Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks- Centrifuge

Hey there quilty friends!  Welcome to my stop on the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Volume 16 Road Rally blog tour!  I'm absolutely thrilled to share my block, Centrifuge with you.  It is in the pieced blocks section, and since they are arranged alphabetically by author, my block is at the very end and  super easy to find!

If you are familiar with my patterns, you know I love designs that have rounded elements mixed in, and blocks that create fun secondary patterns.  I definitely kept those features in mind when I designed this block. The block itself is made with basic piecing techniques, but when they are put together, they create some wow factor.

In this block, I used Kona Bluegrass, Navy, Pond, and White.  My original block in the magazine used Cloud 9 Cirrus Solid in Rain instead of Kona Pond, but when I got around to making my quilt, I couldn't get ahold of anymore.  Kona Pond is the closest, and it is a great match.  Since green is my favorite color, I let it take center stage in the block.  I love how fresh greens make me feel energized, while softer greens are so calming.

If sewing the snowball corners for the Centrifuge block seems daunting, take heart!  To keep your stitch line straight, many people recommend drawing a diagonal line across the back of your square as a guide.  I really hate this step, so I don't do it!  Instead, I use a piece of painter's tape aligned with my needle on my machine and table.  You can keep the corners of your square in line with the edge of the tape while you sew, and know that you're sewing a perfectly straight line every single time.  You'll zoom right through those corners in no time, with absolutely no line drawing.

As shown above, the Centrifuge blocks can stand alone to make a lovely quilt, but when I actually got down to making my quilt, I decided to play around and add a secondary element with pieced sashing and cornerstones.  

The pattern created reminds me of the intricate tile work seen in beautiful historic buildings, and I think it would look equally striking in prints as well as solids.

I hope you'll check out the amazing lineup of blocks included in the current issue of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 16.  I've already had the pleasure of thumbing through to see the wonderful array of creativity in the blocks, and I know you'll find lots in there that you love as well.