I pulled myself away from the French General fabrics and decided to try to get caught up on the blocks for the Riley Blake Challenge. The bottom two blocks are blocks 9 and 10. They were fairly challenging, both of them.
I am undecided if they really blend in well with the other blocks I have made so far. That one on the lower right, particularly. It seems so dark compared to the others. That being said, just look at how cool the optical illusion is! Those corners actually look like they are folded over toward the center of the block!
That one took ages to make, and the one next to it wasn’t exactly speedy either.
Love those little Cat’s Cradle units. I changed the pattern a bit. Those large corner triangles were supposed to be made with half-square triangles, but I didn’t want the seams to mess up my pretty big peach print.
My husband had a good suggestion. He said, why not use those two most recent blocks in the corners of the quilt setting? I like the idea. Now I just need two more blocks that are in the same “vibe” and I am good to go.
Hope everyone is having a good week! Tell me what you are reading. I just started Good People by Patmeena Sabit and can’t put it down!
14 Responses
Like minds, I was going to suggest additional blocks with less white and put them in the corners.
Fabrics are lovely. Very fun blocks.
The Riley Blake Challenges are pretty reliable for having challenging, interesting blocks.
Riley Blake shares the best block patterns. I like the 10” size and the complexity of the block, not boring to make that’s for sure! Your fabrics are beautiful and the quilt will be too! I just finished a small quilt using 12 blocks from one of Riley Blake’s block challenges (from 2021). The blocks turned out perfectly and such a great variety.
I agree. I love blocks that are 9 or 10 inches.
Can you tell me where I can find the pattern for the first block in the second row? It’s such an interesting block and I’ve never seen it anywhere else. Thanks.
That is block 4 in the 2026 Riley Blake Challenge. The patterns are completly free on their website. Here is the link to all the patterns released so far: https://www.rileyblakedesigns.com/2026-rbd-block-challenge-patterns
Both blocks are really nice! I am reading Streets of Laredo”’ by Larry McMurty.
Larry McMurtry is so good! I think I have read that one, but will have to double check.
Very nicely done! I really enjoy this color palette. I suppose you could use the upper left block as one of the corners, too, and then would only need one more. It also has that not-so-much-light-background feel of the most recent two blocks.
Good thought!
I am on the last two months of an intensive Minick and Simpson quilt from 2017 or 2018.I started it last year. It has lots of appliqué and complicated blocks. I am in such awe of the engineering of these blocks! The fabric alone is such a delight! I am eager to get this beast finished yet I am also sad that there are no more fabrics to buy from this wonderful company. I cannot complain. I got to retire so why shouldn’t they?
In reading, I am smitten with Louise Penny. It is a bit sad that I can read much faster than anyone can write. Over fifty years ago, Leon Uris was asked how long it took him to write a book. He said it took one year to research and one year to write. He was then asked how much he earned per year. It was $50,000. That was a great income in 1970. The interested party wrote out a check for $100,000 and asked him to write a book about the modern resettlement of Israel. The book is titled, Exodus. Now the time to research is probably much shorter because we have the Internet.
I so agree with you regarding Minick and Simpson. I have been guarding a couple of fat quarter bundles of theirs for some time, plus I have a great backlog of leftovers in my stash from their previous collections. There is just nothing like their fabrics!
Louise Penny fans are lucky because she is coming out with another Gamache book in October. Additionally, she has collaborated with Melissa Fung on a standalone thriller called The Last Mandarin, coming out this May.
The block with ‘folded over corners’ is stunning! The colors work well together! I’m currently reading & enjoying ‘And Then There’s Margaret’ by Carolyn Clarke. It’s relatable & makes me laugh.
I had not even realized the optical illusion of that block until it was finished and I could stand back from it. It is cool!
I just heard about a new fantasy series that has me intrigued. It is called “Shield of Sparrows” by Devney Perry. I don’t read much in that genre, but it’s free on Kindle Unlimited, so I ordered it. We will see how that goes.