KANSAS TROUBLES BLOCK

Block #5 of Brackman’s Civil War Quilt Block of the Week is called “Kansas Troubles.”  Here is my version.




Since the half-square triangles were 1” finished, I chose to piece them using triangle paper to assure accuracy.  They turned out perfectly.  When I started putting the sections together, however, I discovered that I cut the dark blue triangles found in the pinwheel and the ends of each block section 2 7/8” instead of 1 7/8”.  Back to the cutting mat for that one.  Otherwise it went together fairly well, especially since I stopped and measured and squared up each unit as I went along to assure an accurate 8 1/2” unfinished block.

I’m still machine quilting the “Poinsettia Wreath” quilt  in the ditch so I left the invisible thread on my big Janome and made the Kansas Troubles block at the dining room table on my little blue workshop sewing machine.



I tried to use my featherweight first but it started skipping stitches so I went to my trusty mini Kenmore.  Worked like a charm.  Now I need to tinker with the Featherweight to see if I’ve got the needle installed incorrectly, the bobbin inserted wrong or the threading messed up before I decide it is a mechanical error rather than an operator error.

On that note I leave you with this thought:  “The only place where housework comes before needlework is in the dictionary.”  ~Mary Kurtz