Roosting Round Robin #1 - civil and small

This is my first year participating in my guild's mystery quilt. This year it's a Roosting Round Robin - a quilt usually made in medallion-style (going a 'round' the center) but I'm changing it up a bit and making it two different ways to boot!

It started with this lovely pack of pre-cut 2 1/2" strips of Betsy Chutchian fabrics at my local quilt shop. I had to have them! I had already purchased a metere of the blue paisley and the brown paisley because I love paisley fabric, especially made in this traditional style. But I kind of felt like I really need to use this fabric sooner than later so challenged myself to use it to make the Roosting Round Robin. 

Then, to make it really fun and challenging, I decided to also make blocks that are on my bucket lists. An extra challenge to be sure! This pine tree block has been on my want-to-make list for a long time. This is Quilts!Quilts!Quilts! 

Yes, this book! My husband brought it home for me many years ago when I "had to have" a drunkard's path block pattern - this was the only place the quilt store we lived near had a pattern for one. (yes, this was before looking for patterns online!)

The book comes with pages of templates to trace and use to make the blocks. I tried to find the same block, the same size, online so I could just make it a quicker way, but I didn't find one. Instead I used freezer paper to trace the template. Then I ironed the freezer paper to the wrong side of my fabric and cut around it using my rotary cutter - the templates include the seam allowance. 

To make the background pieces on each side of the tree trunk required reversing the template for one side. I removed the freezer paper template that I used and ironed to the front to make it reverse - and it worked! 

I followed the diagrams and put my block units together in the same sections. I did make hsts instead of cutting all of those triangles on the bias and then sewing them together. And I took photos with my digital camera to make sure I kept my pieces in the right place as I moved them from wall to sewing table - something I couldn't have done 15 years ago!

I'm really happy with my block - happy I did it and happy with how it turned out. I'm looking forward to the next round with these fabrics!

Are you participating in a quilt challenge this fall?

With Joy,

Sarah V.