This block reminds me of Block B3 … if it was rotated 45 degrees and bulging at the seams:

I’m also feeling like I’m bulging at the seams, after a series of holiday parties and feasts. It’s definitely that time of year. And it probably doesn’t help matters that I’m currently working my way through 60 Danish butter cookies in pursuit of a new sewing box:

In pursuit of pants that aren’t bulging at the seams, I tried multitasking exercise and quilting, by working on this block while sitting on my exercise ball. It didn’t go too badly, although I was constantly worried about a stray pin popping the ball and sending me crashing to the floor.

Luckily, that didn’t happen, and it was good to feel like I was strengthening my core while sewing. Who knew quilting could be a fitness activity?

Despite the rotated and bulgy seams, the construction for this block was very similar to Block B3: sew each concave piece to a corresponding convex piece, and then sew the four units together. The only differences: the curves were a little deeper and the resulting units were triangles instead of squares.

The triangle shapes definitely made the process a little trickier, since the edges of the triangles that I was sewing together were on the bias, and I had to be careful not to stretch them out.

Initially, the block design was not just bulging in two dimensions; the “petals” seemed like they were bulging up from the surface of the block too … probably due to me not being careful enough when sewing those bias seams. Thankfully, the block just needed a good ironing and it’s now lying relatively flat.

Me, I need more than just a good ironing to reduce my bulges. I’ve got to go burn some more calories by working on the next block. Quilting is good exercise, you know.