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Thursday, February 29, 2024

Tiny Blocks, and other favorite things

I have had many unfinished Tiny Blocks left from the story boards I create to teach the process of making the blocks at my "Sew Small" guild. I decided it was finally time to get them sewn together. The photo below shows all of the blocks I have put together in the last few days. All of them had already been somewhere in the assembly process and on a story board I have used in the last couple of months.


 The 2 1/2" ruler and the rotary cutter help give you size perspective. Believe me when I say that even when I have them already cut and partially assembled, these do not go together quickly. And the one in the upper lefthand corner went together incorrectly. It is supposed to look just like the orange one below it. By the time I realized it was wrong, I was not prepared to pick it apart and start over. I just call it a new and very awkward design. :)

You can see that some of these blocks have a white background (which is not a batik), and others have a creamier colored background (which is a batik). As I finish these blocks I place them on different boards, according to whether they have the white background, or a batik background. Below are the white background blocks.

It is a little harder to get a nice, flat press with the white background, which is probably a Kona White. 

I started making these blocks about 3 years ago when Village Dry Goods sponsored The Tiny Club, taught by the mastermind behind these mini creations, Lynn Hopkins. At first I was making them out of reproduction prints, and I was using scraps from my cutting table, and leftover HSTs cut down to size. These are the blocks I made while a part of that club.


The teeny star in the center was one I cut with the wrong template and made too small, but I like it. This is as far as I got before the club ended, when Lynn went on an 18 month mission.

When I joined the Sew Small guild shortly before Lynn left on his mission, he was a member of the guild and had been teaching the blocks to them. I was asked to step in and teach while he was gone, and that is how I ended up doing this. I switched to batiks when I started teaching, knowing they would give a crisper example, but I started out pairing it with the white fabric, because I didn't have good backgrounds among my batik stash.

Once I found some good backgrounds in batiks, I have pretty much been using them exclusively, and below you see all of the blocks made completely from batiks.


Altogether I have over 60 completed blocks, but due to the different fabric types, they won't all end up in the same project. I am still playing with different ideas in my head as to what to do with them. I have two more months of teaching, which means I will be adding a few more blocks to the pile. And if you like random facts, 52 is the largest number of pieces so far in one of these 2" finished blocks!

The only other quilting I have done this month has been working on the binding for my Rocky Mountain Christmas quilt. I had waffled back and forth on what to use for the binding. Everything on the front so far had been from men's thrift store shirts, and I didn't want that to change, but I also didn't want the binding to be too terribly scrappy. There is already a lot of that going on in this quilt.

I dug through my shirt stash and finally came up with two that I thought would play nicely together. If you look closely at the photo you may be able to see where one shirt ended and another began. Only one of the two shirts was actually used in the quilt, but you'd have a hard time believing the other one wasn't in it as well.









A favorite wintertime activity is assembling puzzles. For my birthday last fall I was gifted this puzzle, and I finally had a chance to put it up this month. It was a fun one to do.


I received another similar (but different) puzzle for Christmas, but I think next I am slipping in a recent gift of a puzzle about the state of Maine. The giver knew I have enjoyed several visits there, most recently just last September.

Another favorite thing is my winter garden on my kitchen window sills. (you can click on this to get an enlarged view)

These orchids usually bloom from around December until late into the Spring, and often I am enjoying this riot of color while outside it looks like this...

If you enlarge this photo, what looks like speckles in the photo are the big, fat clumps of flakes that were falling from the sky.

And this is the same view a few days later, zoomed in a little, as the almost full moon rose this month. In the photo above, you cannot even tell there are mountains in the background, as the snow was coming down so heavily.


I hope you are doing well, wherever you live, whether it is winter or summer or somewhere in between. And I hope that you are finding time for the things that sooth your soul in these times of so much chaos. I have actually found, since picking up my violin again last fall, that it is very beneficial to my spirit to express my feelings through the music. And it doesn't take as long to play a few songs as it does to finish a quilt! ;)

I am pleased that I actually got a second post in during February (but only because February had an extra day). My hope is that in March I get more done than tiny blocks and binding!

Until then,

Be creative, and be kind.

Janet O.


One last photo looking out from the front deck. Can you see the bird up in the treetop? I believe it is a hawk.

These are the eastern mountains, and the color on them is the reflection of the sunset in the west. (In order to get the photo without the power lines, I would have had to run downstairs and outside. But I was afraid the hawk would be gone by the time I did that.) 

24 comments:

  1. Beautiful snow photos Janet and those tiny blocks are just stunning, love the batiks you have used. I am in awe!!!

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  2. such a newsy post....oh my those tiny blocks are works of art....i love them all, the batiks so colorful, the reproductions too...ha ha great minds...i just finished a quilty puzzle as well! such serene winter photos...our snow only lasted a few hours..and oh those orchids! such a blaze of color when much needed...

