Stash Buster BOM Block #11 - Chain

Whew!  Breaking the "chain" from all the triangles with this block!

This one is super easy but you need to make 6 of them all alike.

 This quilt is made up of scrappy blocks and lots of fabrics (which is the idea and supposedly to help us bust our stashes!) and this block along with the 4 patch bonus block we made a few months ago is what ties it all together. 


You will notice that the center of this block and the 4-patch are the same.  When you have a lot of different blocks made of lots of different units a block like this can really help tie them all together.  Or if you will, "chain" them together ☺

Four patch block - you made 17 of them

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Cutting: 

 

A   2" x 2" squares

Cut 8 of red print (scraps)

Cut 8 of tan print (scraps)

Cut 8 of black (background)

 

B   3 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangle

Cut 4 of black (background)

 

 

C 3 1/2" x 2" rectangle - cut 4 of black (background)

 

As you know by now, I like to layout all the pieces.  Spencer seems to think he has to help with this part.

I start with the 4 patch units.

 

 

 I just chain piece them making sure I have them placed so I can just fold one over on top of the other and have them going the right way.  I also sewed the small squares to the inner rectangles at this time.

Once again, back to the layout part.  Just making sure everything is going the right way.  The red fabric is directional so I want to be sure I don't get one of them turned the wrong way.

 I always pin when I have things I need/want to match up.

 Center unit is complete.

 Sew the corner 4 patch units to the larger rectangles.  Pay attention to how you press these units so you can easily nest them together when you join the sides to the center unit. I pressed toward the big rectangles and away from the pieced blocks.

 Super easy.  Now make 5 more for a total of 6!

Note:  You can make these blocks using strip piecing for the four patch units, just cut your strips 2" sew them together and then sub cut into 2" units and sew together as usual.

 

Ta Dah!  Once you have all 6 made you are done with this step.  

kind regards,  Linda T.

 

Stash Buster BOM Block #10 - Magic Box

Just because I know you love triangles!

I wonder if the magic part of this block is when your points all come out perfect? The block reminds me of a combination of a Square in a Square and a Churn Dash.  I like blocks that have lots of pieces and sections so I can really get scrappy with it and this block is perfect for that!

As you can see I used five different prints and the black background fabric. If you want an even scrappier look you could add more - maybe the triangles are all different prints of the same color?  Go ahead, have some fun with it.

 Cutting:

A   3 7/8" x 3 7/8" square 

Cut 2 squares of background fabric and then cut on the diagonal once

Cut 2 squares of tan print (scraps) and then cut on the diagonal once

Cut 2 squares of black/tan print (scraps) and then cut on the diagonal once

B   6 1/2" x 2" rectangle 

cut 2 of background 

cut 2 of scraps

 

C   4 1/4" x 4 1/4" square

cut 1 of scraps and then cut again on the  diagonal twice to make 4 triangles 

D  3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square - cut one (scraps)

 

When I make a new block I always lay out the pieces to make sure I am happy with my choices. I also check for any fabrics that are directional and get things lined up properly.  As you can see my triangles have a stripe to them and I want to be sure they all end up going the same way.

I like to start with the center.  Take your square D and pair it with a triangle C.  

Make sure that the little ears are extending beyond the square and that they are even.  If not, go back and check your cutting.  This is an important step. Sew. Add the opposite triangle and press toward the center of the block.

Do the same thing with the remaining two triangles.  Be sure to keep an eye on those little ears.  This time press to the triangle.  Pay attention to the intersection at the tip of my scissors - it should be visible.  If you press correctly you should be able to see all 4 of them.  This is really helpful when you go to add the next set of triangles.

Center unit is complete. Points look good, seam allowance is correct. At this time you can square things up if you need to.  The center unit should measure 4 3/4" x 4 3/4" - be sure when/if you trim not to cut off the seam allowance on one side more than the other.  Take care when trimming!

 Now add the next set of triangles A.  Again note those little ears - make sure they are even and stick out on either side of your center unit.  You should have a 1/4" of fabric showing on each ear.

 When you go to sew the triangles on, place them on the machine bed so you can see that intersection at the tip of my pencil. If you need to, pin in place.  Make sure your line of stitching does not cross over that intersection or you will cut your points off.

 Perfection- points are intact.

 Yay.  All 4 points look good. On to the next step.

