Edna: Change it up

Oh Edna...you started off *so* simple and I just can't leave you alone! But thankfully the additions I'm making are still easy to use and the end result is so worth it! When I started with Edna, I wanted simple, straight lines with stars punctuating the points. I love negative space in quilts (like in an Irish chain or even my Dorothy quilt) as it gives breathing room and a chance to get really creative...or not! The simplicity of it just really speaks to me. And I love that about Edna. 

And then I thought about swapping out all of those large 10" squares for some low-volume prints in a four patch. I love when quilters do this (like Bec of Sew Be or Mary of Sew Mary Happy). It just feels so visually interesting, adds depth, and feels *old*. I think I like my quilts to feel old. It's just all of the nostalgia of my childhood with my grandmother's quilts piled in the cupboard as we always visited her Alabama home in the dead of summer when we'd *never* need an extra layer of anything. 

Anyways, I guess I just couldn't leave well enough alone because I had this nagging feeling that a square in a square would be fun in those blocks. And oh my, the mock up really grabbed me. 

But I didn't want to write the square in a square to put those fabrics on point because if someone wanted to use a layer cake for their squares, all of those prints would be a bit wonky. But the method I could use to avoid that would produce *a lot* of waste. Which I also deeply dislike. So....I decided to sew an extra seam on my square in a square blocks to produce a heap of HSTs. I did some quick math, sewed them together, and voila! Edna with a border! Dare I say I love this version most of all???? 

Now the math is kinda tricky for this one to get the HSTs "right". Actually, I can't really figure out how to get it "perfect". For the square throw, I trimmed my HSTs to 4.5" and sewed 16 for the top and bottom and 18 for the sides. Here's the orientation I used.

But the measurements of the other quilts make it a bit tricky. So if you're feeling like it's not going to be perfect and that will bother you, don't do the border. But! Here's what I suggest if you wanna try it. Trim your HSTs to 4.5" (for the toddler I'd do 3 7/8"). Measure the sides of your top (what the pattern math states and what my quilts end up at isn't always the same!) and subtract 1/2". Divide that number by 4 and that's how many HSTs you will need for the top and bottom borders. Add 2 more HSTs for the side borders. Again, it likely won't be perfect, but if not, you can save those HSTs for another fun project or work them into your backing! 

In case you need an extra visual of how you'll sew those lines to get the HSTs....

And the additional fabric requirements for the bonus variations of Edna!

 Alright friends, I hope you have as much fun with Edna as I have! You can find her here!