This 6″ block of the Salinda Rupp quilt was fairly simple, as you can see! I opened the seam at the edge as I plan to eventually assemble the blocks by machine.
Incidentally my new machine has arrived, haven’t had a chance to open it yet. It sounded like a great buy–has ten feet, including walking foot and free motion quilting feet and an extension table too! All just for $140 from Brother– I think it is Model 3340.
There was finally some progress on my Nearly Insane blocks, thanks to the fact that I was without a sewing machine while visiting my son! I had printed out patterns for the first fifty blocks at home and had the sense to carry them with me along with the Summer Breeze III fabric by Moda that I am using for my quilt. With time on my hands, I sat for several hours and cut out the templates for foundation paper piecing ( hundreds of them!) before it struck me that I couldn’t use them without a sewing machine! Now what?
I could, of course cut out the fabric for the blocks. I had the pieces done for five random blocks, when it finally dawned on me that I could piece the blocks without the machine. English Paper piecing it was to be. But for that, the templates had to be cut again, into individual paper pieces. Not a happy thought, as the average number of pieces in each of the blocks must be around fifty.
It was certainly a tedious job, but I finally had the pieces ready for EPP.
Prepping the pieces for EPP
I started on this particular block, but gave up half way to do a really easy one–Block 2.
But before I show you Block 2, you must see my Block 1, completed on my sewing machine before I went to the US.
Block 1
Isn’t it pretty? I attempted some fussy cutting with this one.
Block 1 of the Salinda Rupp ( Nearly Insane) Quilt
Vital Stats
Paper foundation pieced
No of pieces: 37
No of templates for fpp: 5
Level of difficulty: Moderate (because of the tiny square in squares in the centre).
Completed in August 2018
Block 2
The white floral fabric isfrom a charm square I had lying around for years!
Block 2 of the Salinda Rupp quilt was English paper-pieced.
Vital Stats
English paper pieced
No of pieces: 21
Level of difficulty: Real easy–had I foundation paper pieced it!
Completed in November 2018
Block 3
This block was foundation paper pieced it came up quickly!
Block 3 of the Salina Rupp (Nearly Insane) Quilt
Vital Stats
Foundation paper pieced
No. of pieces: 37
No. of templates for fpp: 9
Level of difficulty: Easy
Completed in March 2019
Block 7
This block had 10 templates, so I would call it moderately difficult! The 3″ centre portion within the yellow strips had to be pieced in six steps (templates)!
Block 7 of the Salina Rupp (Nearly Insane) Quilt
Vital Stats
Foundation paper pieced
No of pieces: 36
No. of templates for FPP: 10
Level of difficulty: Moderately difficult
Completed in March 2019
Block 9
Here is another block I started while in the US.
The inner 4.5″ portion on this was English paper-pieced, it had 28 pieces!
Block 9 of the Salina Rupp ( Nearly Insane) Quilt; 28 pieces here, 48 more to come to complete this 6” Block!
But wait – the outer 1″ ring had 48 more pieces coming up. Terrifying! There were 16 half square triangles, 1″ each, besides four 4-patches of 1″!
I thought it would be sensible to wait to foundation paper piece them on a sewing machine. I finally sewed the 4 remaining templates of the block last week, when back in India. I discovered that I had made a mistake when drafting the pattern and I ended up hand-piecing it partly!
Block 9 of the Nearly Insane Quilt was partially English paper pieced!
Vital Stats
English paper-pieced, foundation paper pieced and hand-pieced.
No of pieces: 76
No. of templates( had it been foundation paper-pieced): 14
Difficulty level: Difficult!
Completed in March 2019
Find out more about Salinda Rupp’s Quilt, popularly known as the Nearly and my version of it here! To see more blocks from my quilt, link on the `Nearly Insane’ link in the page menu.
I find this block really pretty and intended it to be my first block! In the original quilt it is really striking in solid yellow and red. Block 61 – not as perfect as I would wish!
It was actually tougher than it looks. I made those 16 squares using 3 different methods. A couple of them were done with tiny squares being joined diagonally to the corners of the bigger square and flipping open the inner triangle to the corner. For another two I drew foundation paper templates on printer paper. For the rest I used freezer paper foundation piecing templates. This is how they looked, ready for assembly!
Ready for assembly…
It took me nearly two hours to assemble that – there were dozens of points to be matched, and too many layers of fabric. Not so simple in a block of this size. I am not very happy with more about half a dozen of those points…wondering if I should re-do them. Perhaps later, when I am assembling them. When compared, English paper piecing (EPP) is so much more accurate and pretty!
Tomorrow, I’ll be cutting fabric for the next seven blocks and start working on them next week. I’ll do an EPP block next, methinks! It has 4 eight-pointed stars and is really lovely!
One more pic of the block, on point this time!
Vital Stats
No of pieces –80
Difficulty level – Moderately difficult
Technique used – foundation paper piecing with freezer paper ( fold away) method
Finished Nearly Insane Blocks 67 & 71 – Original quilt by Salinda Rupp c.1865
It was not a very auspicious beginning for my Nearly Insane Quilt! Nevertheless, the first two blocks are done.
Block 67
I started with what was a really easy block and can you believe this is what I did?!?
I also forgot there were points to match in the centre of the pieces!
The fabric looked so pretty when I cut it out – it took me ages to do that, as I fussy cut those bouquets! I picturized it as flowers from behind a trellis. I don’t think I like it very much put together. The original block has two strong contrast fabrics. Perhaps quilting will make a difference?
Here is how it looks now.
The blocks will be all placed on point, so I will photograph them like that.
Block 67 from the quilt originally made by Salinda Rupp – popularly known as Nearly Insane.
Vital Stats
Number of pieces – 29
Level of difficulty – Easy.
Partly ( corners) foundation paper pieced
Block 71
This block was, surprisingly, a toughie! The centre flower strip finishes at 3 and 5/8″. I could not draft it on Quilt Assistant, so I traced the template from the book.
Traced the block template from the draft in book by Liz Lois
I pieced all the strips first before joining them on the block template. I quite love this!
Nearly Insane Block 71 – love this block!
Vital Stats
Number of pieces – 29 (Again!)
Level of difficulty – Easy ( If you don’t have to draft the block template).
Strips pieced first and then assembled on foundation paper.
I did mention that I am working on these blocks only two days a week? Which means you have to wait for that long to see the next block! I bid you goodnight with a quick peep into what is cooking next Wednesday!
Coming up next!
Another look at the first two together…
Happy Quilting!
Breaking News!! The Foundation Paper Piecing Block Patterns for this quilt are available for sale on my store from May 29, 2023!
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