How I have enjoyed piecing this quilt, originally made by Salinda Rupp in the 1860s! Salinda’s quilt is not all perfect and symmetrical like other quilts of that era! Whimsical blocks and use of whatever scraps she had in hand make this such a lovable creation.
So, here comes Row 9 in my series of posts on my version of Salinda’s quilt, which became popularly known as the Nearly Insane Quilt. The blocks are all set on point, with 7 and 6 blocks in the alternating rows.
The blocks are 6″ square and, except for a few, foundation paper pieced by me. I drafted all the patterns for FPP on the free Quilt Assistant software, based on patterns in Liz Lois’s book, which contains only line drawings of the finished blocks.
Most of the fabric used is Summer Breeze 3, with a fat quarter bundle of matching solids by Moda Fabrics, and the Dutch Garden 2 Collection by Boundless Fabric. I also used a couple FQs in blues and greens plus a jelly roll of yellows I had in my stash.
Nearly Insane Block 53
Number of pieces: 29
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP)
Nearly Insane Block 54
Number of pieces: 41
Level of Difficulty: Another easy one. Looking at it now, I wish I had used fussy cut flowers for the other two cornerstones in the centre too!
Technique: Foundation paper pieced
Nearly Insane Block 56
Number of pieces: 72
Difficulty Level: Easy! Squares in squares and flying geese become really pretty, with sharp points and also simple to piece when you use foundation paper to piece them! The centre pinwheel is made with regular piecing.
Technique: Foundation paper-piecing and machine -piecing
Nearly Insane Block 55
Number of pieces: 49
Level of Difficulty: I think Salinda used up all her scraps to piece this one! Probably one of the last ones she pieced.
Technique: Foundation paper-pieced.
Nearly Insane Block 57
Number of pieces: 49
Level of Difficulty: Easy, but so pretty! This was one of the first blocks I pieced!
Technique: Foundation paper pieced.
Nearly Insane Block 58
Number of pieces: 48
Level of Difficulty: intermediate, with lots of points to match, unless you do FPP, like I did. This is one of the blocks that makes Salines’s quilt so special! What went on in her mind? Did she decide to just use up all the extra HSTs she had at hand to sew the centre?
Technique: Foundation paper pieced
Nearly Insane Block 59
Nearly Insane Quilt Block 59
Number of pieces: 36
Difficulty Level: Easy. I made the centre 4-patch first and then built the block around it. The corner triangles were foundation paper pieced.
Technique: Machine-piecing and foundation paper-piecing.
Here are the links to the previous seven rows!
Row 1 ( Blocks 1 to 7)
Row 2 (Blocks 8 to 13)
Row 3 (Blocks 14 to 20, with a couple missing)
Row 4 (Blocks 21 to 26)
Row 5 (Blocks 27 to 33)
Row 6 (Blocks 34 to 39)
Row 7 (Blocks 40 to 46)
Row 8 (Blocks 47 to 52)
Breaking News! The Foundation Paper-Piecing Patterns for the blocks of the Salinda Rupp Nearly Insane Quilt are now available on my store!
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