Patchwork Blocks

27 Patchwork Blocks

Table of Contents Raspberry Kiss (X) ..................................................................................................................... 3 Simple Heart (<3) .................................................................................................................... 11 Economy Block (or Square in a Square) ................................................................................... 16 Basic Cat Block ........................................................................................................................ 22 Pinwheel Blocks ...................................................................................................................... 27 Friendship Star Block............................................................................................................... 28 Cross Stitch Block .................................................................................................................... 33 Churn Dash Block .................................................................................................................... 39 Hashtag Block ......................................................................................................................... 43 Flying Geese Block .................................................................................................................. 46 Mini Spool Block ..................................................................................................................... 51 X and + Scrappy Block ............................................................................................................. 55 Patchwork Wheel block .......................................................................................................... 62 July star blocks ........................................................................................................................ 66 Ribbon Star Block .................................................................................................................... 70 Woven Block ........................................................................................................................... 77 Tic Tac Toe block ..................................................................................................................... 84 Easy weathervane quilt block .................................................................................................. 87 String Block ............................................................................................................................. 89 Paper Pieced Geese ................................................................................................................ 92 North West Quilt as you go block .......................................................................................... 101 Solstice Stars with 5 options.................................................................................................. 111 Ribbon star quilt block tutorial .............................................................................................. 112 Whirling star quilt block tutorial ............................................................................................ 115 Another star quilt block tutorial ............................................................................................ 124 Star of mystery quilt block tutorial ........................................................................................ 131 Two colors star quilt block tutorial ........................................................................................ 142 Links: .................................................................................................................................... 146

Raspberry Kiss (X)

Directions for Making a 4 1/4" finished block Fabric cutting Centre cross block cut 4 -1 1/2" background fabric squares 2 -1 1/2" cross fabric squares 1 -3 1/2"x 1 1/2" cross fabric rectangle

Corner triangles cut 2 - 3" squares Then cut each square in half diagonally to yield 4 triangles. If you're using a directional fabric, as I have here, make sure to cut the squares in opposite directions as I've done below (that is, if you'd like the fabric to go in a uniform direction).

Directions for block assembly Use a 1/4" seam allowance throughout.

Sew the centre cross block together.

The centre cross block should measure 3 1/2" square at this point.

Add the corner triangles.

I like to lay them out before sewing them together.

The triangles need to be centred on each side. To line the triangles up accurately, I fold both the triangle and the centre block in half and finger press a crease at the centre. I like to fold each piece in opposite directions so that when lined up, they nestle inside each other. Here I've folded the centre cross block with right sides together...

and the triangle with wrong sides together.

Nestle the fold in the triangle into the fold in the cross block as shown here and sew.

Repeat the process on the opposite side so that you now have two triangles attached to your cross block.

Press your block.

Repeat the process with the two remaining triangles

Press your block.

Trim the ears.

Your first block is finished...

Simple Heart (<3)

If you only want to make one block instead of a whole quilt you’ll need: 2 print strips 2 1/2” x 4 1/2”, 2 background 2 1/2” squares, 4 background 1” squares, 2 background strips 2” x 4 1/2”, 2 strips 2” x 7 1/2”.

To make the block: 1. On each of the 2 1/2” background squares draw a diagonal line from corner to corner. Place a square at the bottom of each 2 1/2” x 4 1/2” strip as shown.

2. Sew along the drawn line. Trim the corner leaving 1/4”, and press out.

3. Place a 1” square in each top corner of the print strips. Draw a diagonal line (or eyeball it) and sew from corner to corner on each square as shown below.

4. Trim corners leaving 1/4”, and press seams open.

5. Pin seams and sew the two sides together. Press seam open.

6. Layout 2 of the 4 1/2” strips, and 2 of the 7 1/2” strips. Sew the side strips to the block first, press out, then sew the top and bottom strips on. Block should measure 7 1/2”.

To make the quilt: Layout the blocks in 5 rows of 4 blocks each. Sew blocks together to form the rows(seams won’t nest so make sure to pin…or don’t…I won’t tell), press seams in alternating directions. Sew rows together to make the quilt top.

