Hands All Around block
 

My mom started a sampler quilt circa late 1980s using a Leisure Arts "Teach Yourself to Quilt" book. She completed all but 1 block out of 9, the last being a Hands All Around block. After she and I took a beginner quilt class together she showed me this project and I offered to finish it but every time I look at that last block, I put it right back into the bag!

Please help me find a way to piece the Hands All Around block easier than the instructions show. She had pieced the center part of the block but stopped before sewing the diamond shapes around the edges. This is a difficult block and I don't like the idea of sewing into corners.

Any ideas?

http://earlywomenmasters.net/quilts/h/hands/index.html this one looked like you could use hst's for around the edges.
What a pretty block. How did she do her center?

it's such an honor to finish her quilt. i learned to quilt with Eleanor Burns patterns... they are so easy to follow. this is a link to a free pattern for this block [scroll to the last row]. hopefully this will be easy for you to follow. and welcome to the QB
http://www.quiltinaday.com/freepattern/

Wow, thanks for such quick responses!!

I have the instructions for the block, but don't want to construct it that way. Hhere's what is sewn together right now:

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The squares have to be sewn into the points and I was hoping there would be an easier way to put it together. I really don't like sewing corners as they end up puckering and the fabric is too easy to stretch.

Why not make a different block. Something that might be special for your mom, like a "Florida" block or "Mother's delight" or"Grandmother's choice. It's fun to research quilt block names and find something that you are comfortable completing and that has special meaning for your mom. Save the "hands all around" block and when you fee confident to complete it, you can make a matching pillow. Good luck and we would love to see the quilt when you finish.

Great idea Pat! I guess I was concentrating too hard on completing that one block to think outside the box.

If you want this particular block you might try hand stitching it to get everything lined up properly and then go back and machine stitch it.

If you have enough of the fabric for the beige corner blocks, you could do them as HST's and make them a part of a row. The other thing would be to sew just up to the corners, keeping everything as straight as possible, then do a couple of hand stitches into the corners so that there isn't a space with no stitching. Ironically, our ancestors made some very difficult blocks look neat and pretty by the hand sewing method. Sewing with our electronic machines isn't always the best way to do things.

Deconstruct the center seam in the 4 blocks that will require a square in a corner. Instead of doing a square with inset seams, instead, insert a half square piece into both halves of that block, then sew a straight line to sew the pieces together. Hope this makes sense.

Deconstruct the center seam in the 4 pieces that will require a square in a corner. Instead of doing a square with inset seams, instead, insert a half square piece into both halves of that block, then sew a straight line to sew the pieces together. Hope this makes sense.

Welcome to the board! What you have started looks pretty darn good to me, way to go. I am constantly amazed at the number of different blocks that are available to us and that by just changing the color scheme it changes the whole look. That is one of the delights of quilting. I can't draw for diddly, but quilting lets me "draw" with fabric and thread.

Set in seams (aka Y seams) are not near as difficult as they appear. And it is a valuable skill to have in your quilting arsenal. Give it a try with the set in seams. I think you will be pleased with the result and just think of the sense of accomplishment you will have.

welcome to the board, if you understand charsuewilson answer is a great idea I use this method all the time, and don't forget when sewing y seam you need to stop 1/4 from the the end and back tack before you set your square piece in. The block look great have fun with it.

I would make a paper piece pattern out of it and paper piece it. Do you have EQ? You could put the pattern in and ask it for the foundation pattern and it would be easier.