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Blockheads ~ Block 9

Blockheads ~ Block 9

Written by: 
cnelson

Week Nine!  And no, still no big nine-patch block.

Our friend Jo calls this block Ohio Star Variation.  To get Jo's block - CLICK HERE.

(Since Jo is vacationing in Europe right now, we'll provide the link to the block if there are any blog issues - no matter how well everybody has tried to time the posts for Midnight, the blog platform clocks aren't cooperating.)

My Blue Reproduction block uses fabrics from 3 Sister's Snowberry, Barbara Brackman's Alice's Scrapbag and Betsy Chutchian's Rachel Remembered.

This is Tammy's beautiful Fall-inspired block - there's the pumpkin-orange from Bramblewood by Betsy Chutchian, a background from Reflections by Jo Morton and a rich black from Lynne Hagmeier's - aka Kansas TroublesThistle Farm.

And the Fig Tree block - the background is Minick & Simpson's Ann's Arbor and Fig Tree & Co.'s Chestnut Street and Farmhouse.  I had extra segments from the four-patches so... Chained Star!  An Ohio Star variation!

I think I've mentioned that I'm going to need a few extra blocks so I made another Ohio Star variation block.

It's easily done - it's just a connector corner of a contrasting-coordinating fabric in the corner squares.  Cut 4 background squares - 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" - and 4 print squares - 1-1/2" x 1-1/2".  Lay the 1-1/2" squares in one corner of the 2-1/2" background square with right sides together.  Stitch across the small square and trim to a 1/4" seam allowance.  Press and assemble the block as shown.

Fig Tree & Co. - more Chestnut Street and Farmhouse.  (Yes, in addition to the scraps I managed to sneak out of the sample room, I wound up buying a bundle of both collections for my scrappy quilts.)

Question of the Week ~ Cleaning Sewing Machines.  How often do I clean my sewing machine?  How thoroughly?  And just because... have I named my machine?  Machines?  What kind of machine do I prefer?

When I wrote about needles and how often I changed those, I indirectly mentioned how often I clean my sewing machine.  Every five bobbins.  After winding the bobbins, I completely take apart the bottom part of the machine, moving every part that is supposed to come off.  It gets brushed with one of those little broom-brushes, then gone over with a lint-picker-upper thing.  Then - against most professional advice - I use canned-air to blow the last bits out of the machine.  The machine is then oiled in all the places the manual says to oil.  If I'm sewing a lot, my machine might get cleaned and oiled twice in one weekend.

I also take my machines in for professional service at least once a year.  Yes, machines.  Plural.  I used to wonder why anybody would need more than one - or at the very most, two - sewing machines, yet somehow, I've become a "crazy cat lady" for sewing machines.  I own seven.  And no, I haven't named any of them.

As for what kinds of machines, I own four Berninas and three Singers.  Only one of those machines is less than thirty years old - a Bernina Activa 240 that I bought ten years ago for traveling.  It is currently in the office for Market sewing.  My "newest" sewing machine - the one I bought most recently - is a Bernina 530-2, built in 1949.

What about you?  How many sewing machines do you have?  And how often do you clean them?

That's it for today, May 3rd.  Be sure to visit Lynne, Jo, Jan and Lisa to see their blocks and what other good things they might have made:

And don't forget to check out the blocks popping up in #modablockheads on Instagram and Facebook for more pictures.  The Moda Blockheads Facebook group is also busy with folks sharing tips, suggestions and support.

Happy Blockhead Wednesday!

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