Hello friends!

Here we are in the middle of the rectangles, doing blocks 26-30. This week when I was making my blocks I was thinking of each block as its own tiny quilt top. I'm not sure why, but this made a little shift in the way I was thinking about color in the blocks. I also found another opportunity to observe my perfectionist side argue with my wabi-sabi side. Have you heard of wabi-sabi? It is an idea that comes from traditional Japanese aesthetics (though I think you can find variations on this philosophy within many craft traditions) and the combination of these words has come to mean the acceptance of transience and imperfection. Well, more on this in a bit.

Block 26 reminds me so strongly of the old Sesame Street segment with the pinball machine and the counting. Do you know which one I mean? Something about those echoing bands of color.


Block 27 is another variation on what I think of as the "2-fabric swap" block, where fabrics are changing places. This is such a quick one to sew, which is a sure way to my heart.


Block 28 brings back that little window slot that I love in other blocks, but splits the background around it, creating multiple intersections of color. When I was contemplating my fabric options, I thought of using two fabrics very close to each other in color as a background. But, as you can see, I changed my mind! My actual choices emphasize the splitting of the background, and I really like the result.


Block 29, my little wabi-sabi experiment. When I cut my pieces for this block I made a cutting error in the outer borders, resulting in a block that measures 6.5" x 5". I am still deciding what I want to do about this. I could rip the borders, cut new ones, and have the block be correct. Or, I could add a strip to one side of the block - I would use the inner border fabric - and have it be not-correct. Correcting the block would be easy (and I'd have some scraps I can probably use later, so not wasted), but I also think there are benefits to living with my mistakes, too. I'll let you know what I decide to do.


Block 30 is also a throwback variation on blocks we have made before. Here, skinny bars (in that 2-fabric swap look we know so well) are set in with borders. I am always so pleased with myself when the corners work out!


Talking about block 29 reminded me that I keep forgetting to advise you to save all those little scraps as you cut your blocks out. I've been saving anything that is at least 1.5" in a little sandwich bag, and I've found myself using them, too. (Anything I don't use can go towards future scrap vortex projects!)



Did you see on our Instagram that we had some 100/100 Club members stopped in with their gorgeous blocks? It is so much fun to see them done in different fabrics and colors!

Happy sewing!
~ Quilter's JEM