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  3. Your tiny blocks are just stunning. I struggled with 6” blocks with thirty odd pieces! I’m glad they are going to be used. What a fun jigsaw. A nice way to spend time inside. Outside is so pretty with the snow. The orchids must add a very welcome shot of colour.

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  4. Your tiny blocks are amazing! And that sunset is so pretty. :0)

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  5. Your tiny blocks are spectacular, Janet! Only you (and maybe Lynn and a few others) could make a perfect 2" finished block with 52 pieces!!! I wonder if the tiny blocks are a similar size to the ones in your puzzle.
    Your orchids are beautiful but I think the snow outside is even more beautiful!

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  6. I just love those photos of the range Janet. It brings back happy memories of being there myself a few times. Maybe one day I will come back and this time visit you too. I also love the tiny blocks. Are they machine or hand sewn?

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  7. Your views are beautiful. Thanks for sharing your tiny Blocks. I can see you love the Orchids, they are thriving. I've never tried Orchids. My Christmas and Thanksgiving Cactus are as tropical as I get. Yes, sewing sooths my soul also listening to Nathan Pacheco sing.

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  8. Your mini blocks are just amazing

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  9. I really enjoyed your post! Those tiny blocks are amazing - much more so than the tiny 9 patches I’m working on๐Ÿ˜Š. That quilt puzzle is so perfect for you. You live in such a gorgeous spot - thanks so much for sharing photos of its beauty. Gladi Porsche

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  10. Tiny blocks, so amazing. Must remember your thoughts about batik background fabrics for a more crisp appearance. Your orchids are quite simply gorgeous! Music, like quilting, is where many of us find some peace during these chaotic and often negative times.

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  11. Oh, my gosh, what an amazing post!! I keep telling you I knew you were crazy!! Your tiny blocks confirm that!! :-). Love that binding!! And your window garden is much more colorful than mine but mine is looking good right now!! Your mountains are incredible!! I would love to chat when you are up to it!! Violin will be one of our chat topics. Hey, maybe a Facetime!! Love you!!

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  12. All those tiny blocks.... They are amazing.

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  13. I have to hand it to you for tackling those tiny blocks. They would drive me mad! Your views are stunning, they must change everyday! Lucky you!

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  14. Hi Janet - I was surprised until I read on that you were using very bright fabrics instead of reproductions. I use all kinds of fabrics, but lately away from batiks as much. Kim Diehl has my interest both in patterns and fabrics. Although it has taken several years to end up with the beautiful collection of tiny blocks it is always satisfying to get to a finish. The Christmas project is very nice. You will have to share its entirety as I missed it if you did in an earlier post. Love your window sill and the view from your home towards California, right? Take care my friend, Sandi

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  15. Stunning pictures in Cache Valley, Janet!
    Two and one half inch blocks with all those tiny pieces is definitely crazier than Dear Jane. I did a Dear Jane, but I won't be joining the tiny blocks for sure. They are beautiful!

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  16. Your wintery photos, with the orangey, COLD air, remind me of my childhood, on the family farm in Illinois, south of Chicago. I clearly remember that ORANGE of frigid weather! WOWSA on the plethora of little blocks!!!

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  17. Wow, just wow, the tiny beautiful blocks. It's wonderful that you can be teaching them to your group too. Playing violin again, how wonderful! Fun puzzle and so perfect for you! You live in a gorgeous place and it's always so nice seeing your photos.

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  18. Love your little blocks! The binding using shirts turned out nice. They all play well together. Love your views! We've had a lot of snow this winter but I think its finally done where I live. Good time to take care of our mental health. Keeping the TV/radio off is a good start for me.

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  19. Oh my what beautiful photos of your surroundings. Breathtaking. The little quilts are very nice but the blocks so small. Good on you for taking that on

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  20. Janet, you've made so many amazing tiny blocks. I'm looking forward to seeing how you put them together. Great idea to use shirting for the binding of your quilt. Your orchids are simply delightful--and joyful! Beautiful colors to brighten your day :) I'm still waiting for my one orchid to show signs of blooming but so far nothing. You take such wonderful scenic photos. Keep them coming!

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  21. P.S. That was my "anonymous" comment above :) Looks like I can now leave a comment via Google. Have no idea what's been going on with that.

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  22. Oh those blocks! You truly are a piecing superstar! I'm trying to get back to blog reading, but it is so hard to quilt and read at the same time! And, what a puzzle master you are. I'm looking forward to seeing your Maine puzzle. I hope to catch up with you and Chooky on Friday!

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  23. I know I've said it before, but you take tiny blocks to a whole new level!! Your Orchids are gorgeous - such a beautiful contrast to the snowy scenes outside. Your mountains surely are a wonderful backdrop to your life.

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  24. You're so incredibly talented; your projects look so good!! But that puzzle is just amazing stuff. I hope you're finally getting some spring-like weather?! Hugs!! :)

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