Carolina Lily and Fortress Star

This blog covers the last two blocks in the Southern Album Quilt.  Next week, I'll discuss the applique border around the center medallion, the setting triangles, and putting the whole thing together.  I'm in the middle of quilting mine now, so I will also upload some pictures of how that's going.  Then from time to time, I'll feature pictures of how it's progressing.  I'm hand quilting it, and am anticipating that it will take about a year to complete...that is if my move doesn't take forever and a day.

Yes, I'm moving...and more pictures will be featured of my old "new" house and my brand, spankin' new quilt studio which is three times the size of my present studio.

Meanwhile, back to the Carolina Lily.  I've made this block at least a half a dozen times in other quilts and I would like to say unequivocally that the directions given in the Southern Album Quilt are the most difficult I've ever had to follow.  I redid this block three times before I finally just gave up.  It seemed no matter how on earth I cut out and put this one together, it always came up to be 10.5 inches by 10.5 inches.  All the blocks, except the whole cloth applique, are 12.5 by 12.5 when complete.  To make up the difference, I simply sewed a frame around mine like this...

My advice to anyone is either A) do what I did...follow the directions given in the book and then sew a border around the block to make up the difference or B) use another Carolina Lily block that you've successfully pieced before.

Oy-vey....I was turning cartwheels when this block was done because I was so happy just to have it FINISHED.

Fortress Star is the last pieced block in the quilt. 

This block goes together pretty quickly.  The cutting directions on this one are a little different, but they are written clearly.   Read them completely through a couple of times before putting rotary cutter to fabric.  And it's much easier to sew this block together on the diagonal.

There you go...the blocks are complete.  You should feel really good about yourself.  Now comes the fun part...putting this sucker together.