I’m continuing the theme of nine-patch blocks, but taking it up a notch with this next block, called Rayelle’s Fence.*
It’s got 25 pieces, so almost as many pieces as the first three blocks combined.
It may not look like a nine-patch at first glance, but behind the scenes (behind the seams? Now that’s a pun!), it clearly has nine patches. The difference is that the corner patches are tiny four-patch blocks, and the side patches are made up of two rectangles each.
This block is made with one of my favorites of Paulette’s fabrics. This is also the first block I made with my new size 10 “betweens” quilting needles. I normally use size 9, but Jinny Beyer’s book recommends the smaller size 10, so I’m giving it a try. To be honest, I’m not seeing that big of a difference between the 9 and the 10.
In some cases, the right tools make all the difference; in other cases, it is not that noticeable.
I always like to try out new crafts using makeshift tools I already have, so I can decide if I enjoy the craft before I invest a lot of money in it. Those that have known me a long time may remember me teaching myself how to make bobbin lace** using acrylic yarn and roofing nails, and pinning the in-progress “lace” to a hard-as-a-rock throw pillow using upholstery pins (because those were the only pins I could find that would support the weight of roofing nails).
With this quilt project, I’ve been making do with my apparently gigantic size 9 needles, and I’ve been using super-short appliqué pins I already owned, for pinning together the pieces I’m sewing.
That all changed with my latest order from Connecting Threads. In addition to the slender size 10 needles, I also bought new pins advertised as “super-fine”. I believe this adjective applies to the width of the pins, but I think they are also super-fine in the sense of being really awesome.
Who knew it would make such a difference to have these pins? They slide through the fabric like butter, and the fabric lays more flat once it is pinned. With the short and stubby appliqué pins (only about 3/4″ long), whatever I pinned would look lumpy, and I’d be stressing out about that lumpiness working its way into the final product.
In addition to the pins and needles, I invested in several additional colors of thread. You may recall that I’d purchased the merlot color thread and found it slightly too pink. This order contained wine color thread, which was a lot darker and less pinkish. I think the wine thread will work great when sewing the red to itself, or sewing the red to darker green fabrics. I can use the merlot when sewing red to lighter fabrics (I don’t want it to go to waste!).
Armed with the right tools, I can continue on to sewing ever-smaller pieces. The next group of blocks features 1/2″ strips and squares (compared to this block which has 3/4″ strips and squares). Hopefully they don’t get too much smaller than 1/2″, or I may need to invest in another tool: one of those magnifying lamps.
* The Dear Jane software explains that the block’s name is a pun based on the rail fence block. I’m a big fan of puns, but this seems pretty weak, especially since the block looks nothing like a rail fence block.
** Go ahead and Google bobbin lace, kids, and find out just how anachronistic I was in my late teens. Also, go ahead and Google anachronistic, because kids today have appallingly limited vocabularies.