobody’s going to notice it but me! Can’t change any of them! Interesting outcome. Completely unanticipated.