Me Thinks a Beothuk Update is Needed

Our friend Sandra at mmm Quilts is hosting a fun quilt along called Beothuk.  Tomorrow she will release some tips and information to get into the next steps of the quilt top.  Sandra has FOUR different options for making this quilt.  Version 4 would be your choice if you’d like to select your own fabrics, while one through three reflects some or all of the fabrics pictured here.  I am sure think that you could still obtain the bundle from Bernie at Needle and Foot on Etsy.

Beothuk cut

Our pretty fabrics all organized and labeled

We are making Version 3 which reflects different star fabric colors in each of the four quadrants, as well as a fifth star color in the center that you may have missed.  I overlook that center star each time I look at this photo!

Beothuk Star New Coloring

Beothuk photo courtesy of Sandra

Beothuk Planning

Again, I carefully made a list of all the different HST pieces we need from the instructions given two weeks ago.  The Cutting Department, a.k.a. Sue, and I went through the instructions and eventually pulled out all of the 4″ fabric pieces that she had cut.  She kept the 3.5″ blocks that she carefully labeled earlier in the month.  Sewing commenced before you knew it I had a BIG ‘ole stack of HSTs to deal with.

Beothuk uggg

Exactly 96 half-square triangles (HSTs) if you want to know my definition of big ‘ole.  Details completed prior to this step was shared earlier our recent update on Beothuk.  I have been kind of dragging my feet in the pressing and trimming department.  Fortunately, on Mother’s Day we got a chance to do whatever we wanted and we wanted to watch Four Weddings on TLC and play in the sewing room.  Sue was tasked with a last minute DrEAMi project thanks to Sandra (more later) but it involves red and blue fabrics.  I had to concentrate on trimming – keep your eyes on the cutting mat and rotary cutter – no red and blue distractions allowed.  Thanks to Jan at Cocoa Quilts to remind me that I could use the 4″ Bloc Loc to trim 3.5″ blocks.  Yeah, duh.

I started trimming and then noticed that I had sewn one square or HSTs backward.  I could let it go but it like a neon blinking sign to me.  “Look at this very obvious mistake that you didn’t fix” – blink, blink.  Sooooo, that will be corrected before I trim those two.  That led to an early break after about one-third were trimmed.

Beothuk break

Two offending HSTs just barely made the photo!

Beothuk Background Repeated

I have to share the background of the Beothuk people with you again because it seems they have been forgotten long enough.  They were the descendants of an Indian culture called the Little Passage Complex.  Good ‘ole Google informs me that they are the aboriginal people of the island of Newfoundland. They were Algonkian-speaking hunter-gatherers who probably numbered less than a thousand people at the time of European contact.  They became extinct in 1829 mostly from disease.

Beothuk cut

As I was pressing open the HSTs, I had totally forgotten what the green-labeled fabric above looked like.  I was running through the labels and mentally thought this is not part of the quilt.  Which color could this be – it looks black, it looks gold, hmm.  Fortunately, The Organizer (Sue) was available to set me on the straight and narrow and called out green.  Oh!  Yes, indeed.  What was I thinking?

 

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9 Responses

  1. Thanks for sharing your Beothuk adventures. I would have had to redo those HSTs too. Once you’ve seen them, you can’t unsee them.

  2. chrisknits says:

    The stack right there is why I do 1-3 blocks at a time. I can’t stand to trim that many pieces!!!

  3. Love seeing those fabrics getting worked up (not you at the trimming oh no) into the quilt! You’re right about the centre star; it disappears and then reappears right? Thank you for sewing along with me again 🙂

  4. This is such a fun and simple QAL. Also there are so many possibilities with colors and prints. I really like your selection and I am sure you will make a lovely quilt. I will sit this one out as I catch my breath from all the other commitments and deadlines. But trust me, I will be rooting for you all the way to the grand finale 🙂

  5. Like Kathleen, I trimmed as I did a group; it tends to make my whining much quieter. Ha! Did you hear me oohing and aahing over the fabric over here? I’m seriously trying not to go to Bernie’s shop and order yardage . . . but my HSTs are done!

  6. Coming along nicely. I trimmed as I did a group – which was a help. I love that you did the original fabrics, but forgot one was in it. That would never happen to me 😂

  7. I love the layout and fabrics!

  8. You’ve reminded me that I need to continue working on my HSTs! That trimming part is never a favorite of mine, but I’ll feel good when I get it all done. That pink print you’re working with is sure pretty!

  9. This project is coming along nicely. I think you made the right decision to redo those two HSTs. Looking forward to your next update. Take care, Mary.

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