Quilt Shot Block #64 ~ Cornerstone

Cornerstone

12 ½ inch block

Last year, my friend Carol gave me this book.

  During the winter I finally read it.  

                         It took me a while to read it.  Throughout the novel, author Jennifer Chiaverini refers to the blocks which made me look , and then I would get caught studying the patterns inside the cover.  When I finished reading the book, I decided I wanted to make a little quilt using these blocks.

          So during the past couple of weeks on these very cold spring nights, I worked on drafting the blocks.

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From the Union Quilters - click here for more info

Cornerstone is a very simple block to put together, but I had a very hard time coming up with measurements.  Even looked up the formula to determine sides of square when I knew the diagonal.  After I finished drafting all the blocks, wouldn't you know I found a website where someone had already created the measurements?  The Brazos Bluebonnet Quilt Guild used this novel for their block of the month last year or year before.  As you can see I was off with the measurement of the middle block.
     Besides being in a hurrying this week, and choosing something simple, I thought "cornerstone" would be appropriate to begin this set of blocks.

              Yesterday I went shopping..... in my own sewing room.  I have GOT to use up this fabric.  Besides, it was my intent to hoard for days of retirement.  At least that was my excuse then, and I'm sticking to it.
               My fabrics bought back between 1970 to 1990 are apparently labeled these days as vintage by several folks.  Even fabric designers are making groups of  "Civil War" prints.  Oh, my am I that old?
               I am keeping the color labels as shown in the novel. As you see, the light blue is a beige flower print, white is a light brown and orange is the green print.  Are you confused now?  I labeled them so I wouldn't stay confused for the rest of the blocks.

However, when I pulled the colors for corner stone, I didn't like my blue substitute.  

I decided to stay with the experts and stick with the blue.

This is a flea market scrap piece that I think will last through the rest of the blocks.

So I used the measurements from Bravos Bluebonnet Quilt Guild, 

and the block turned out perfect.

If I were making a lot of these, I would have just cut a 2½ inch strip of fabric width instead of cutting up into 5 & 9 inch long pieces and cut off as I sewed.  Depends on which way you think saves more time.

This would be an easy hand stitch block as well.

Instead of a special ruler, I used my mat to cut the diagonal.

I pressed as I finished opposite sides.

The seams wanted to automatically press outward.

Using Photoshop Combine tool, here's a look at a possible quilt using this block.

and what if you did some rotation?

In photoshop I right clicked on the block I wanted to rotate

and chose "rotate CCW."

How many times do you read a novel,

and then continue to use it?

Thank-you Carol for such a wonderful

surprise gift! 

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Check out my other Union Quilter Blocks already posted:

Quilt Shot Block #65 ~ Pennsylvania

Quilt Shot Block #66 ~ Campfire 

Quilt Shot Block #74 ~ Farm in the Valley

Quilt Shot Block #79 ~ Union

Quilt Shot Block #103~ Drummer Boy

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Thanks to the FREE program

 Photoscape for downsizing & watermarking photo & other alterations to pictures.

and making the quilt sample pictures with the COMBINE tool.

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Sharing at several Linky Parties.