You might like to know this....

but to find out you need to read on.   Sneaky eh!

A while back  (when I made my first set in circular block) Tilly told me a great way to do it.   I tell you  trying to learn a new technique over the telephone is a brain numbing experience.   That's when I realised I'm a visual learner.   Tilly turned to drink!

If you read this and you feel like I'm trying to teach my Granny how to suck eggs.... just humour me.   I mean well.

OK..here we go.....

First take you circle block and turn under and tack the 1/4" seam allowance.   Use a contrast thread that you can spot easily.   You can just about see the red thread I used.   Tacking like this gives you control over any points you may not want to cut the tips off!

Next....  take a square of background fabric slightly larger than the finished overall block size and  mark the centre.  Mark the centre of the circle block too.  OK.. you know what's coming next... match the centres and pin the circle to the background.   Both background and circle block are right side up.

Now to tack the two together.    Tack with the thread you will be using to machine sew.    Why?   Because you are not going to remove this tacking.

Bring the thread up through the background fabric right alongside the edge of the circle.     Here's where it gets a bit like applique..... (don't worry... it's not applique).

Insert your needle into the fold of the seam allowance on the circle... right on the outer edge... directly above where the needle exited the background fabric.... and take a long (1/2") stitch between the two layers of fabric.    Then insert the needle into the background  fabric directly below where the needle exited edge fold on the circle and make a similar long stitch through the background.   Repeat till you have the entire circle secured.   Finish with a back stitch.

Now.... remove the contrast thread that you used to tack the circle seam allowance.    Here's the bit I like.....

Cut away the background fabric behind the circle... leaving 1/4" seam allowance.   It's easy to do by eye.  You have the centre circle seam allowance as a guide....

Looks good already eh!

Now for the even easier part.    Take it to your sewing machine and stitch .... like this....

Fold back the background fabric.  Make sure the seam allowances are totally flat... then.... sew around the fold crease of the circle seam allowance.  Clever eh!   If you keep to that line you won't cut off any points... I promise.  

Press the seam of the inner circle... outwards

Turn the block over and congratulate yourself on being a genius!!

You can trim the block to size now.   Believe me this method is so quick not to mention painless.

Well...   that was a very long winded way of  telling you what I've been doing this week.    I've done some secret sewing too.... (no slacking for me) but of course I can't show you that.

Here's how the Crisis Wall looks now....

a little bit different too the last time I showed you.

I fiddled about a bit with this block too.....

The circle (that looks like propellers) is attached to the purple(ish) circle (as method above) and that segment at the bottom is pieced too.   I'm still  swithering over which background fabric to use.     Only three blocks more blocks to go.   There's another story behind one of them but I'll tell you that another time.

I got a new magazine this week.....

which is rather nice.   I do like the quilt on the cover.

Found these 4 blocks I hand pieced a long time ago too....

well.... my newly developed interest and expertese(!) in machine stitched "Y" seams lead me to this box of scrap strips....

just the right width for cutting more "Klosjes".   I'd love to hand piece the whole quilt but I'm no spring chicken and at the speed I hand stitch.....  time is not on my side!

Well.... that's about it for now.   The BUG has come back for another bite of this particular over ripe Cherry and I am wallowing in self pity right now.... sniff!!  ;o)

It's time for me to shut up and have my TV hour before bed.     An episode of NCIS would go down well tonight I think.   Gibbs is my kind of eye candy!     Love it when he drinks Whisky out of a dirty jam jar... what a man!

OK...... be good and have fun.   If you can manage both together .... well done!

See ya soon
Hugs
Josie