January Block Lotto Blocks

The Blocks for the January Lotto are red String pieced Hearts.  We were asked to share how we make the blocks so I took some process photos.

From the box of red strings selected a range of longer ones.










Then decide which to put next to which -  ummm, that usually gets mixed up at some stage of the sewing!






Picked up first two and stitch, and then chain-piece each of the other pairs.

I cut apart the pairs and lay them down again.   I now sew these pairs into fours, but I sew from the other direction - this means that I have sewn half the seams in one direction and the other half in the other direction and this sort-of keeps the slabs of strings from curving too much.   I try to align all the ends on one side.

I press all the seams in one direction.

For the heart blocks we had to cut two rectangles - look! bits left-over to start the next one!

We added the white squares on the corners, but I like to sew another seam and keep the extra half-triangle squares for a some-day project.









On the left is the final Heart Block.

I followed the same process for one below.  The one on the left I made by adding smaller then bigger red triangles in a circular arrangement until the made fabric was big enough.

And then stitched up the extra made HST squares into little wonky windmills to add to the growing pile!   The blog header picture shows lots of green and white wonky windmills bordered with scrap purple strips - but that's as far as those have gone!