Another Tumbling Block

OK, here's attempt #3 - this one is done via the Kaye Wood Stacking my Blocks method, which is a variation of the tumbling blocks, but it fascinates me right along with the traditional tumbling blocks.   You may have to find and click on the video after following the above link.

I will post more on this later as progress is made, but I had fun playing with this image in my photo editing software just to see if it would show up. 


I have one more method to make Tumbling blocks that I know of from Quilters Cache Tumbling Blocks but I've got to get this project done first!

Table cover w/ pockets

I've been wanting something on the night stand next to the bed so when I put my glasses down or set down my phone, neither will get scratched, or scratch the night stand.  Because it's a dark wood - black walnut, it also showed dust much more quickly than I like to dust.

I'd been making mug rugs, with new patterns and now was ready to try the Marci Baker method of doing the tumbling block.....well this was all starting to sound like "Opportunity knocking" don't you think?

Here's the finished product - I'm calling it my table rug.  It has 2 pockets on the bed side so I can tuck in the cord to my phone charger and the control to the bed in the rear pocket, and my glasses in the front pocket.  Even if I put my glasses on the night stand and they flip to the lens side, they're protected.

Here's a picture of the whole piece.  It's actually upside down, the pocket is at the top.  See the tumbling blocks pattern?  This Marci Baker method was much quicker than the traditional method that I made the black and white mug mat with.

Here's a close-up of the pocket.  You could make these any size you wanted.  I let the left-over stripset that I didn't use determine the size, and I stitched it down to make 2 separate pockets.   The pockets could be on both sides, and could be sized to hold a variety of things....reading material, heating pad control, remote, mp3 player, rosaries.....or just anything you want!!!

I also had recently purchased some great striped fabric that I wanted to make into biased binding.  The colors would work here.  I have also been having a bit of trouble with my mitered corners on my binding forming peaks... I experimented a little and pulled the 2nd fold of each miter a little short of the corner.....whalla .... no peaks!!  It may have been the fact that it was bias binding - it may have been the 'short' corner or maybe just a combination of both, but I was very happy with the results.  It looks pretty darn square to me!!  Success!

Hubby liked the idea - now he wants one - and you know what - I have one more method of the tumbling blocks I want to try - so stay tuned.

Another Mug Rug

I'm trying out different quilt block patterns to see what I like and get an idea of how they go together so I'll know if I want to make a full quilt out of them. Then I make a Mug Rug out of the results.
This is the Tumbling Blocks pattern done in the traditional way. I piddled around with it, but it took me ALL DAY and only ended up a little more than 7 x 12 inches.


I really like the look of the finished quilts I've seen and still want to make one, but I'll find another way. Quilters cache has a paper pieced one, and Marci Baker has the strip pieced method that I'll have to give a try. I do like the black and white, I like the way (most) of my points met, but I'll have to find another method.