Add the borders. Cut 2 border strips 4 1/2” x 35 1/2”, then pin and sew a strip to each side of the quilt, press out. Cut 2 border strips 4 1/2” x 36 1/2”, pin and sew a strip to the top and bottom of the quilt. Press out. Done!!! When you get ready to bind, you’ll need to cut 5 strips 2 1/2” x width of fabric.

Economy Block (or Square in a Square)

These instructions are for piecing a 5 1/2 inch Economy Block (including seam allowances).

For each block you will need: ONE 3 inch center square TWO 3 inch squares for inner triangles TWO 4 inch squares for outer triangles Step 1 Cut squares for the inner and outer triangles in half on the diagonal.

Step 2 Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance sew a small triangle to the top and bottom of the center square. Press seam allowances away from the center square. Trim off excess fabric.

Step 3 Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance sew remaining inner triangles to the remaining sides. Press seam allowances away from the center square.

Step 4 Trim the unit to measure 4 inches x 4 inches. Place the 2 inch line of your ruler directly on top of the center point of the unit adding a quarter inch allowance all around:

Step 5 Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance sew the outer triangles to the unit (in the same manner as described in step 2 and step 3 above).

Step 6 Trim the unit to measure 5 1/2 inches x 5 1/2 inches by placing the 2 3/4 inch mark of your ruler on what will be the center point of your unit (where the seams

intersect), adding a quarter inch all around (see the black arrow). You will notice also that the center square is framed by the 1 1/2 inch and 4 inch lines on your ruler (see the red arrows).

And now you have a perfectly pieced 5 1/2 inch Economy block.

Of course there are other ways to piece this block including by cutting the exact size triangles and therefore avoiding the trimming process however I tend to prefer oversizing and trimming units, especially when it comes to triangles. There is no right or wrong way, do what works for you and what you are comfortable with.

Basic Cat Block

Unless otherwise noted, all seams are sewn with 1/4" seam allowance and pressed open. To make a basic 4" x 5" (4½" x 5½" with seam allowance) cat block, you will need:

For the Cat 2 pieces 2" x 2" each for the ears 1 piece 4½" wide x 4" tall for the face For the Background 1 piece 2" x 4½" for the ear unit 2 pieces 1½" x 1½" each for the chin

Step 1: Make the Ear Unit With right sides together, place the 2" x 2" ears on top of the 2" x 4½" piece of background fabric, aligning the ears with the outside edges of the background fabric.

Use a fabric marker to draw a diagonal line from the upper left to the bottom right corner of the left ear. Draw a second diagonal line from the lower left to the upper right corner of the right ear.

Sew along the marked lines to create diagonal seams. Trim away the excess fabric to leave 1/4" seam allowance and press the seams open to finish the ear unit.

Step 2: Make the Chin With right sides together, place the 1½" x 1½" pieces of background fabric on top of the cat face, aligning them with the lower left and lower right corners.

Use a fabric marker to draw a diagonal line from the upper left to the bottom right corner of the background fabric piece on the left. Draw a second diagonal line from the lower left to the upper right corner of the background fabric piece on the right.

Sew along the marked lines to create diagonal seams. Trim away the excess fabric to leave 1/4" seam allowances and press the seams open to make the cat's chin.

Step 3: Finish the Block Sew the ear unit to the top of the face unit to finish the block.

You'll probably notice that, at this stage, your cat's chin looks a little pointy. Don't worry! It will look just right once you sew it into your project.

Square Block Variation The Cat Block can be turned into a 6" x 6" finished (6½" x 6½" with seam allowance) block by adding the following pieces of background fabric: 2 pieces 1½" x 5½" sewn to the left and right sides of the block 2 pieces 1" x 6½" sewn to the top and bottom of the block

Pinwheel Blocks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekYpJzHoW6E

Friendship Star Block

Block Size: 6" Grid size: 2" All seam allowances (SA) are 1/4".

When you are instructed to press, first press the pieced unit flat to set the seam. Then open the patch, pressing from the front. Seam allowances are pressed to the dark fabric unless otherwise noted.

