Perhaps genteel ladies didn’t acknowledge cleavage in the 1860s, so Jane meant the piece at the base of this block to represent something less risqué. But I can’t unsee it. And it probably doesn’t help that the fabric print has melons on it.
The pattern for this block called for piecing the top diamond, but I shockingly opted to appliqué it (and the other four shapes) to a full-size red triangle. While it involved doing appliqué when I didn’t absolutely have to, it still seemed like the most sensible approach.
However, there is a non-zero risk of these appliquéd pieces being so close to the edge that I’ll regret it when it’s time to stitch this triangle block to the adjacent sashing triangles.
I have learned in previous appliqué triangle blocks to work from the tip of the block to the base, so I don’t have the weight of the triangle’s base dangling down and making it difficult to appliqué pieces on the tip.
In this case, I even struggled to appliqué the piece at the base of the triangle with the weighty appliquéd tip dangling down. My workaround (and it did work really well!) was to just fold over and pin the tip of the triangle block about 3/4 of the way down the triangle, keeping the weight closer to the part of the block I was working on:
The repeat of the melon-festooned fabric print and the size of the appliquéd shapes on this block did not lend itself to fussy-cutting. If I had to do it over again, I think I would redo the three diamonds to use a part of the fabric without leaves. But I think you know me well enough by now, nine years into this journey, to know I’m not going to redo an appliqué block.
What makes me so sure of this? Exhibit A: Triangle TR2, where I didn’t fussy cut and it looks lopsided. That block was completed more than seven years ago, and I can assure you, there is no danger that I’ll decide to redo it now.
At this point in the project, I feel like the risk of losing momentum is stronger than the risk of the block looking weird and lopsided. So, weird-looking it will remain. On to the next block!