Orange Peel, another scrappy dance
There are so many styles of patchwork I’d love to sew. Same for you? Most sampler quilts don’t actually scratch that itch, since they’re typically sewn with 1-off blocks. I’m really enjoying that with my 2022 sampler I get to dig into a shape, and repeat it a bit before moving onto something new.
My short but satisfying dance with the classic Orange Peel block begins, once again, with a little scrap magic - - -
Teal scraps and green scraps are the guests for this party, two groups of color adjacent on the color wheel. I’ll make orange peel blocks with subtle contrast: teal melons on green backgrounds or green melons on teal backgrounds.
Here are my first blocks! I sewed them with a new-to-me ruler called Classic Curves Ruler by Color Girl Quilts. This ruler can sew a lot of curved shapes in a lot of sizes, which peaked my interest. A free online video demonstrates how to cut and sew orange peel blocks with the ruler.
Well, the process was definitely more complicated than I expected. It used oversized fabric pieces, required trimming mid-block and cut the blocks down to size at the end. One aspect the blocks was always just big enough, thus not a lot of room for error. I also noticed that the finished orange peel shapes were maybe not as rounded as I would like. They’re a little on the skinny side.
My scrappy work in progress will be released in 2022 as a sampler block-of-the-month sew-along. With each group of patchwork I think carefully about choice of construction method, weighing factors like simplicity, cost, speed and how easy it is to achieve a good outcome. Orange peel blocks can also be hand appliquéd, but I thought I would prefer to machine piece the curves for the speed factor.
Well, my friends, I don’t! After getting comfortable with the pieced method, I hand sewed a few blocks (the middle ones here). The process was so much simpler, and I think it will be more enjoyable for those of you sewing along. It is likely more time consuming (depending upon your skill set), but the benefits speak for themselves:
a cuter, rounder melon shape
Uses less fabric for all parts of the blocks (less wasteful)
Uses smaller pieces of fabric (more scrap-friendly)
no special ruler investment
a flatter finished block
There are actually two groups of patchwork in our year-long sew-along that will call for hand piecing. If you’re a bit shy of this skill, don’t fret. It’s not a lot of blocks in total and you won’t need to rush. Maybe you’ll find, like me, that the break from your machine is surprisingly nourishing. I spent a few hours cozy on the sofa, hand stitching and listening to an audio book. It felt positively luxurious!
With the right thread, it’s not hard to make invisible stitches and create beautiful orange peel blocks!
Here’s the finished ensemble! The Orange Peel group shows up in two parts of the Pas de Deux sampler quilt. It also flows into another group beside it, thus the stair step sectio at center bottom. Just as with the other groups, it has to remain in a few pieces awaiting final assembly.
Well, that was fun! I very much enjoyed orange peels. Hmm, what group shall I sew next?
