The Blocks

I am asking for two 12.5” blocks (12” when sewn in) using any form of string piecing. All the fabrics in the pack can be used in the strip piecing. To tie the blocks together, if your block has a background, please use the blues.

I have put together some ideas of string pieced blocks below:

1. Spider Web Quilt in Progress, 2. String Tulip Quilt, 3. Kaleidoscope - a colorful string quilt, 4. Doll quilt so far..., 5. Sugar Sack Star, 6. String Star Quilt Block Playing with quilt patterns, 7. Emoh Ruo, 8. Sue's HST Star, 9. String Quilt

I prefer not to foundation piece when doing string quilts, but if you are that way inclined, here are some links to foundation pieced string tutorials:

Film in the Fridge - foundation pieced method for crosses

Quiltville - foundation pieced spider web quilt

I haven't been able to find any tutorials for Gwen Marston's method of string piecing, but will try to describe what I have done, as best I can, in words.

For my sample blocks, I cut the strips into 1” to 1 ½” widths. Some strips were then cut shorter and joined with other strips of the same width. Then, the strips were all sewn together to create two wider strips of fabric. The blocks were then made using this fabric as my patterned fabric and the larger pieces of blue as my background.

The Fabrics

The fabrics are all plain Lecien cottons. I adore these Japanese cottons. They are just a little bit finer than your usual homespun and have very little loss of colour when washed. To keep me from scooping up every colour in the store, the colours for the bee are based on a traditional amish colour scheme. This scheme is greens through to reds with no orange, yellow or yellowish greens. There is enough fabric to make two blocks in each pack. If you would like, you can add from your stash but please keep it plain and no yellows.

As I cannot find a foundation free string tutorial, I am sorely tempted to make my own, so watch this space.