Hearts & Gizzards

Not a very attractive name, is it—why not just go the whole hog, and call the block 'offal'? Nevermind, what it lacks by way of a charming moniker, it makes up for in design appeal. Looking at the block again, perhaps it is a little on the twee side, so maybe the intention was for the name to offset the sweetness and give it a gritty edge? This is the latest block I've been set on my patchwork & quilting course, and it will probably be the last one I do for a while, owing to an enormous pile of works in progress that need to be finished. I also have an equally long list of things I want to do (including some indigo dyeing for my next quilt) that will never get done if I'm constantly trying to keep up with homework!

We were warned Hearts & Gizzards would be a challenging block to make. That we wouldn't enjoy it. That we might take several attempts to get it right. However, I loved everything—apart from the awful name—about this block. But perhaps I'm perverse, tell me I can't do something, won't, or shouldn't like it and I'll be sure to say 'why not'?

I can't deny that it's a fiddly block to make—there's a lot of tricky matching up curves, and, when you cut the fabric you have to make sure the grain falls in the same direction on all the pieces—but if you like hand sewing, this is the block for you.

To be honest, the thing I found most annoying about this block was trying to photograph it. The nights have well and truly drawn in here and sunlight makes increasingly rare appearances. On the few occasions it does appear, I immediately drop what I'm doing, grab my camera and try to catch the daylight before it disappears, leaving pans to boil over, emails to go unanswered and proper work in suspended animation.

Oh for a light infused loft-cum-studio somewhere warm and sunny like the Caribbean!.

Elizabeth,
x.