Thursday, February 9, 2012

We're really stringing along here!

I'm thrilled by how many of you are stringing along with me.
Over the past two weeks, we've had loads of people sign on as blog authors
and others who are following our blog.

A few housekeeping matters:

1. If you haven't already grabbed the button at the side 
(cut and paste the code and place it into an html gadget in the design feature of your blog),
please do, so we can spread the gospel of strings!
2. Anytime you post here, consider posting at your home blog and linking to here
so all your followers can come find us.
3. Comment, comment, comment. It's no fun to write a post and not receive comments.
4. If you have a method you want to share with us, please do.
I'm linking the tutorials under the tutorial tab at the top of the page as they're posted.

I've loved seeing what you're doing out there in string-land
and I wanted to show you what two quilters in my hometown of Winnipeg
(up here in the great white north)
are making with strings.

This is Em, who I've shared several quilt retreats with
and who is always lots of fun.
She has a great string system going:
she makes the blocks

and her sister Minnie puts them together with sashing.
They layer and tie the tops and then donate the finished blankets/quilts to a relief organization.

I took these photos because I wanted to show you the block they're making here.

Em takes a square foundation fabric and marks the diagonal.
She places pieces perpendicular to the diagonal,
and then covers the raw edge with longer strips along the diagonal.
She says she makes blocks this way to use up smaller bits.

I think this block would also look great without the sashing.

Here's another quilt, this one a square with diagonal strings.
Note the variations in the string widths and the huge variety of fabric.

What other variations have you made on a square string block?
Post some of them here so we can see them.

Coming soon: my adventures in making a string star quilt with narrow strings.

4 comments:

Finn said...

Thanks for sharing from your quilt retreat Brenda! I love what Em and Minnie are doing, both the shared labor and the neat idea for using shorter strings. There always seem to be way toooo many of them! Lots of good ideas flying around.

Rosa said...

Great idea.Em and Minnie,well done!

Quiltdivajulie said...

I'm here ... and I hope to actually post soon about my latest string project (a two-way challenge combining my beloved strings and this blog with Tonya's 2012 Liberated Amish challenge).

SOOn -- I promise!!

Jeane said...

I live in Swift Current, SK and I think I know Em who lived in SC and moved to Winnipeg. If it is you Em, glad to see you are still making beautiful quilts.
Jeane