Utah

I'm still fascinated by circular blocks and have actually been to my LQS (in this case, Mo's Fabrics in Rugby) to get more of the grey star framing fabric, so I can make my quilt bigger if I want!  The first nine blocks I made were comparatively easy, as I intend to teach them at my class next year, and since the nine are all done, now I can do any I like!  

Leap before you look has always been my mantra, so I thought I'd make this block, called Utah - can't imagine why it's called that!  I love the interlocking circles, and am big headed enough to think I could achieve it!  Drafting it was difficult, as although there are templates provided, they are too small for a 12.5" block.  I decided I could make it using the American method of piecing (drawing the sewing lines on the back of the pieces and sewing carefully on the lines.)  

Well, even if I gave this a good press, it still wouldn't look anything like interlocking circles!  So, back to the drawing board, and try a bit harder to make a symmetrical pattern.  I worked out that the red points are the halfway points of each circle, simplified and redrafted it, and decided that EPP would be the best way to go for accuracy.

That's better!  Although husband says he can't see any circles, I can, and I'm quite happy with that.  One of the orange segments was a bit puffy ( I took the paper out of it before I sewed the turquoise part on, and I think it stretched a bit) but a good press with some spray starch has sorted it out.  I'll appliqué it onto a background before framing it. 

And while we're on the subject of circles, I'll share this Linus quilt which was made by several people at Knit and Stitch.  It's circular log cabin, and was pretty easy to do.  It makes me think I'd like to do some blocks like this and arrange them in a traditional log cabin pattern.  Interesting.