Step 1: Cut the fabric patches Light Two 2-7/8"(3-1/8") squares** (polka dot) Four 2-1/2" squares Dark (print)

Two 2-7/8"(3-1/8") squares** One 2-1/2" square

Patches for the half square triangles are marked with **.

I like to make my HSTs larger than required and trim them to the actual size after stitching. The patches in this tutorial were cut at the number in () to accomplish this.

The Quick Piecing method is used to make them.

Step 2: Assemble the Half Square Triangles Draw a diagonal line on the backs of two 2-7/8" squares with a pencil or other marking tool.

With RST, layer a light square with its dark counterpart, aligning all the edges. Stitch a quarter inch on both sides of the line, and repeat for the second pair of squares.

The arrow points to the anchor cloth.

Cut these units in two on the drawn line.

Press.

You now have 4 HSTs. If you started with oversized patches (as I did in this tutorial) you'll need to trim them to 2-1/2" square.

Step 3: Assemble the block Lay out your HSTs and cut squares as they will be sewn.

You could turn all the HSTs a quarter turn counterclockwise and your star would spin in the opposite direction. Either direction is just fine, the choice is yours!

Stitch the units in the rows together. Press with the SAs towards the cut squares and away from the half square triangles. This allows for your seam allowances to nest which makes matching them oh-so-much easier!

Stitch the rows together.

The arrow points to the anchor cloth.

One final press and your Friendship Star quilt block is finished.

Cross Stitch Block

The Sizes This block could be made in a ton of sizes, but here are the measurements for 10 different sizes.

The Instructions

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Step 1: Cut out one square of the background fabric and two cross strips per the size chart above.

Step 2: Cut the square in half diagonally, creating two half square triangles.

Step 3: Fold each half square triangle in half and finger press the center to leave a crease. Do the same with one of the cross strips.

Step 4: Line the center of the strip up with the center of the half square triangle and pin in place. Stitch them together with a perfect scant ¼” seam. Press the seam towards the cross strip.

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Step 5: Line the center of the remaining half square triangle up with the center of the pieced strip and pin it in place. Stitch them together with a perfect scant ¼” seam. Press the seam towards the cross strip.

Step 6: Cut the block in half diagonally again, at the other angle, creating two half square triangles.

Step 7: Fold one half square triangle in half and finger press the center to leave a crease. Do the same with the remaining cross strip.

Step 8: Line the center of the strip up with the center of the half square triangle and pin in place. Stitch them together with a perfect scant ¼” seam. Press the seam towards the cross strip.

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Step 9: Fold the remaining half square triangle in half and finger press the center to leave a crease.

Step 10: Line the center of the strip up with the center of the half square triangle. Make sure the two cross strips come together to create a perfect cross line.

Step 11: This is a great time to glue baste. Use washable school glue within the seam allowance, line the half square triangle up with the strip and heat set the glue. Then before you sew, you can open the block to make sure everything lines up (in smaller circle).

Step 12: Stitch them together with a perfect scant ¼” seam. Press the seam towards the cross strip.

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Step 13: Center the block under a ruler and trim it to your desired size. Example: If you are trimming the block to 3", line up the 1 1/2" mark of your ruler with the center of your block. Repeat when you trim all sides. Tip: If the ruler wants to spin and wiggle when you try to cut, try putting a few pieces of masking tape on your ruler to act as a grip. You could also use a larger ruler that will apply more weight to the block.

Step 14: Success! You now have a super cute Cross Stitch Block!

Churn Dash Block

This tutorial makes a 9" finished block (9 1/2" unfinished).

You’ll need: 1 – 3 1/2" square (the blue fabric) 2 – 3 7/8" squares print fabric (orange fabric) 2 – 3 7/8" squares white fabric 1 – 2" x 15" strip of print fabric 1 – 2" x 15" strip of white fabric

1. Draw a diagonal pencil line from corner to corner on each white square. Place the white squares and print squares right sides together, sew a scant 1/4" on each side of the pencil line, cut down the pencil line, and press towards the print fabric. When your done you should have four half square triangles that measure 3 1/2" each.

2. Sew the 2" strips together, press towards the print fabric. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a look at your pieces so far:

3. Cut the strip until into four squares 3 1/2" each.

4. Layout your pieces into the block. Sew the pieces into 3 rows. Press top and bottom row seams towards the center unit, and the center row seams towards the outer units.

