More Cat’s Cradle Ruler Projects

I’ve been playing with combining the small and large Cat’s Cradle ruler blocks.

The first top, “Fall’s Splender” is on the longarm. This quilt uses JUST the large ruler, and the blocks are 8 inches finished, so the quilt is 64 by 64 inches. I am including this top on this post as its backing, an old Kaffee Fasset print living in my stash for over 20 years, inspired these rich colors.

Yesterday I finished a top, using the above colors, that combines the 4-inch Cat’s Cradle blocks (small ruler) with the 8-inch blocks (large ruler). And Oh My Heavens! How fun is this top? And it is a great example of what can happen when you just let yourself “play” on a design wall.

I first made the left panel of 4 by 8 rows, then moved to the right panel of 4 by 8 rows, to mirror the left panel. ***Along the way I learned that pressing ALL the seams open while making the blocks worked to let them combine without a lot of bulk.

I have another large piece of fabric in my stash that will just fit this quilt top, and the use of it inspired this quilt’s name: “Spring’s Song.”

The soft greens and golds work fine with the top. I’ll probably bind with the green, Kona “Tarragon.” And today I’ll join the two panels I’ve prepped so that the print matches. There IS a diagonal part to this print that makes matching the print a good idea, and I have enough to just squeak this backing out with a bit to spare.

*Note that when you join two panels you have to match the edges, the length of the “drop” of the print, but you ALSO have to think about how the print matches on both panels along the width. On this one, I’ll lose about 5 inches I think, but that will still work for me. Often if you just try to join two panels without moving one to the actual piece of the pattern you are trying to match, you get two of something in the middle in a way that jars–like two identical trees, in this case. Those stand out in a way that jars the eye.

I still have a lot of this solid fabric and have lots of extra big blocks, so there will be a third and final quilt, which will likely be a donation quilt.

Time will tell…

But, I have a plan happening on the design wall now.