A few weeks ago, I pulled out my on-again-off-again Nearly Insane blocks (book by Liz Lois) and work on a couple blocks, in order. Block #18 has given me fits and starts, but early last week I may actually have won the battle.
Here is my final answer for Block #18.


The center fabric still looks a little busy compared to the bright pink star points and all the triangle stripes, but I'm good with it.
Part of my problem with the previous attempt at this block is that all those half-square triangles around the outer edge of the block never really fell into a process.
As you perhaps can see from the back of the final block, the seams are crazy, but they follow a pressing pattern. It's very systematic.
Totally crazy, too! (I hear you thinking that!)
This is the photo of the very same block from the back cover of the book. I changed it up quite a bit, simply because I didn't care for the sawtooth look of the original.
I used as many half square triangles in my version as in the original, in fact a few more than the original, and changed the way they were arranged around the center.


There are about 100 different block patterns in the book. No instructions of any kind other than the block diagram. #18 has significantly more pieces than any other, so it should be smooth sailing from here on, right?
These are all 18 blocks completed so far.
I think they''ll make a fun quilt. . . eventually!
I might be putting the Nearly Insane book away for a little while. I really have to get to some quilting. This project is a secret, but it's getting its turn at the quilting step.
I have a quilting plan, and that is more than half the battle!

Shut-down Pin Cushion #14 & 15
I'm still sticking with the one-pin-cushion-per-week plan and managed to finish two more puffy four-patch pin cushions in these past two weeks. The yellow/green and the gray and bluish in front are the newest additions to the pile.
Just for 'fun' I counted how many four-patch parts I have left to turn into pin cushions. . . 24. Ugh! Not even half-way yet. HOWEVER, if I continue on this trajectory, I could finish right around the end of the year. Wouldn't that put a positive spin on this crazy year?
I am still percolating over what to do with these little poofs!

For the step-by-step tutorial, jump over to the blog and scroll down to the first Puffy Fours post from March 5 to begin at the beginning of the four-part how-to series.
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