5. Press the block well, it should measure 9 1/2".

Hashtag Block

Materials needed: 2– 2 1/2″ X 8″ strips / dark fabric 3– 2 1/2″ X 8″ strips / light-background 2– 2 1/2″ X 10 1/2″ strips / dark fabric Hashtag Quilt Block Tutorial: 1) Line up strips in order and sew together

2) Cut into 3– 2 1/2″ strips

3) Lay in order and sew together. * When sewing the pieced strips to the solid strip you will need to line up the seams with the previous pieced strip. This is where the quilt block gets tricky. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t line them up and pin, your pieced strips can be offset a little bit and you will end up unpicking!

4) Continue pinning and sewing until the block is finished

Flying Geese Block

My Flying Geese units have been made using some cream charm squares (5″ x 5″) and layer cake squares divided in half then trimmed slightly to 5″ x 9.5″.

What You Need one rectangle piece of fabric two squares of fabric Dimensions for pieces:

Note: The rectangle piece is cut the same height as the square. The width is twice the square size minus half an inch.

What To Do 1. On the back (wrong side) of the two squares, draw a line from corner to corner. I just use a biro but you could use any type of marker. The line will end up under the stitching so you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see it when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re finished.

2. Place one square right sides together on the rectangle piece as pictured. Check that you have the line going from the bottom corner to the middle top.

3. Sew along the line you drew earlier.

4. Trim the excess fabric from the corner leaving a quarter-inch seam.

5. Press the triangle open.

6. Place the second square right sides together on the other end of the rectangle (as pictured). Again the line starts at the bottom corner and goes to the centre top. It will slightly overlap the first triangle.

7. Sew along the line.

8. Trim the excess fabric and press open.

This is the Flying Geese block all done.

Where the triangles overlap at the top will become lost in your quarter-inch seam when you join this unit to others creating a perfect point.

Creating Blocks Once you have made some Flying Geese, you can join them in any combination you wish to create blocks. In my first picture above, you can see them joined in a row. Here are some more options â&#x20AC;&#x201C; keeping in mind that I have just laid these out to take photos and not actually joined them. once they are joined the points will be perfect and the size slightly smaller.

You can also combine these units with plain rectangle blocks or square blocks to create other blocks.

Mini Spool Block

What You Need  Spool body: charm squares – 5″ x 5″ squares – each block uses three different charms  Spool ends (red spot): two rectangles – 6.5″ x 2″ (These look longer in my photo below – I cut them too large the first time!)  Background (white): two rectangles – 1.25″ x 6.45″ and four squares – 1.25″ x 1.25″

What To Do Note: All seams are quarter-inch seams and seams have been pressed to the side.

1. For the spool ends, lay two small squares on two corners of the 6.5″ x 2″ rectangle, right sides together. Stitch corner to corner as shown in the photo above.

2. Trim the excess triangle off leaving a quarter inch seam, and press the remaining triangle flat. Do the same to the other rectangle to create the second spool end.

3. Spool body: Cut the three charm squares in half to create rectangles that are 5â&#x20AC;ł x 2.5â&#x20AC;ł. We will use three of these rectangles for this block so put the others aside for another block. Join the three half charm squares together to create the centre of the spool.

4. Join the narrow background rectangles to the sides of the spool centre.

5. Finally join the spool ends to the centre.

X and + Scrappy Block

Picking Fabrics Each block is made up of 7 total fabrics. This quilt is very scrappy, so it does not matter if you choose lights or darks for each area. Just make sure you have 7 total fabrics in a block.

1 fabric for the center cross - two 2" squares, one 5" x 2" strip 1 fabric for the edges of the cross - four 2" squares 1 fabric for the background triangles - eight 2" squares 4 fabrics for branches of the x - four different 3.5" squares cut on point After testing several blocks, I believe at the four fabrics for the x look best when they are cut on point so the print runs along the length of the x. Visually this gives you the strongest impact, but it is more difficult to sew because the fabric can stretch since it's cut diagonal to the grain. You can cut a 3.5" square on point out of a roughly 5" straight square. So if you are scrap gathering, looking for fabrics about this size.

