Here it is almost the end of May and I’m just now getting around to piecing the the green Carpenter Star blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. The color for May is green. Once again, I wondered how it would coordinate with the teal that I’m using for a constant and happily, it looks just fine. I’m beginning to think that teal is a great neutral, I just wish I could find more of it. Last week I stopped at a couple of quilt shops in St. Louis but didn’t find any new ones. Now all the dark teal in my stash has been set aside and I am using it judiciously for this quilt.
These are big blocks, finishing 16” and 25 are needed for the quilt I have in mind. Each month I piece two or three Carpenter Star blocks, knowing that some months I won’t make any. For example, last month, the color was “mixed up” or multi-colored and I didn’t think those prints would work well with this block. I should be caught up after skipping a month, but this project has really been on the back burner.
This month I made two green blocks and cut fabric for another one. If I don’t make a third green one, it’s no big deal because the cutting is simply 2” finished half-square triangles. I’m sure there will be another scrappy project in the future where they could be put to use.
If you look closely at these blocks, you see that there is a stripe in each of them. After piecing the first one, I was so pleased that the stripes all went in the same direction. I thought it worked because I use the Omni 96L tool to cut the triangles. It should have worked for the second block too, but it didn’t. Now I wonder if it has to do with whether the fabric was right side up or wrong side up when I cut it. Soon, I’ll experiment a little bit to see if my theory is correct. If I figure out how to make it work EVERY TIME, I’ll write a little tutorial so you can have that striped triangle success. Luckily, direction doesn’t bother me at all so I’ll just move right along and be happy these blocks are FINISHED!
A couple of months ago I wrote a tutorial for this block. If you missed it, you can find it here.
Today looks like the prettiest day of our holiday weekend weather-wise. Warm, sunny days are rare here in Northeast Wisconsin so I am off to enjoy it. June brings deadlines for two wedding quilts, neither or which has been started. Patterns and fabric have been selected so once I get started things should move pretty quickly. No doubt there will plenty of rainy days ahead that will be perfect for sewing.
Check out other Rainbow Scrap Challenge projects at So Scrappy.
Those are pretty complicated blocks. Congratulations to you on getting them done. They are lovely.
These carpenter stars and going to make a stunning RSC quilt. Great job.
Beautiful carpenter stars. and big!
Your blocks are amazingly beautiful! So brace of you to use teal as your constant color-it really works so perfectly! Thank you for teaching me to think out of the box! Your quilt will be stunning! Pinning your beautiful block to my RCS Board! You know, your color placement is so perfect. It adds such depth to your block. I so appreciate your post!
The teal really does seem to work with all of them and is the starring color in the second block. The problem with block two is that the stripes are unevenly spaced and cannot be lined up. The equal spacing in the first is perfect for that effect. Congrats on two excellent blocks.
I wouldn’t have thought teal would work as a neutral but you’re proving otherwise! If Freddy Moran can call red a neutral I guess teal can be too. :- ) Your blocks look great. Good luck with the wedding quilts!
Your stars look great. The stripes look great to me.
Definitely Ooooh! and Aaaaah! blocks!