Again this is fabric from my music quilt. I think it's going to be interesting to see how many blocks get made from the same project and how different they end up looking. This block bears no resemblence to the previous block, yet the fabric is sourced from the same original project. I was going to applique the stars using trusty blanket stitch, but then realised what pointy points I'd have to do. I think I still need more practice with blanket stitch around corners. So I decided to use the zig-zag technique I'd learnt with the music quilt. I'd got quite good at tight corners and tiny bits of fabric, and it was fresh in my mind. Again I used a tear-away stabiliser behind the backing fabric and I think that is key to my success! I had deliberately placed all the stars the same way on the fabric so that the stripes sort of radiate in all directions but in the end it is sort of lost because it's an irregular stripe pattern. Now it just looks random, which is still good. It can actually take a lot of planning to achieve a random look!
It's really interesting reading the story that goes along with the block each week. I basically don't know anything about the American Civil War except that it was between the north and the south, and had something to do with slavery. Oh, and I know what the fashion was at the time. In high school we basically only learnt about Australian history. All my other history knowledge comes from when I studied costume, so mostly I just remember the fashions.
I like this way of learning history, in stories rather than 'facts'. Facts (as you would get in a sterotypical history class) tell you what was going on, but the stories let you know more what it was like to be there at the time.
The Flickr group set up for the project also has a spot to list your blog, so I've been looking over some of the blogs of other people joining in. Sooooo many other BOM projects I'd love to do.
I'm dearly tempted by:
Retro Nine Patch
Birdie Stitches
Friday Block Party
I sort of have in the back of my mind the thought that I could start it a bit later and catch up when I haven't got anything else on, but seriously, when is that going to happen?? The Friday Block Party could actually just be done as a block here and there since they don't specifically make up a finished design, so maybe I'll end up doing some of them along the way. The other two and stitcheries and they take so much longer, but then again hand embroidery is rather relaxing to do, so maybe I should force myself to do one so I spend a bit more time sitting and relaxing in a spot other than in front of the computer! Or course those two require me to buy more fabric for the embroidery backing, so they'll have to hold off till I have some spare cash anyway.
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