Granny Squares

When Piece 'o Cake came out with  Treasures & Tidbits, I fell pretty hard. So as any normal, red-blooded quilter would do, I ordered a layer cake of 10 inch squares, admired them and then added them to the stash. Sound familiar?

 Then, a few days ago, I ran across a new Great Granny Square Quilt Along that is starting up. Bingo! Granny Square blocks + the red/white/blue (throw in the yellow and aqua ones, too) squares from the collection and I've got the beginnings of the patriotic quilt I've been wanting to make.

 The Granny Square blocks have been everywhere lately and I love them so. I even made a little 6 inch one for the Farmer's Wife QAL, but it was called Checkerboard and the colors are arranged differently...same block though. (But not made the easy peasy way that the Great Granny blocks are!)

 I can tell that these blocks are going to be addicting to make! Here's my first one. I love it already. These "Great Granny Blocks" are a bit different in that they have one more ring of color....As Lori Holt describes it: There's the Baby in the center (mine is yellow), then the Mamma (mine is navy) then the Granny (the usual Granny square stops here) and finally the last ring is the Great Granny. The blocks are 12 inches finished. I'm planning to make 16 blocks all together. 

  I pulled out my new (to me) iron to try it out on my granny blocks...still has the price tag on it: SEE! I ran across this oldie but goodie at an estate sale last week and was so excited. I scooped it up, held it close and plugged it in. The cord is in perfect shape and, sure enough, it fired right up! (I didn't hold it close after that, in case you wondered!) Irons and I seem to have problems...I drop them; they spit water; they stop steaming, stop getting hot, etc, etc.  I quit using steam awhile back for quilting so this iron will be perfect: i.e., nice and heavy and HOT! I think we will be friends.

If you haven't jumped on the Granny Square Band Wagon yet, what are you waiting for? Now's the perfect time! There's even a flickr site for inspiration. 

You know you want to!