Nearly Insane Quilt…Blocks 53-59 Row 9

More Insanity recorded!

How I have enjoyed piecing this quilt, originally made by Salinda Rupp in the 1860s!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!

Nearly Insane Quilt…Blocks 47 to 52 Row 8

If you are as entranced by tiny piecing and antique quilts as I am, you have got to have seen the Salinda Rupp quilt! I have been brave enough to attempt to recreate the quilt and am sharing my version here!

The blocks are all done and the quilt is now being quilted. However, after an absence of several months, I decided to update the record of the blocks. So here comes Row 8 in my series of posts on  my Nearly Insane Quilt,  based on a 19th century quilt by Salinda Rupp...  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  47

Number of pieces: 36

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP)

6" Salinda Rupp Nearly Insane Quilt Block by patchworkofmylife
Block 47 Nearly Insane Quilt  (wrongly captioned as 84)
Nearly Insane Block 48

Number of pieces: 29

Level of Difficulty:  Another easy one. Doesn’t all the fussy cutting make it pretty?

Technique: Foundation paper pieced with handle of the basket appliqued.

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 48
Nearly Insane Block 49

Number of pieces:  108

Difficulty Level: One of the more difficult blocks to piece, especially as the borders have pieced rectangles instead of squares.

Technique: Foundation paper-piecing

49

Nearly Insane Block 50

Number of pieces:  29

Level of Difficulty:  One of the more difficult ones, but was not as complicated as I made it! First I cut the diamonds in the wrong direction and then I joined one of the yellow oblong pieces wrong. And then all those points…

Technique: English paper-pieced. This block would be impossible to piece otherwise.

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 50
Nearly Insane Block 51

Number of pieces: 37

Level of Difficulty:  Easy, but so pretty!

Technique: Foundation paper pieced the centre strips and English paper pieced the stars.

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 51
Nearly Insane Block 52

Number of pieces: 30

Level of Difficulty:  Easy! Salinda was also trying to use her leftover scraps, just like me. Makes the block look busy, but…

Technique: Foundation paper pieced

Salinda Rupp Nearky Insane Quilt Block by patchworkofmylife
Nearly Insane Quilt Block 52

And 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 (Block 40 to 46)

Breaking News! The Foundation Paper-Piecing Patterns for the blocks of the Salinda Rupp Nearly Insane Quilt are now available on my store!

Nearly Insane…Nearing the Finishing Line…Blocks 40 to 46

It is Row 7 today, in my series of posts on the progress of my Nearly Insane Quilt,  based on a 19th century quilt by Salinda Rupp... I have now less than 20 blocks to finish! 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  40

Number of pieces: 29

Level of Difficulty: Easy. This is one block where I made some changes from Salinda’s original block, adding those diagonal strips in the corner pieces. Now I wish I hadn’t.

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP)

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 40
Nearly Insane Block 41

Number of pieces: 31

Level of Difficulty: Moderate.   This basket block was another which would have been easier to English paper piece or even  machine piece with nesting seams. But it gave me a great opportunity to use up that pretty soft blue, lage floral for the background.  All in all, a very pretty block!

Technique: Foundation paper pieced with handle of the basket appliqued.

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 41
Nearly Insane Block 42

Number of pieces: 120

Level of Difficulty:  Difficult…hmm…moderate? 120 pieces in a 6″ x 6″ block and so many points! I love this particular block and have made it into an 18″x 18″ cushion cover too!

Technique: Foundation Paper Piecing

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 42
Nearly Insane Block 43

Number of pieces: 88 pieces

Level of Difficulty: Difficult, as a lone star block is. So many y-seams and then the 8 seams meeting at a point in the centre…I tried (unsuccessfully) fussy cutting the strips for the diamond pieces, succeeding only in the centre.

(Arguably) the prettiest block in the quilt!

Technique: Strip pieced the eight bigger diamonds and then machine pieced them together. Also machine pieced the 4 corners and the triangles to the star.

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 43
Nearly Insane Block 44

Number of pieces: 84

Level of Difficulty:  Truly insane block! With four 8-point stars and 32 y-seams! And to add to my woes, I kept losing the pieces, despite doing my best to keep track of them.

Technique: Foundation paper pieced the centre strips and English paper pieced the stars.

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 44
Nearly Insane Quilt Block 45

Number of pieces:44

Level of Difficulty: Moderate, because of the huge(!) 1″ pieces.

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP) and machine pieced.

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 45
Nearly Insane Quilt Block 46

Number of pieces:37

Level of Difficulty: Easy–another log cabin block, this time with a star in the centre! (Compare with Block 11 and Block 76)

Technique: Regular machine piecing

 

Would you say this was the prettiest row so far? In case you have not seen my earlier updates, click the links for each row below:

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)

Breaking News! The Foundation Paper-Piecing Patterns for the blocks of the Salinda Rupp Nearly Insane Quilt are now available on my store!

