I was having so much fun sewing these Magic of Christmas Sew Along blocks I forgot to do my blog post! Blocks 8 and 9 I really enjoyed making.  Block 9 in particular was very challenging.  

It has 57 pieces.  I know.  For a block that finishes at 6 inches, that is an undertaking.

And those little light squares that are at the center of the square in a square units?  The instructions say to cut them 1 9/16th inches. Is that even a thing?  My ruler has 1/8 inch markings, so I just very carefully eyeballed it in the middle between 1 1/2 and 1/5/8.  It turned out ok actually.

Lisa Bongean has a recent blog post where she talks about what makes piecing teeny tiny units more precise.  In short:  pre-starch your fabric and let it air dry, cut accurately, sew an accurate quarter inch seam, pin,  and use steam to press.

I forgot to pre-starch my fabrics, but I used lots of Mary Ellen's Press when sewing.  I have to say, even though these blocks were complex, they came together really well.  I now have a total of 20 blocks made, almost half done!  Can you find the four new ones in the mix?

I am enjoying this sew along more than I dreamed I would. The blocks are challenging, but it is so rewarding when they turn out.  I am loving the variety in them.  This is a similar kind of sew along to the Farmer's Wife one that was so big a couple of years ago.  Everyone who finished their blocks and put them all together in a quilt had something stunning to show for their effort.