Windmill Block Play

Ever since I got Sujata Shah's great book, I have been wanted to try her windmills pattern. I love everything about it - the free-cut shapes, the colors, and the windmill inspiration.  My grandparents lived on a farm, and I grew up in a small town, so windmills are a part of my past.  Very nostalgic.

Sujata's book.

Look at all of these yummy colors! As a birthday gift (thank you honey!), I got a "grab bag" of Cherrywood Fabrics' hand-dyed scraps.  Their fabrics have a unique, sueded texture, in addition to the gorgeous, rich, yummy colors. Perfect for my windmill blocks!

Sujata has us choose 4 fabrics, of contrasting values.  So I chose a bunch of "quartets" of fabrics - sort of like auditioning voices for a choir, isn't it?

First windmill vane block, cut.  This is four layers of fabric - a quartet - all 4 cut at once, with a ruler, but in gentle curves.  It is quite easy actually!

Then - you take the top-most center piece - the vane - and shuffle it to the bottom of the stack.  Now the pieces are ready to sew.  I kept these pieces right next to my sewing machine, which made piecing easy as pie, following Sujata's directions.  The curved piecing is easy.  No pressing until the piecing is done - her tip - which also makes the piecing quicker!

First block, done! Not sewn together, just arranged - I was anxious to see them together! The hand-dyeds fabrics work really well in this block! And the blocks pop out to easily, like popcorn - I can't wait to make more of them.

Two blocks completed.  Thank you Sujata for this great design!