Civil War Quilts - Block 10

Block 10 of Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilt Block of the Week is Lincoln's Platform (or Churn Dash as I know it) . . .



I really like this block . . . well this particular block, but also the pattern. It's a pretty simple design, but it can be so versatile with reproduction fabrics, bright moderns, romantic florals . . .

I took a bit of time with this one making sure all my measurements were right, so it all went together without any fuss this week.

I've had fun delving into this little stash of reproduction fabrics week after week.



And this is how my little quilt is looking after 10 weeks.



I've got an extra block in there. I got a tip from Carrie at Passion for Applique on doing the points of the stars, so I thought I'd have a go at another Seven Sisters block. Carrie's "secret weapon" is a toothpick. So simple, but so effective - her tutorial is well worth a look.



While it's not quite perfect, I think it's an improvement on my first attempt.

And since I was in "do-over" mode, I decided to have another go at the "Kansas Troubles" block, too.


I unpicked this one and started again. The original block was way over-sized and the bias edges of the triangles stretched too much as well. So, with this one I got a hint from Ranette about having the half square triangles over-sized and then trimming them to the right size. This, coupled with a hint from somewhere on the net last week about using spray starch (I've been using Best Press) made for a much better end result. It was more work undoing it than making it in the first place, but I know it would have bugged me every time I looked at it in the finished quilt with chopped off points.

Annette from Sunshine Yellow posted about her "AHA" moment, inspired by La Vie En Rosie making block boards, or design boards. I thought they were a great idea for managing blocks when you just can't leave them spread out on the table. So I made some . . .



I bought some core flute board from the hardware store. It's nice and light but still sturdy enough for my needs. I cut 15" squares and then 8 /12" squares from the left overs, ending up with a set of 12 of each size. I used some cotton batting and some wool batting that I had left over from finished quilts. I used a spray adhesive to both the board and the back of the batting. Then (with the assistance of my trusty helper who helped by keeping the batting taut) I layed the board onto the batting and trimmed the excess to a nice, neat edge.

These boards are great for storing blocks on during the construction process. Or if you are wanting to lay out your blocks, you don't have the issue of fraying with too much handling that you can get when you are auditioning them. I have used a board this week taking my pieces backwards and forwards between the machine and the ironing board and everything has stayed just where I wanted it.

I can't recommend these boards highly enough as a useful sewing aid. So, if you've got a bit of time, a bit of board and a bit of batting, do yourself a favour and make yourself up a set. You won't regret it!




Pattern: Civil War Quilts - Block 10 - Lincoln's Platform
Designer: Barbara Brackman
Publication: http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/