In my example, I choose quite a few stripes in case this wasn't clear. Feel free to fussy cut some fabrics so their design ends up centered on the block. If you look closely, you'll see that the original Japanese design is quite fussy cut. The dots usually align perfectly down the center. There are special pieces. Scrappy or fussy. It's up to you.

Creating the X branches If you omitted the center cross and cross edges, you would be left with a traditional quilt block pattern called the Road to Tennessee or Indian Hatchet, depending which source you use. For each block, we create four x branches or corners.

Begin by aligning one 2" background square onto of one 3.5" aligning the corners with right sides facing. Note: the stripes run vertically. This will have the biggest impact visually for your quilt. In the original Japanese quilt, most stripes on the corners run vertically, but there are some exceptions.

Using a fabric marking pen and straight edge, draw a straight line for corner to corner on your background fabric as shown.

Sew directly on the line you just traced

Trim away the outer edge, leaving 1/4" for seam allowance.

Press open and repeat for the opposite corner

As you can see, even without the center cross, this quilt design has quite an impact.

I believe these are called Indian Hatchet or Road to Tennessee blocks and they are traditionally made in the inverse with a common fabric on the X and scrappy fabric in the little triangles. Well-schooled quilters, please feel free to correct me. I'm always happy to learn.

Tip: Making each corner one by one can tedious, so I like to do all of my marking in one step and then chain piece to make the process faster.

I originally drew diagrams in word, but was asked to take pictures of the block making process, so feel free to print them out instead of the full blog post.

Making the + Making the + in the center of the x is simply a matter of laying out your fabrics and sewing the pieces together with a 1/4" seam.

That's it, your first block is done!

What is the final block size? 7.5" finished, 8" including seam allowance

Patchwork Wheel block

12.5" unfinished block

You'll need: (8) 3.5" squares in various colors/prints (8) 4.25" squares in various colors/prints (8) 4.25" squares in a solid/neutral print

1. Draw a diagonal line on the back of your neutral squares. We will be using these to create half-square triangles. Then, match up each neutral square with a colored/printed square, right sides together, with the line you've drawn facing you.

2. Stitch a scant 1/4" seam on either side of the line you drew, then cut along the line to create two half-square triangles (HSTs).

Press your HSTs and trim down to 3.5".

3. Lay out your squares and HSTs as shown below, then stitch sub-blocks together in pairs to create the four rows for this block.

4. Stitch rows together, taking care to line up the seams as you go.

5. Enjoy your finished block!

July star blocks

My blocks finish at 11" (10.5" after squaring…if you square them).

Start with 8 – 4" background squares, 1 – 4" center square, and 8 – 3" squares for the star points.

On 4 of the background squares place a 3" square in a corner right sides together and sew from corner to corner. The tape trick comes in handy again on these blocks. Cut the corner off leaving 1/4" and press open.

Place another 3" square in an adjacent corner and repeat the steps.

Layout your squares again and sew the squares into three rows.

Press the seams of each row in opposite directions, and sew the rows together.

The finished block should be 11". I squared my blocks up to 10.5".

Ribbon Star Block

The tutorial makes a 12.5" block.

Cutting:

Background (white): • Cut four 3" squares • Cut eight 2.5" squares • Cut eight 2" squares Star (yellow): • Cut one 4.5" square • Cut eight 2.5" squares Color A (pink): • Cut four pieces, 2.5" x 4.5" • Cut four pieces, 2" x 4.5" Color B (orange): • Cut four pieces, 2.5" x 4.5" • Cut four pieces, 2" x 3" To make the block:

1. Mark the wrong side of all of your 2.5" and 2" squares with a diagonal line from corner to corner.

2. Lay out your pieces before you start sewing. I find it helpful to work from this layout as I sewâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you'll be far less likely to get your colors and directions mixed up! Start with the 4.5" square in the center, and then lay out the 2.5" x 4.5" pieces in a cross shape, alternating colors as shown.