Nearly Insane…Nearing the Finishing Line…Blocks 34 to 39

In  my series of posts on the progress of my Nearly Insane Quilt,  based on a 19th century quilt by Salinda Rupp , here is Row 6. I have now less than 20 blocks to finish! 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  34

Number of pieces: 33

Level of Difficulty: Easy star block. Salinda has a number of these; however, she added interest by sewing up different centres for each. On my part, I did some fussy cutting to prettify them. (The temptation to substitute these blocks with more interesting and complicated ones was great but I did manage to resist it).

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP).

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 34
Nearly Insane Block 35

Number of pieces: 64

Level of Difficulty: Moderate. I do not like to foundation paper piece hour-glass QST blocks ( nor pinwheels, for that matter!) They are much easier to machine piece with nesting seams.

Technique: Foundation paper pieced.

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 35
Nearly Insane Block 36

Number of pieces: 79

Level of Difficulty:  Hmmm…moderate? 79 pieces in a 6″ x 6″ block! The four-patches are also easier machine-pieced than foundation pieced. Lots of triangles and lots of points to match.

Technique: Foundation Paper Piecing

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 36
Nearly Insane Block 37

Number of pieces: 97

Level of Difficulty: Moderate.  Though it has 97 pieces, not too many points to match; it is quite a pretty block too.

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP)

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 37
Nearly Insane Block 38

Number of pieces: 45

Level of Difficulty:  Easy, easy! The fussy cutting and high contrast make it quite a delight to look at!

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP)

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 38
Nearly Insane Quilt Block 39

Number of pieces: 29

Level of Difficulty: Easy and whimsical! Another one where I used up my larger prints.

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP)

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 39

 

I think I may be able to get back to quilting pretty soon. My sciatica seems to have improved dramatically with the Kerala Ayurveda Oil Treatment I am taking! In the meanwhile, in case you have missed my earlier updates, click the links for each row below:

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)

 

Breaking News!! The Foundation Paper Piecing Block Patterns for this quilt are available for sale on my store from May 29, 2023!

 

Nearly Insane…Nearing the Finishing Line…Blocks 27 to 33

My sciatica pain is not yet gone, and that keeps me away from the sewing machine! So I continue my series of posts on the progress of my Nearly Insane Quilt,  based on a 19th century quilt by Salinda Rupp... I have now less than 20 blocks to finish! 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.

These are the seven blocks from the fifth row :

Nearly Insane Block 27

Number of pieces: 16

Level of Difficulty: Difficult. A number of y-seams there plus the eight seams meeting n the centre! I also attempted some fussy cutting there! The block could probably have been prettier with more of a contrast; but I do like the soft colours too.

Technique: English paper pieced and hand-pieced

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 27
Nearly Insane Block  28

Number of pieces: 69

Level of Difficulty: Easy… despite the fair number of pieces. Again I did some fussy cutting for the corner pansies.

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP).

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 28
Nearly Insane Block 29

Number of pieces: 45

Level of Difficulty:  Easy. Took me longer to cut the striped triangles ‘just so’ than to piece the block.

Technique: Foundation Paper Piecing

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 29
Nearly Insane Block 30

Number of pieces: 34

Level of Difficulty: Easy.  What a delightfully whimsical block this is too.  I quite love it.

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP)

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 30
Nearly Insane Block 31

Number of pieces: 24

Level of Difficulty:  Easy. Not my favourite block and I just might end up re-doing this one. I do believe it needs more contrast to work.

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP)

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 31
Nearly Insane Quilt Block 32

Number of pieces: 58

Level of Difficulty: Moderate: Has a lot of points to match, so I would call it moderate. The plentiful half square and quater square triangles also meant there were several templates in the foundation paper piecing pattern. But it a pretty block, typically Ruppish, where she put together whatever she had at hand to make it add up to 6″!

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP)

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 32
Nearly Insane Quilt Block 33

Number of pieces: 28

Level of Difficulty: Easy but pretty. The larger pieces gave me the opportunity to use the larger prints from the Summer Breeze 3 collection.

Technique: Foundation paper pieced (FPP)

Nearly Insane Quilt Block 33

 

In case you have missed my earlier updates, you can see

Row 1 ( Blocks 1-7) here   ; 

Row 2 (Blocks 8 to 13) on this post.

Row 3 (Blocks 14 to 20, with a couple missing) are to be found on this post

Row 4 (Blocks 21 to 26) can be seen here

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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