Remember to keep an eye on that intersection.

 Sew the rectangles together using a print (scraps) and a background piece. Press to the darker fabric.

 

 At this point I like to lay out all the parts just to make sure I have things going the right way.  Now it is basically like sewing a nine patch together.  Sew two of the rectangle units to the center square in square unit and press toward the rectangle unit.

 Watch out for that intersection I am always talking about ☺  Always sew with that on top and visible.If you do your points will come out perfect! 

 Sew one half square triangle unit to one rectangle unit.

 Repeat with the opposite end.  Press toward the rectangle.

Once pressed you should be able to see the intersection.  Repeat for the other side.

 Add the side units to this center unit to complete the block. Be sure to watch out for the intersection of the center square unit. I always pin at this point.  Make sure the opposing seams are nested together nicely and put a pin on either side.  Sew the last two seams and you are done!

Yay - all of the points are intact!   Block should measure 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" but don't stress too much if it is off a tad. The sashing will help with that when we go to put them all together.

Congratulations!  Block #10 is complete!!  

 If you find these tutorials helpful please leave a comment ☺

Linda T.

 

 

 

Stash Buster BOM #9

Cross and Crown ~ Get ready for more triangles!

 There are some that say this is a "Biblical" block and judging by the name I can see the connection.  There is a reference in Carrie Hall's block book and there are a few variations with the same name.  I love the history of quilting and especially quilt blocks and their names. 

No matter what you call it, this will be a nice addition to our BOM quilt! 

You may have noticed that the blocks are getting more involved as we go - this is part of my plan.  I call it skill building and with each block you expand your skills or reinforce what you already know how to do.  Give them a try and if you need help, post a comment at the end of the blog post.

 

 

 

Cutting

A)  2 7/8" x 2 7/8" square

Cut 1 square of tan print (scraps)

Cut 4 squares of gold print (background)

 

B) 3 5/8" x 3 5/8" square

Cut 2 squares of gold print (background) and then cut on the diagonal twice.

 

Cut 2 squares of red print (scraps) and then cut on the diagonal twice. 


You will end up with 8 triangles each of scraps and background.

I cut the large triangles and the small triangles from different red prints - you can make them the same or more scrappy as I did.  That is one of the things I love about quilting - we get to do what we like!

 

C)  2 7/8" x 5 3/8" rectangle

Cut 4 rectangles of gold print (background)  

 

D) 5 5/8" x 5 5/8" square 

Cut 2 squares red (scraps) and then cut once on the diagonal to yield 4 triangles.

 

 

 

Once I have the pieces cut out I like to lay them all out so I can make sure I have what I need and like the fabric and placement.  Every once in a while I will make a change in the fabric choices at this point - no problem, I have lots of fabric!  ☺

 

I start with the triangles.  This one is a bit tricky to keep organized the correct way as it is easy to sew on the wrong side and end up with the color placement messed up.  Piece all of the triangle units at this point.  They should look like the top unit in the photo. (Keep in mind that there is a left version and and a right version.)

After I sew them together and press to the dark. I then place them back in position and then add that unit to the square as shown.  Pay attention to the color orientation and position.  Again it is easy to sew the triangle unit to the wrong side.

Press to the dark.  After I have the square added I then add the remaining triangle unit.   You will be making 4 of these units.

Some tips on construction of the triangle units:

When adding the triangle unit to the squares make sure that the edges of the triangle unit are aligned to two sides of the square.  It is easy to not align them correctly and it will create problems going forward.  I make sure that the edges are perfect and then I pin! Sew and press - don't skip the pressing part!

The same steps are used to add the other triangle unit to the opposite side of the square.  Be sure to align both edges of the triangle unit with both edges of the square.  Pin and sew a scant 1/4" seam.  Press to the dark.

This is what your triangle units will look like from the wrong side.  Notice you can see the intersections on the perimeter of the unit along two edges.  

This is important and will ensure that you don't cut your points off in the next step.  There are some instances where construction trumps this - you cannot see the intersecting seam along the bottom of the triangle. (see pic below) but I thought it was more important to be able to see the two outer seams versus the one on the bottom.  That way I only risk cutting off one point versus two ☺

If I would have pressed to the light you would see the intersecting seam along the bottom but then the two on the other edges of the triangle would have been hidden.  I always go for the most visible option and in this case it came from pressing to the dark. 

