My Leader/Ender Project for 2016

 Over the years, I have been intrigued by postage stamp quilts, but I couldn't imagine having enough  different fabrics to make one.  It takes thousands of pieces of fabric to make one.  Then in my browsing through the internet I came across a postage stamp swap... and I joined!  


The idea for this group is to take a 1.5in WOF strip and cut 25 squares. Do this 25 times for 25 identical sets.  At the time I joined, I was in the process... or just finishing my niece's wedding quilt.... and I had some extra fabric. Perfect! I had to dig through my stash to have the required 25... but I made it work.
 
I mailed the package off to the group leader and waited. In a short while I received a package back with 25 sets of squares.   There were several repeat sets from each quilter but my postage stamp quilt was born.  

Here are my first 8 blocks (my block is laid out and ready to sew at the top). You can see the remaining packages waiting to be sewn on the left.

Here are the steps I use to make these tiny blocks with 25 fabrics that finishes at only 5inches.....

1. Lay out the squares on my side table.

2.  Pick up and sew the first two vertical rows.

3.  Pick up and sew the last two rows.

4.  Add the center row two the first two rows.

5.  I feed through my main project.

6. Pin last 2 rows to first 3 rows.   

  

7.  My little block is now "webbed".

8.  I go back to working on my main project.  When I reach a breaking point I fold over and pin the top row to the next row of my little block and feed it through as an Ender.

9.  I feed through my little block, remove the main project.  Now my little block is a Leader to the next step of my main project.

To date I have made 52 little blocks... and I have a few more packages of little squares cut and ready to sew.  Yes, they are a little fiddly to work with such tiny pieces... but I'm having fun... and isn't that what sewing is all about!?

I am not sure what my final project will look like... I'm still searching the web for ideas.  I've found a few I like... I just have to decide when I have enough little blocks made to start.