2012 Rainbow Scrap Challenge: Take Two

I thought I was through with this month's rainbow scrap challenge project.  I made my green blocks last Saturday and figured I'd have to wait a few weeks for next month's color before I made any new blocks.  But yesterday I was hit with new inspiration by Cathy Toms' Greek Square blocks.

I contacted Cathy (thanks Cathy!) and asked about her blocks, then went digging through the scrap bins.  It just so happened I had a huge assortment of already cut 3.5 inch strips in lots of colors and shades.  So by default, my Greek Square blocks were made from 3.5 inch strips and squares.  I pieced 4 green squares and 2 red squares; I've got two more red squares ready to piece during the week.

Mine are a little different from Cathy's in that I used light/dark fabric combinations and she used white for her light fabric.  Since I already had the light/dark fabric strips cut, I decided to use those rather than cut even more fabric!

As I was working on the scrappy rainbow blocks, I realized I could also use this block pattern for one of  my memory quilts.  I already had a big stash of half-square triangles and pieced light/dark squares.  I made a quick block on the design wall and was pleased with the result.  Now I only need to make a couple hundred more half-square triangles for the various memory quilts under construction!

There's lots more inspiration over at the 2012 Rainbow Scrap Challenge link up for this week - take a look and see if you don't get inspired!

Civil War Tribute BOM: block 2

The second block for the Civil War Tribute BOM is called "Thunder & Lightning".  I like the name (I grew up in the thunderstorm capital of the US) and I like the block.  I was not so happy with the cutting and piecing method provided in the instructions.

All of the half-square triangles (HST) in the pattern were made by one of the most time-consuming methods I know.  The HST were made by cutting individual squares, then cutting those squares on the diagonal, then piecing the resulting triangles together based on color/fabric.  Yes, only four of these blocks were needed for the quilt, but it still would've been faster to use some speed cutting and piecing methods.  I was afraid to veer too far from the written instructions, as running out of fabric before completing the blocks would not be a good thing.

Still, I finished all four blocks and added the spacer strips.  These blocks commemorated the first battle of Manassas, or Bull Run as Northerners are want to call it.  First Manassas was the first land battle of the Civil War.  You  may recall it from history class as the battle where many of the fine folks from Washington, DC rode out in their carriages to watch and picnic.  When the tide of the battle turned against the Union army, many panicked soldiers overran the picnicking citizens in their haste to retreat to Washington.  One of New Orleans' native sons, Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard, was the commander of the Confederate army.