Today starts Week 3 of the Rocking Chair Quit Along.  Once you finish this step, you are halfway there; can you believe it?  The prompt for this week is to make the next half of the log cabin blocks.  If you’d like, you can review last week’s post for tips and suggestions on chain piecing.

I thought this week I would take a minute and share a little bit more about this block.  You may have noticed that I refer to them as “log cabin style” or “modern log cabin blocks.” (Edit: This block is actually known as a Courthouse Steps Block)  That is because they differ from the traditionally-pieced log cabin block.  A traditional log cabin block places strips around a center square in a counter-clockwise direction.  The Courthouse Steps Block however, pieces the strips on top and bottom and then left and right sides.  

It’s a small switch but I felt like it made cleaner lines and gave the block a more modern feel. So, while there is not a new tip for your blocks this week, I think it’s fun to look a little deeper at the design details and how they shape a quilt.

The last step to include for this week is to cut up your blocks.  That’s right, several of your blocks now need to be cut in half!  I have never met a quilter who likes this part, and secretly I usually hold my breath too.  There is not a real trick to this step, just make sure that your ruler is straight and you cut from point to point on your square.  I promise it’s not hard, just a little terrifying after you spent so much time sewing the blocks together!

Next week is our catch-up week.  So if you need to slow down this week, feel free to take a breather.  However make sure to post a progress picture to Instagram before Sunday night because we have an awesome prize lined up for this week- a set of custom quilting pins from @seamssewme.