Blocks 11 & 12

Yeah!  I am getting caught up!  How about you, are you keeping up-probably better than I am, huh?  I think these may be my 2 favorite blocks in the whole quilt.  Do I say that each week?
I have never been particularly fond of basket blocks but I felt this quilt just needed one so I went ahead and put it in.  After making the basket block for this week, I feel like I should make a whole quilt of baskets.  It looks great and it went together so nicely and in a unique way!
But first, the Wind Works block...

Isn't it lovely.  I had originally planned this blocks with black where the brown is, and gold where the cream is with the same red.  Then when I was pulling fabrics to start making it, it ended up like this.
First, cut a 2 & 1/2 inch strip of your red and put it in your bag.
Directions are for 2 blocks.
Cut 3 & 7/8 inch squares:  16 Ivory, 12 brown, and 8 red
Mark diagonals on the back of all the ivory squares.

Sew together 8 red to ivory, 8 brown to ivory and then cut 8 squares of brown at 3 & 1/2 inches.

Draw a diagonal line on the back of the brown squares and place each one with a red/ivory square as pictured.  You want to sew them together so that when they are pressed open, the brown triangle will be on top and the red triangle will be on the bottom right.  See below.

Trim the seam and discard the part that was trimmed- or save for a scrap project :)
Lay out the units and prepare to sew into rows and then sew the rows together. 

Be sure to nest diagonal seams that fit together and to carefully match points.  The key to keeping those points is pin, pin, PIN!  When seams become bulky, make sure they are turned opposite each other or iron them open (remember you must use a quality batting that won't beard if using this technique). 

Congratulations!  You have two lovely Wind Works blocks!  Wouldn't a whole quilt of these blocks be just lovely?

Basket block- directions are for 2.

Cut a 2 & 1/2 inch strip of your pink.  (I liked my brown so much that I added one of those too)  Store in your bag o'strips.
Now, be sure to notice that we are, finally, working with squares of a different size!
The following squares  will be cut at 3 & 1/4 inches.
13 ivory ( background) Cut 3 of these on the diagonal.
1 of top pink
2 of second pink from top
3 of the blue
4 of the bottom row of "blossoms"
2 of the brown-cut both of these on the diagonal
Draw a diagonal line on the back of all the ivory squares.

Cut 2 ivory rectangles 2 & 7/8 X 7 & 3/4 inches
Cut 1 square of ivory at 5 & 5/8, cut this square once on the diagonal- that makes the bottom right corner under the basket.
Cut 1 square of brown at 8 inches and then cut it once on the diagonal-that makes the largest piece of the basket.

Sew the smallest brown triangle onto the ends of the rectangles as pictured, on only one end.

Pair each "blossom" square with an ivory square and sew on each side of the diagonal, using the line as the guide for the edge of your presser foot.  Cut them apart, press open and begin your lay out as pictured above.  Note the 3 ivory triangles that go along the basket edge.  Sew the blossoms into row 1, 2, 3, & 4.  sew these rows together and THEN add the brown basket to complete a square. 

It lines up rather nicely with the "triangle" made from the seams above.  Be sure to sew from the back side so that you can go through those points!

Line up the rectangle pieces and the last triangle.  Sew first one rectangle side, than the other.  Then sew the last ivory triangle on last.

Lovely basket block!  It was so much easier than it looked!
Now, I think I will go start on next week's so they aren't LATE again!  So sorry!
Hmmm...Maybe I will start us on the strip blocks next week, just as an extra...what do you think?