Crossroads Quilt Along: The House Block

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It\’s finally here!  The first blog post about the first block in the Fat Quarter Shop\’s Crossroads Quilt Along: the darling house block. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of piecing these house blocks.  Being part of a quilt along and sharing that experience with other quilters is a terrific feeling.  I like taking my time, sewing just a few blocks a month, and savoring the joy of it. Couple that with the fact that I am able to sew with such beautiful fabrics (\”Strawberry Fields Revisited\” by the lovely Joanna of Fig Tree & Company for Moda), well . . . let\’s just say I\’m so happy to be a quilter!  It\’s not too late to join friends!  You can get all the details from the Fat Quarter Shop!

I don\’t know what it is about quilting, but fabrics and patterns sure bring out the sentimental feelings in me.  Okay, maybe it\’s also that I\’m getting older.  Whatever the reason, as I was sewing up house blocks, my mind drifted to thoughts of the homes I\’ve lived in:  my childhood home, the first home my husband and I purchased (a sweet little yellow story-and-a-half), the house we lived in when we brought our babies home from the hospital, the home we lived in when our kids were in elementary school (with the awesome back yard), and the lovely home we live in now.  Each home is filled with memories that I can sift through like pictures.  It\’s a good thing to think on.  It\’s good to be thankful for those blessings.

Since I got swept away on my bit of \”home nostalgia,\” I had to sew up a fifth house block and turn it into a pillow.  Will you grow tired of me saying how much I love this fabric?  My daughter, to her credit, just keeps nodding and telling me how pretty it is.  She\’s a good kid.

I do have a little tip for you today.  Perfectly hitting those seams where the chimney meets the roof line can be a bit tricky.  One of the seams is fairly easy to match up, but the other is sort of \”blind\” where the angled white corner needs to meet up with the corner of the chimney. (See the light blue pin below.)  If you use a pin to \”find\” the sweet spot where the angled seam meets the vertical seam on the fabric behind, you can use that as a guide to hit when sewing. The dark blue pin is merely holding the strip in place for the following seam, which nested and matched up more easily.



Who else is quilting along?
Below is a list of the talented quilters who will be sharing their progress each month on their own blogs.  Some will be using Strawberry Fields Revisited, while others will be using different fabric.  I hope you\’ll stop by their blogs to see their creations as well!

I hope you’ll consider joining in the fun!  It is a great way to connect with other enthusiastic quilters and donate to a wonderful cause, the March of Dimes.  You can also share your progress and creations on the Crossroads Facebook Group. And be sure to post your own blocks using #crossroadsquiltalong on Instagram!   
Thanks for stopping by the blog!  I hope you get carried away quilting often!

~Taunja



10 thoughts on “Crossroads Quilt Along: The House Block”

  1. Love your beautiful house blocks and the soft pink in your house pillow really stands out with the darker border. I'm still deciding on my fabric, but do want to sew along. Love this quilt pattern and the cause it is for!!

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  2. How pretty these little houses are! The pillow? PERFECT! I agree with Little Quiltsong about the soft pink & darker border – beautiful contrast. Thanks also for the rooftop tip. Going to try to get this done this week. Glad it's at a slow pace. Now I'm thinking of the homes I lived in. I might just stitch in the house numbers on those blocks!

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  7. Love, love, love your blocks, they never disappoint! I made mine late last. Sadly they didn't measure at 8\” when I was done. C'est la vie!!

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  8. I think you are probably being too tough on yourself!!! You know, I often sew too tightly and my blocks are often a tiny bit small. However, I don't like doing the scant 1/4 inch by moving the needle over. It feels like too much! So in recent years I've just started to trust myself to \”barely\” run up to my 1/4 inch guide and I have a lot better luck. That, and pressing these seams open when they are so small, that helps a TON! Sewing is partly a feeling game, isn't it?

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  9. Well I messed up my previous comment, so I'll try again: You know, I'm very careful when I cut my fabric. I don't measure once, or even twice, but thrice! LOL And don't get me started on how careful I am with that 1/4\” seam. I'm always off by at least an 1/8 of an inch. I purchased the Clearly Perfect Angles thingy to perfect that seam and I'm still off. Think I'll use the tips you mentioned. I'm too much of a perfectionist so it drives me bananas when it's not perfect. Phooey kerplooey! LOL Thank you for always replying. You're a doll!

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