Welcome back to week 6 of Lala's Scrappy Irish Chain Sew Along!
We are chugging right along and on the downhill side of the steps.
This week, now that all of your 2-patch units are ready - one set with the background fabric and the second set with the main color - we will be making your 5x5 patchwork blocks.
Start out by adding one of the remaining main color squares to a scrappy/white two-patch unit. You will need 32 units (or 28 if making the smaller quilt). Press seam toward the middle square.
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| make 1 for each patchwork block you are making |
Then layout as shown below... pressing the seams as indicated by the arrows.
Sew 4-patch units 1-4. Add the final 2-patch unit to each row and to row 5. Press seams in the direction that the arrows indicate so that seams nest for a crisp corner.
Sew the units together to form rows and press seams as indicated by the arrows...
Join the rows together. The seam between rows 2 and 3 can be pressed either up or down. Press the seam between rows 4 and 5 to the top of the block... again, so that the seams will nest together and make nice crisp corners.
This is a big step! If possible... prep a no guilt:: go quilt recipe and hang out a do not disturb sign so that your family leaves you to the task. ;)
But before you go, I need to tell you the story of 800 Western Avenue and W.D.'s railroad pass...
When they moved into the house, since it was in the same block, they used a wheelbarrow and a 2-wheel truck from the Santa Fe Warehouse. The piano was pushed down the street.
Along San Juan Avenue, W.D. had a row of pine trees with black walnut trees in between. The black walnut trees came from the farm of Lala's dad, John Davis. Lala would use the nuts in cakes. Grandpa said that she made the best black walnut cakes.
Mom told me about when she and her brother, Forrie, were young, Grandpa would walk up the street to the old house with his hands behind him. Forrie and I would walk behind him with our hands behind us. He would tell us about the old house and then we would follow him back to the house, all of with our hands behind our backs. He liked to tell us about the early days of Trinidad and about the floods.
One story Forrest (my grandpa) told... Mother (Lala) would take the train to Kansas City, Kansas and from there on to Arkansas. He was about 5 years old and on the train from Kansas to Arkansas. The seats were too narrow for him to lie down and sleep. He talked about chiggers which were common in that area and had to be washed off with kerosene. Also, mosquitos big enough to carry one away.
Forrest would visit his grandfather and grandmother Davis and lots and lots of relatives. One family was the Dentons. The children all went swimming in one of the creeks. Forrest was about 11 years old on this trip. The girls wore bib overalls. He had a real, full swimming suit. For this reason, they thought the Teegarden's were rich.
W.D. worked for the Santa Fe Freight Office for 37 years. He was retired longer than he worked.
They also traveled by train to Arizona, California, Salt Lake City and to visit their son Don in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Because Forrest began traveling at a very young age and had the opportunity to visit many states. He had a goal of being able to say that he had been to every state. I don't think he made it before he passed away at age 90. He traveled internationally as well.
Well, that seems like a good place to pause and let you get to assembling your patchwork blocks. But before you go...
How many states of the US have you been to?
Layovers in airports don't really count... I've been to 28, and counting. :)
I'd love to hear from you!
Keep Piecing,
Melva
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