Interlocking Seasons Block

Interlocking Seasons Block En Point

This is the first of 30 blocks I'm doing for a quilt for family.  Have been working on these for a long time and have not wanted to share any of it since it's a present, but I just can't wait any longer!!  I have the centers done for all of them now--actually about twice as many as I need since putting it en point won't use as many.  Will have a bunch to make some table runners or other things with.

It's an interesting block to make and am fascinated by the process it must have taken to figure out!  These are colors my family members picked out--not ones I'd have chosen, but have fallen in love with them and love the subtlety the various fabrics have produced.  Can't remember how many maroons, but there are two golds and five blacks.  The original blocks were made using strips 1.25" wide and various lengths in each color.  Mine are 2" strips so my center measures considerably more and with black triangles, it's even bigger.  I loved working with those sizes.

Here's where it originated from:  http://theparfaitcafe.com/?p=228   and there's a pdf file for it.  If you're interested, my strip lengths were 2 (her 1.25), 2 x 3.5 (her 2), 2 x 5 (her 2.75) , 2 x 6.5 (3.5).  I'm not sure it's exactly as hers are, but the triangles I used are cut from a 12.5 square.   

Pieces laid out so could be chain pieced.

Markings on red pieces with Roxanne's white marker          
 so could line up golds across from each other

Pencil lines drawn so can line up reds across from each other.
I'd lay that little clear ruler along the red pieces already sewn.
Pencil marks barely show and after awhile did them on right side of fabric.

At first, I sewed each "season" section together, but after a few were done, figured out it was much easier and faster to chain sew all red and gold squares to their black counterpart, reds to the 5" blacks, etc.  They were all done in sets of four, so it worked out well.  Then they were cut apart and ironed so could go to next step, then next, etc.  It also seemed to work out best when it came time to put all four "seasons" together--especially after I re-read her instructions on the last little black square over a couple times.  Even so, each inner square with all four seasons took over an hour to put together.  I'm compulsive about ironing well, so that is included in time.  Of course, doesn't count cutting everything--here's where my strip cutter (Donna Dewberry's by Fiskar) worked really well.  Think got it at Joann's when 1/2 off.  Worth it!!