Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

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Pie Birds

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This is the first completed block in a Kim Diehl table runner that is made up of seven of these little guys.  It took quite some time to put it together, as each of those block triangles is actually two folded corner triangle units sewn together.  You do the sew and flip method with the black fabric on all the colored strips and then sew the smaller strip units together to make longer ones.  Lots of points and seams to line up, but the super scrappy effect is worth the bother.

34 different fabrics in each block, if you don't repeat any (I'm trying not to, but it's hard).  65 total pieces in each block.

In honor of my year to "Use It Up", I pulled fabrics from my Kim Diehl storage box.  I have so many scraps leftover from her Simple Whatnots projects that I could construct about twenty more Kim Diehl projects out of the leftovers alone.

Pattern is in the book "The Big Book of Table Toppers" by Karen M. Burns.

If you are wondering about the title of this post, "Pie Birds", that is the name she gave this little quilt.  It made no sense to me either until I really looked at the block from a distance.  The little black triangles are blackbirds baked in a pie!  See it?  How cute is that.

Super cute, but just wait.  This quilt was one of the wackiest I have ever made.  Here is how you sew the thing together:

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So, where are we going with this?  Well, this quilt needs to be trimmed up.  Keep in mind, each block has 65 pieces.  Seven blocks x 65 = 455.  Four hundred and fifty five little pieces that took FOREVER to line up perfectly with no points cut off, every seam intersection perfect.  And here is what I am supposed to do:

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Cut the sides off.  (Sound of Nicole sobbing…)

To be continued.

 

63 responses to “Pie Birds”

  1. I’d have a hard time cutting off so much of the block. Maybe keep the blocks intact and put in setting triangles!

  2. I’d have a hard time cutting off so much of the block. Maybe keep the blocks intact and put in setting triangles!

  3. I’d have a hard time cutting off so much of the block. Maybe keep the blocks intact and put in setting triangles!

  4. OMG, I don’t know if I should laugh or cry- that’s a LOT of work to just whack off. But, I’m in love- love little,fussy pieces!

  5. OMG, I don’t know if I should laugh or cry- that’s a LOT of work to just whack off. But, I’m in love- love little,fussy pieces!

  6. OMG, I don’t know if I should laugh or cry- that’s a LOT of work to just whack off. But, I’m in love- love little,fussy pieces!

  10. Holy smokes! It is really cute but , but, but what the heck???? MY mouth is hanging open until I hear “the end of the story”!!!!!
    Mary

  11. Holy smokes! It is really cute but , but, but what the heck???? MY mouth is hanging open until I hear “the end of the story”!!!!!
    Mary

  12. Holy smokes! It is really cute but , but, but what the heck???? MY mouth is hanging open until I hear “the end of the story”!!!!!
    Mary

  13. Too cute and super scrappy but I have to agree – cut thaose bits off?? I think not. Of course, you could sew them together for a different look …?
    What’s up in the next installment?!
    Hugs!

  14. Too cute and super scrappy but I have to agree – cut thaose bits off?? I think not. Of course, you could sew them together for a different look …?
    What’s up in the next installment?!
    Hugs!

  15. Too cute and super scrappy but I have to agree – cut thaose bits off?? I think not. Of course, you could sew them together for a different look …?
    What’s up in the next installment?!
    Hugs!

  16. I’d put in some set-in triangles! That’s too much work just to chop off. A pattern is just a guide right? Make it your own!!!

  17. I’d put in some set-in triangles! That’s too much work just to chop off. A pattern is just a guide right? Make it your own!!!

  18. I’d put in some set-in triangles! That’s too much work just to chop off. A pattern is just a guide right? Make it your own!!!

  19. Love this runner. Bought the book just for this pattern years ago, but have never attempted making it.
    I hope this story has a happy ending!!

  20. Love this runner. Bought the book just for this pattern years ago, but have never attempted making it.
    I hope this story has a happy ending!!

  21. Love this runner. Bought the book just for this pattern years ago, but have never attempted making it.
    I hope this story has a happy ending!!

  22. Yikes! that’s basically 2 blocks being cut off. All that work! Wonder why she couldn’t have written the pattern to only make 4 of those only partially? Even though…..love this.

  23. Yikes! that’s basically 2 blocks being cut off. All that work! Wonder why she couldn’t have written the pattern to only make 4 of those only partially? Even though…..love this.

  24. Yikes! that’s basically 2 blocks being cut off. All that work! Wonder why she couldn’t have written the pattern to only make 4 of those only partially? Even though…..love this.

  25. Hmmm. . . .could you sew them to the ends to square them off? It seems like that could work.
    Looking forward to “the rest of the story”.

  26. Hmmm. . . .could you sew them to the ends to square them off? It seems like that could work.
    Looking forward to “the rest of the story”.

  27. Hmmm. . . .could you sew them to the ends to square them off? It seems like that could work.
    Looking forward to “the rest of the story”.

  34. That’s my March piecing project. Now I am not so sure I want to do it. LOL Mine will not be as scrappy, I am still collecting navy and red fabric.

  35. That’s my March piecing project. Now I am not so sure I want to do it. LOL Mine will not be as scrappy, I am still collecting navy and red fabric.

  36. That’s my March piecing project. Now I am not so sure I want to do it. LOL Mine will not be as scrappy, I am still collecting navy and red fabric.

  37. NO, NO, NO!!! sew that back together, Nicole!!! Augh what a shame, heh. Well, its still super cute and you can’t beat those fabrics. I really like that there is no lights in it.

  38. NO, NO, NO!!! sew that back together, Nicole!!! Augh what a shame, heh. Well, its still super cute and you can’t beat those fabrics. I really like that there is no lights in it.

  39. NO, NO, NO!!! sew that back together, Nicole!!! Augh what a shame, heh. Well, its still super cute and you can’t beat those fabrics. I really like that there is no lights in it.

  40. Are.you.kidding.me???? I can’t even imagine doing all that work then whacking them up! You’re a braver quilter than I am! What a cliffhanger! Can’t wait to see what you end up with!

  41. Are.you.kidding.me???? I can’t even imagine doing all that work then whacking them up! You’re a braver quilter than I am! What a cliffhanger! Can’t wait to see what you end up with!

  42. Are.you.kidding.me???? I can’t even imagine doing all that work then whacking them up! You’re a braver quilter than I am! What a cliffhanger! Can’t wait to see what you end up with!

  43. I can’t BELIEVE it! All this work and then you just CUT IT OFF!?!?! Please tell me you don’t do this, please. I would some setting triangles and make a bigger table topper.

  44. I can’t BELIEVE it! All this work and then you just CUT IT OFF!?!?! Please tell me you don’t do this, please. I would some setting triangles and make a bigger table topper.

  45. I can’t BELIEVE it! All this work and then you just CUT IT OFF!?!?! Please tell me you don’t do this, please. I would some setting triangles and make a bigger table topper.

  49. On noooo! Maybe come up with your own design that would save those pieces?
    As always, I love your colors.

  50. On noooo! Maybe come up with your own design that would save those pieces?
    As always, I love your colors.

  51. On noooo! Maybe come up with your own design that would save those pieces?
    As always, I love your colors.

  61. It’s really gorgeous – and YES you were very brave to cut it after spending so much time with piecing it. I just saw the finish product on your other post and the final look was worth the pain.

  62. It’s really gorgeous – and YES you were very brave to cut it after spending so much time with piecing it. I just saw the finish product on your other post and the final look was worth the pain.

  63. It’s really gorgeous – and YES you were very brave to cut it after spending so much time with piecing it. I just saw the finish product on your other post and the final look was worth the pain.