Wednesday, 1 June 2016

Lotus Block



The block pictured below was the 365 Challenge block for May 14; a lotus block in honor of Buddha’s birthday. I almost didn’t make it. A 6-inch block based on an 8x8 grid, it has 36 tiny pieces of fabric, lots of diagonal seams, and a dozen spots where corners must meet with absolute precision. Worse, it’s ungraceful; even if I managed to construct it perfectly I’d probably be unhappy with the finished product. I haven’t skipped a challenge block yet, though this one is the 134th. I’ve changed some of the block sizes to fit different projects, but I HAVE made all the blocks so far. 



I did some research and discovered the original Lotus Block – from 1934 – was drafted on a 7x7 grid. It has 24 pieces and only one Y-seam. The math was a bit of a hurdle, but it was absolutely worth the trouble.



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