Farmer's Wife QAL Blocks 27 and 28: Dinah and Dolly

We are starting week 14 in the year of Farmer's Wife 1930s Quilt Along.   The first of this week's blocks is number 27,  Dinah (p.186, letter p.120) and Sarah of Pretty Fabrics and Trims is guest posting on this block and she's template piecing it's many pieces.  Here's my version:  

Fabric credits:

Kona Candy pink

Kona Buttercup

Aunt Grace by Judie Rothermel for Marcus Fabric, Simpler Sampler green Floral Buds

Block 28 is Dolly and although it is a beast with all its tiny pieces (57 in total), I do like this symmetrical cross style of block (p.187, letter p.66),

Fabric credits:
Atsuko Matsuyama, Ginham Ribbon Orange
Kona Violet
Bonnie and Camille for Moda, Daysail crosshatch in green.

**A warning before I go into construction details.  I did find the seam allowances on the foundation paper piecing pattern a little scant at times, especially section G so check them when you cut them out just in case it effects you too.**

As with almost all my blocks, I used foundation paper piecing and I pre-cut all my pieces before I started sewing.  My rotary cutting measurements creates seam allowances larger than ¼" so that your fabric pieces are larger than needed.

Rotary Cutting for Foundation Paper Piecing

Large squares: cut (4) 2 ¾" squares  in peach

Small squares: cut (4) 2 ¾" squares violet, 4 peach and 1 green

Small half-square triangles: cut (2) 2" squares in green, 8 in violet and 4 in peach.  For each square, sub-cut once diagonally to make 2 half square triangles.

Medium half-square triangles: cut (4) 2 ¼" squares in violet.  For each square, sub-cut once diagonally to make 2 half square triangles

Large half-square triangles: cut (2) 3 ½" squares on point (to avoid bias edges on outside block edges), sub-cut each once diagonally to make a total of 4 half-square triangles.

Centre tiny square: cut (1) 1 ½" square

Small rectangles: cut (4) 1 ½" x 2 ¼" rectangles

Top tips for this block

• Have a strong contrast between the fabrics used.
• Use a water based glue stick; I use Sewline, to stick the first piece of each section
• Work on one section at a time so as not to get muddled with precut pieces
• Nest seams wherever possible
• Cut the fabric for single template pieces bigger than needed and trim down using the surrounding paper pattern for accuracy (as seen below).

• Only remove the paper when needed.  I tore off parts of the paper and pencilled in seam lines to mark where seam points meet to join sections together accurately.

Remember you can:

• Use the hashtags  Don't forget to use #fw1930sqal on Instagram and the Flickr group if you like to share there.  
• For individual blocks, you can use #dinahblock and #dollylblock on Instagram, Fat Quarter Shop and Angie are using these hash tags, #fw27dinah,  #fw28dolly, I'm using both hashtag systems.
• You can also copy and paste links to any blog posts you do on these blocks in the comments and I'd love to visit and take a look. 
• Watch and join in on Periscope at 2.30pm GMT today, I'm periscope.tv/@verykb.  It will be available for 24 hours to replay before it disappears! Link will be in my twitter feed @verykb and I'll post on Instagram and twitter about 15 minutes before it goes out.  

Please note:  I have linked to my sponsors on items bought through them and elsewhere for anything that has come from other shops.

The letter for Dolly is, 'That Easy Road' and the message of it- 'less is more' - is apt for the time of year, with the exception of Christmas trees where 'more is more' seems to be the best option, for me anyway.  Try not to get lost in the hurly burly of all the end of term and pre-Christmas/holiday madness.  In many ways, chaotic though it is, this time of preparation and anticipation is my favourite.

You can join the quilt-along at any time, all the posts are here for you to catch up with.  Back next Monday for the last post before a week's break for Christmas.  I'll be joined with Jo from A Life in Lists and we're sewing blocks 29 and 30.   Block 30 has 84 pieces, brace yourselves!