Moving along with the grid structured, raw edge appliqued squares design I showed in the previous post, after finishing nearly half the rows (29/64 ) I decided that I needed to make more of the pattern of nine squares in each ‘block’ or unit; the 9 Patch block being one of my favourite traditional blocks, and it’s permeating my thinking about how the work might be titled. Knowing the extra work that would be involved, a few days ago, with a heavy heart I decided I simply must remove half the little squares in every finished unit and replace them with a different colour before continuing on with the next 35 units in two colours.

To increase the complexity a little, I added 3 more colours to the palette, including a fairly strong orange silk organza which positively glows under the neon orange thread. I’m now fully caught up and moving ahead from the halfway point.

This final photo is of a section of the back of the base fabric onto which I’m applying the little ~1-25cm squares. Each square is fused into position, surrounded by two straight stitches per side and an X in the centre. Each group of 9 sits comfortably within the spring loaded hoop that holds the fabric firmly in place while I sew with stab stich motions.

Each square looks the same on the front given the sort of free form imprecise, organic, nature of my stitches, but interestingly, on the back there’s clearly no fixed pattern of which corner my needle goes to next. It might be interesting some time to sew a border or even a filling on the front, working it from the back, for example.