 Once again I layout all the units and double check my orientation.  At this point you can sew two rectangles to the center square.

 

Lay the triangle unit on top of the large triangles and sew a scant 1/4" seam.  Take care to "feel" where the seam intersection is along that edge and do your best not to sew the point off. ☺ You can also peek as you come to that part in the seam to make sure you are on the seam side as opposed to the point side as you sew.   If you are not clear about this there are plenty of pics in the early block posts about that intersection and how to sew so you don't cut the points off.

Once I have my triangle units made into squares I press to the red - it makes a cleaner feeling block with less bulk and while it breaks the rule of "press to the dark" it makes for better construction and a flatter block.  Sometimes construction trumps the rule.

 

Sew a rectangle to two of the pieced triangle/squares as shown.  Press to the dark.  Repeat.

Your center rectangle/square unit is pressed to the light so the seams can nest nicely when you put them together.  Again construction trumps the rule.

For the last two seams you want to pin taking care to align the center square with the rectangles so they match perfectly.  Pressing correctly helps with this.  I always pin from the center out since the center alignment is the most important.  Press the final two seams and call this baby done!!!

 You may have noticed that the rectangles are a bit longer than the block.  The cutting measurements in the pattern called for a 5 5/16 long rectangle - since none of my rulers have that fine of a measurement I opted to upsize a bit and go with 5 3/8" knowing that was easier to cut out the pieces using that measurement.  I figured since the rectangles ended up along the perimeter I could always trim after the block was made.

If you are not sure about any of the steps in construction just post a comment below and I will do what I can to help you. 

Ta Dah!  Block #9 is completed!  Good job!   


See you next month, quilty hugs....Linda T.

 

 

 

 

Stash Buster BOM Block #8

And the fun continues with Dutchman's Puzzle

This block is made up completely of triangles but with the no waste method of making flying geese units, it goes together pretty easily.

Always makes me think of windmills and I wonder if that is how it got it's name...

Cutting

Squares are all you need to make this block.  I will show you a super fun and easy way to make flying geese units.

A)  3 7/8" x 3 7/8" square

Cut 8 squares of gold (background)

Draw a line from corner to corner on each of the A squares on the diagonal.

 

B) 7 1/4" x 7 1/4" square 

Cut 1 square red print (scraps)       

Cut 1 square of green print (scraps)

 

Construction

 

Using the no waste method of making flying geese lay two squares of background on one square of scrap fabric.  The line you drew on the background fabric should intersect where the squares overlap.  Pin.

 

 

 

 

 

Sew a 1/4" seam on both sides of the drawn line. Pay attention the the drawn line and sew as accurately as you can, if you are off just a bit your geese will  not turn out the correct size.  After sewing it is a good idea to double check your seam and make adjustments or re-sew if necessary.

 

 Cut along the drawn line.  Press the small triangles (may or may not be the dark) away from the larger triangle.

 

 

Lay another background square on top of the unit you just completed. 


Get a little extra help holding it down if you need it.  Spencer is always up to the task.  Pin in place.





Take to sewing machine and while carefully balancing 12# of cat on your lap sew on both sides of the drawn line as you did above.  Place cat on desk and get up and check to be certain your seam measures exactly 1/4". 

 

Cut on drawn line. Press away from the large triangle (it may or may not be to the dark).

 

 

You will end up with 4 flying geese units and you never had to cut a triangle!  ☺



You will repeat the process with the other large square and remaining background squares. Trim the ears before the next step.

 

 

 I like to layout all the units that make up the block before I sew them together.  This is a good time to make any adjustments for directional fabrics.  You can see that both of my fabrics are directional.  I played around with the layout until I got them going the same way.

 

 

 Sew two flying geese units together following the layout above. You will make 4 two pair units. 

Pay close attention to the intersection at the top of the big triangle....don't cut that point off! 


After pressing each unit I then lay them out again making sure I have them going the way I want them to.

 

Sew together in pairs again. 













Press the seam in opposite directions so when you put the final seam in they nest nicely together.

 

Pin the two halves together making sure to align the center exactly.  Sew, taking care with the intersections of the triangles.  

 

Give the block a good press and pat yourself on the back. ☺

 

Ta Dah!  Block #8 Dutchman's Puzzle is complete!!!