I really would like to be able to sew leaders and enders project. However, I tried again and failed again. I just get too obsessed on sewing a block and imagining how it will look that it takes over!
A major internet outage caused me not to be able to work on Friday (so a bonus day off!!). Earlier in the week I had seen Bonnie Hunter’s new leader ender block called Triple Treat. I quite liked the block. So when I wasn’t able to work on Friday I decided to sew the tiny four patches. I didn’t have the right size of squares however I did have an overflowing box of strips that would work just perfectly for this! Yes, almost immediately, I failed my objective and started to strip piece.
Well, the internet didn’t come up and I kept sewing strips of neutral and coloured strips all day. I may have gone a bit overboard and realised I totally was missing the entire leader and enders project concept by the end of the day. The sewing was fun. However, spinning the seams and squaring up the blocks did get boring.
The 4 piles to the right have 10 four patches in each of them. I’ve sew far sewn between 150 and 170 four patches. To be honest I’m now a bit tired of them and realised I may have gone a bit overboard and I still have a huge pile of twoosies that need to be sewn into 4 patches. But I’m sure they all will be used, if not for this project for another.
As I was sewing them, i wondered what Bonnie’s block would look like half in black and half in brights. I had a yard of Ebony Canvas widebacking (36″ x 108″ by Northcott and goodness knows I have plently of brights! So I started cutting my into the Ebony and my brights strip stash as well as my piles of scraps. While I do admit to cutting a few strips out of yardage I did keep that to a minimum.
Of course, once I started cutting I started sewing and soon blocks appeared out of nowhere (that’s my story lame as it is). I auditioned the blocks and came up with a few possible layouts:
This one felt a bit black heavy. Hubby when he saw it said I should add small trianges where the black squares meet to break up the black. That idea is now in the back of my head as a definite possibility.
Then I tried this layout:
And lastly I tried this layout:
I see at least 2 of these quilts in my future. Which 2 is the question. Depending on the size of the quilts I end of making, these blocks may become a leaders and enders project despite me!
Making 4 patches is fun! I’ve got 160 sewn so far and a big stack of twosies ready to go. I like all 3 of your versions. You are going to have some wonderful quilts, happy stitching!
So you got enamored of your project and failed leader enders. But you succeeded beautifully on a great top. I must admit I keep a pile of twosies that become foursies as leader enders. It helps keeps the 2.5″ squares under control. I need to take a look at Bonnie’s block instructions.
ooo I like the full black diagonal the best. Are you sticking to her sizes? I am on the fence – really like yours
Wow, any way you lay it out it looks fabulous! Great use of a bonus day off–lot of quilty love gone into to the day!!!
These blocks look great! I bet it’s tough to decide on the layout – so many options
I like all three versions too! I also get it about failing at a leader/ender. . .there is a point where making it just takes over!!!
Awesome job dealing with the scraps. I agree with your husband on the black hole quilt but the next picture is very interesting. It will be a great quilt in any layout. ;^)
LOL!! I don’t do well at the Leader/Ender thing either. LOVE the one with the black alternate block! Especially with your hubby’s idea about the triangle corners where the centers meet. That will be SEW cute!
Lovely choices! Whichever you choose you’ll have a beautiful quilt or quilts! Like the idea of adding triangles to that one layout. Thanks for sharing on Wednesday Wait Loss.