Block #21

Block #20

I enjoyed this one but am cross about the middle fourpatch. I should have selected a randomly spotted fabric so that it didn't matter about the direction. Instead I chose one with lines of spots and then was not careful enough about the direction. The fourpatch is actually accurate but the 'leaning' of the spots makes it look wobbly. Oh well, another one that nobody will notice in the final quilt without a magnifying glass...

Block #19

Block #18 (229 pieces)

At last, it's done. I have a few things to say about this one!

Firstly, if you start it, finish it - don't leave it for five months half done because you won't want to come back to it - ask me how I know. It is not the most difficult block in the quilt technically but the huge number of pieces just makes it so incredibly repetitive and slow to progress.

Secondly, because of the number of little triangles, it doesn't seem possible to get the colours to go symmetrically so you end up with 'odd' bits in the pattern. I did not copy hers exactly because I didn't like two consecutive sides of flying geese and then different patterns on the other two sides so I tried to make all the triangles go the way I wanted - foolish wilfulness! I've still ended up with a pattern that doesn't quite work. There are also a couple of mistakes which I will correct before I put the quilt together. If it were another block, I would just leave the errors but not this one - after all this trouble it has got to be right in the end.

Thirdly, it struck me that if I had put together 229 larger pieces I would have a complete quilt top and not a 6 inch square, which is a strange feeling.

And lastly, I just want to say that I've been seriously wondering about Salinda Rupp and her motivation for doing this. What was she thinking of? We are doing this because we see the construction of her quilt as a challenge and that's where I'm getting my satisfaction (and it looks good). But she did this for herself. When you are on the umpteenth tiny triangle and matching all those points and seams, you can't help asking yourself if this woman was seriously bored and deliberately setting herself challenges or did she have so much time on her hands that she had to make everything complicated? It wasn't just the look of it because there are already other blocks that look similar. Maybe she had a competitive friend who was making a similar one and they egged each other on to greater complexity but the other quilt is lost. Who knows, but I certainly couldn't help myself reaching back through the years to try and understand her.

Have fun in the US, Tazzie!

#16 & 17 - Barbara

A nice easy one.

Hated doing this one! I don't know how I ended up with that tiny corner piece but I will need to inset a new one before I put the sashing on (in ten years' time?)

#15 - Barbara

This is another block I did last year, totally foundation pieced. Although foundation piecing is supposed to give you great accuracy, using it for the NI blocks has disappointed me. When I've finished posting the ones from last year, I'm going to try a different method for the next ones. By the way, Ranette (who has just finished a wonderful red and white NI) recommended that I look at this blog where there is a Nearly Insane album with photos of each block, all hand sewn, a lovely version of the quilt. Well worth a look. Thanks, Ranette!

#14 -Barbara

All the blocks I've uploaded so far are photos I took last year and were not good photos, just a record of what I'd done for my friend in North Carolina who is also doing a NI quilt. Now I've started my own blog, I realise that my photos need improvement, I'll have to work on that. I really enjoyed doing this block and it is one that I am completely happy with - doesn't always happen.

#13 - Barbara

A nice quick one!

Block #12 - Barbara

I enjoyed doing this one. I only have four more photos of blocks done before I need to make some more. I'm not happy with my level of accuracy so far, though, and I've been doing them completely by foundation piecing. I think I'll try a combination of that and freezer paper piecing in future and see how that goes. I'm usually so fussy but these blocks take it out of you; sometimes you are just so glad to get it done! This blog will provoke me into getting back to my NI blocks because Tazzie is making such good progress. Wish I had two sets of hands sometimes, one to go to work and the other to stay and sew...

#10 and #11 - Barbara

A couple more blocks; couldn't put up #9 because it has a mistake in it that I need to fix. Hope the Qullt Police aren't around - the top one is really wonky!

Block #5 - Barbara

Here is Block 5, still putting up photos of ones I did last year. When I get to 16, I'll run out, so I should get back and make some more soon. Maybe today as it is snowing heavily here in Bonn; perfect quilting weather.

#8 - Barbara

Here's my #8. I had not worked with such tiny pieces before and I'm doing the blocks in numerical order so I couldn't skip it. The reason I'm doing them in order is because if I selected blocks then I would leave all the hard ones till last and would not complete the quilt - I know myself well. Also, it has the second (or third?) largest number of pieces and I knew if I got it done then I wouldn't be so daunted by the other horror blocks.

I'm not sure I have done the right thing because, of course, later on I would be more experienced in using tiny pieces and would have made a better job of it. As you can see, it went wonky in the middle and a little down one strip but it is a 6" square and so I'm leaving it and have ticked it as DONE. However, I know that when I have finished all the blocks I will quite likely come back and do this one again because it bothers me (or sneak a new middle square into the block!). The only tips I can give are to be very methodical and persevere because it takes ages just to do half of it. I would recommend lots of pinning and also tacking the seams of the triangle strips because they really shift otherwise, especially trying to match the first inner row of triangles with the squared strips surrounding them. The other thing I did was to write down the total number of pieces and subtract how many I had used each time I did a strip - this made me feel I was getting somewhere. Good luck!

#4 - Barbara

I've misplaced my N.Insane book today but I think this is #4!

Block #3 - Barbara

Here's my #3. I accidentally caught a bit of selvedge in one of the triangles but I decided early on that this is for me, not the Quilt Police, and that any small mistakes will eventually disappear when all the blocks are together. I am usually quite fussy but this is a long-term project and if I am too picky I will never get it finished...

Block 2 (Barbara)

We're off to England tomorrow for a few days for a graduation (if the snow allows), so here is my Block 2 before I leave. It is more accurate than Block 1...

Block 1 (Barbara)

Hello,
I'm Barbara and I began my 'Nearly Insane' quilt in 2008. A good quilting friend of mine was moving countries and I bought us each a copy of the book so that we could work on our blocks together so that she would still feel part of our quilt group. I got up to Nr. 14 and then other quilts got in the way. I think it is because these Insane blocks often need a lot more focus and concentration than other quilts I've made (and I haven't made many...). I have enjoyed doing them and am absolutely determined to finish the quilt, however long it takes. I am doing it all in red and white because I saw the one which Hanne did (blog: Hanne's Quilt Corner) and I fell in love with it.