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Saturday, December 23, 2023

String blocks

A couple of people asked about the quilt blocks I helped Shelly work on. They are called scrappy string blocks, and a bit of search turned up a nice tutorial: Scrappy String blocks. I found a decent picture, too.


When I made them for Janice, they were on a paper foundation. The paper was telephone book pages. These are less common these days, but yellow page books are fairly available. Shelly used parchment baking paper from an enormous box of same she had acquired. Whatever works for you.

The foundation paper must be a square, for these blocks. I built a supply of these by tearing out one phone book page, folding it diagonally, and then folding the excess at the bottom to produce a square. I used a ruler on the short bottom fold to tear off the excess paper. 

Open out the square. From any box of your many precut strips, put one strip centered on the fold. Secure with a pin, top and bottom, so it doesn't slip.

Set the sewing stitch very small. This makes the paper tear away more easily. Put the next strip along the first and sew with a quarter inch seam. Press with your thumbnail, and sew down the next strip. Press down and continue to the end of the square.

Reverse the block to sew a strip to the other side of the first strip. Thumbnail press, and continue. The blocks need pressed, trimmed, and the paper torn off. Then set together as you please.

30 comments:

  1. Thank you. They are very effective and perhaps (just perhaps) I will have a go...

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  2. I've never used paper backing. But then I do quilt and piece by hand

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  3. I still don't understand the purpose of the paper backing. oh, maybe it's a guide for trimming the strips after it's all sewn together?

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    1. Ah now I get it re the paper - however the scrappy blocks I make here are of random shaped pieces, then I use a perspex square and a rotary cutter to cut the patch into a standard sized square, then use the offcuts to start the next patch. Yours are very beautiful colours - bright.

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  4. Hari OM
    I know that the patchwork shown recently over at my blog was all done 'freelance', without paper backing, but then again, every single piece of that was at different angles and so regularity was not required. The paper blocking will surely keep things straight where required! I just think such work can never fail to look beautiful. YAM xx

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  5. Sounds interesting and a great way to use up scraps. Went to the link and will give it a try after the holidays!! Thanks... always up for something new!

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  6. I am lost in admiration of the process and anyone who can do this sort of spatial sewing project. Or ANY sewing project!

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  7. Someone will end up with a beautiful quilt, I'm sure.

    Love,
    Janie

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  8. What a wonderful project. I remember quilts my grandmothe made out of old clothes and scraps of fabric from sewing. Nothing had a pattern and nothing was wasted. She would make little dresses and shorts for me out of flour sacks. When that quilt was well worn, she would make another quilt top and sew it atop that worn out quilt. Lucky was he person who got a quilt that had been added to several times .... it was thick and warm. She married a share cropper and I bet you know hat that is!

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  9. (I may be duplicating what I just commented as I wasn't sure it published, so sorry if this is a duplicate) Anyway, just wanted to say that I do quilt, but just basic squares or strips. So I buy strips at the quilt store and generally just organize the colors the way I want them and sew them together - no backing. Is this a string quilt? I have made quilts out of scraps also, but again never used any backing. I did go to your Scrappy String Blocks site - interesting.

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  10. It looks wonderful, but I know it is far too much work for me.

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  11. Merry Christmas to You! Your spunk and energy is an inspiration. Stay safe! Linda in Kansas

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  12. Merry Christmas, Joanne. Thank you for your wonderful blog, your zest for life, truth and justice!!

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  13. Wow! Amazing amount of work and so beautiful! Merry Christmas, Joanne.

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  14. Well THERE'S another thing I'll never be doing. You textile ladies never cease to amaze me.
    Joanne- I am wishing you the sweetest Christmas and a new year filled with good health, good friends, lots of cat snuggles, and a goodly plenty of the sort of laughing that makes you cry.

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  15. That simple pattern is the kind of quilting I could do (if I was so inclined. I'm not.)

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  16. Interesting. I may have to try it.

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  17. Given up quilting but I do like that 'string quilting' may try it one day.

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  18. Beautiful quilting! I've never attempted to quilt but I just might be able to do this. Love the preciseness of it all and the paper backing as a guide would help keep things aligned. Merry Christmas Joanne. Enjoy.

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  19. This hot weather in Perth means Stay Indoors and Sew! My current project is to "shop in my wardrobe" and adapt clothes that are too small and make them a bit larger. Why can't I remain a size 12 forever?

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  20. The best of the season to you Joanne and a thready new year!
    XO
    WWW

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  21. I love the string blocks! I have not yet made a quilt like that but hopefully one day I will. May you have a Merry Christmas and a happy and peaceful day!

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  22. Really pretty and a great way to use scraps, yours are lovely,

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  23. Oh my gosh! I've never done this. It looks like a LOT of work. Mom has a bunch of scrap cloth she's kept, but they are so old and she no longer sews.

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  24. Oh my goodness I never even thought of telephone book pages! I have always used light cardboard from cereal boxes!

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