C'mon, now. Confess. At least once in your life you've come across a block that scares the stuffin' out of you. You gasp! You turn that page or hit the "next" button at twice the speed of light.

Been there. Done that. In fact, there are still a few I'm hiding from. (ok. not a few. several. :lol: )

But what if one of those really scary blocks is the one you most want to make? What it it would be THE perfect block for a gift quilt? What if you've run out of blocks you haven't already done 100 times and you're itchin' for something new?

We'll talk today about different ways to look at a scary block. Ignore the instructions we have. Take that sucker apart on paper, then put it back together in a way that makes more sense to our specific brain.

We'll use the Interwoven Puzzle block as our sample. NOT because I want to push disinterested parties into making the block against their will. Simply because the IP has been a hot topic of discussion lately, anyway. Using the IP was easier than going in search of another block to talk about. Even if you've sworn on a stack of matchbooks you will NEVER make the IP, I hope you'll join us today. You might get a few ideas you can use another time, on another block you've been avoiding.

Supplies:
5 fabrics; each in a different color. 1 will be your background.
freezer paper
rotary ruler
rotary cutter
scissors
seam ripper (my best friend :lol: )
templates (pick one of the attached files)

if your computer and sewing machine are too far apart, bring along a marking pen to mark seam allowances, plus a needle and thread so you can hand stitch a sample.

Prep for Template Method:
iron freezer paper to regular paper
print your templates on the freezer paper side
peel away the freezer paper and cut out the templates
(if you have too hard a time peeling it off, make another sheet by ironing the freezer paper onto some scrap fabric. run that through your printer, instead, make sure the template prints on the freezer paper side.)

If you and a friend sit down to put together a puzzle, how likely is it that you'll both approach that puzzle in exactly the same way? some people start putting together corners. others will find a focal point in the finished picture and start there.

point being, different people see different things when looking at the same thing.

here is yet another way to break this block into manageable sections. i tried it this way for the first version. it's ok ... but i get lost too easily. i wanted to show it in case it would work for somebody else.

no matter how you divide up the sections to start making it, it still starts out as one big puzzle, just waiting to be put together.

here's how i got started after i cut out my templates.

by the way, the reason i suggested you print them on freezer paper is so you can iron them to the top of your fabric stack before cutting. keeps them from slipping. :-)

some tips for making half-square and quarter-square triangles

i hope you can see these

another section together and placed in the big puzzle

a little more progress. hopefully you see that all i'm doing is picking out pieces to build small sections, headed toward eventually making the big mostly-yellow triangle.

the point of the flying geese came together perfectly with the patch next under. after i ripped it out and did it over THREE TIMES. my seam ripper and straight pins are my best friends. :lol:

Patrice,

You are a wonderful teacher!!!!!! The way you describe makng this block as hsts, is perfect for me!

Diane