3. Now add the 3" background squares in each corner, and the 2" strips around those squares, as shown.

4. Next, lay out the squares that will be your star points. I put these squares face down, so I can see the marked diagonal (this is also exactly how the pieces will be sewn together). Note that to create the star points, the marked diagonals should always go from the center out.

5. Sew each pair together on the marked diagonal.

6. Trim off the excess 1/4" from the seam and press. I always press diagonal seams openâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I find it to be more accurate than pressing to the side.

7. Add your 2.5" background squares in the same way you did with the star points.

Note that the marked diagonal should always go the same direction as the star-point diagonal that you previously sewed.

8. Add your final set of 2" marked squares in the same way as you did the previous squares. This time, make sure the marked diagonals are angled so that they form the outer star points.

9. Your units should now look like this. Sew the block together, starting with the 2" x 3" orange units to the 3" background squares. Take care as you sew to make sure those points are lined up!

10. Done!

Woven Block

First up is what I call the Woven Block. Like most of the blocks in this QAL, it’s made of four identical parts. Here are the cutting measurements:

4 background squares 3.5″ x 3.5″ From each of four fabrics: {1} 3.5″ x 3.5″ square and {1} 3.5″ x 6.5″ rectangle Construction: Lay out your fabrics and decide on placement. Sew your 3.5″ x 3.5″ background squares to the 3.5″ x 3.5″ feature fabric square next to it.

Then you’ll sew those pairs to the rectangles.

Then sew those rectangles together as above.

And sew those rectangles together. Done!

Here’s the back – I gently press my seams open.

A WORD OF CAUTION FOR BEGINNERS: Let’s talk about what you do with your seams in quilting. When I say I GENTLY PRESS them open, I really mean gently press. You know how when you’re ironing your socks and underwear (isn’t that what people use irons for when they’re not quilting?) you use a back and forth, sweeping motion? You don’t do that when you’re piecing quilt blocks. The fabric is kinda flimsy and can easily stretch, which is what you really DON’T want! So if you are gentle and trust that the heat of your iron will do all the work, your patience will pay off. Now, many quilters will tell you that pressing your seams open is asking for disaster. The thinking is that if you press them to the side, there will be fabric underneath the seam. So if there’s any stress on the seam, the 2 layers of fabric under it will take most of the stress and the seam stays intact. What I don’t particularly like about pressing to the side is you always get this kind of fold thing. I’d rather everything lays flat, and it makes it easier for me to line seams up for blocks so they’re perfectly matched up. So I guess it’s best to experiment to find what you prefer.

The next block is the Snowball Block.

You’ll need 4 fabrics.

From the snowball fabrics, cut {2} 6.5″ x 6.5″ squares of each as shown above.

From the two other fabrics, cut {4} 2.5″ x 2.5″ squares of each (for a total of 8 squares).

Draw diagonal lines across your squares and pin them in place as shown.

Sew along the diagonal line of each of the smaller squares. Then trim the excess to 1/4â&#x20AC;ł. Press those squares to the outside as shown.

Sew the little snowballs together to make a bigger block.

When you’re lining them up to sew the two large pieces together, check your middle seams to make sure they’re lined up perfectly. Because that’s the centre, that’s where the eye will be drawn so you want to get it as close to perfect as possible.

Ta-Da! Remember to pop a pic into the Flickr group!

You’ve finished them both! I think they’re really quick to put together – even with all the picture faffing I was done fairly quickly, but I’m interested to know how you get on with them. So if you get a chance, leave me a comment letting me know! That makes future QALs easier to plan, time-wise.

Tic Tac Toe block

Quick and easy block using two prints to create an intersecting naughts and crosses quilt.

Whether you choose to use two contrasting colours or maybe two shades of one colour – light and dark blue perhaps – this is a quilt that will come together quickly to create a fun effect!

What you need 4 – 4.5″ x 4.5″ print A (orange) 1 – 4.5″ x 4.5″ print B (pink) 12 – 2.5″ x 2.5″ print B 4 – 4.5″ x 4.5″ background (white) Use a 1/4″ seam and press seams as directed. Block measures 12.5″ x 12.5″.

Step 1. Draw a line diagonally across the back of each 2.5″ print B square.

Step 2. Place one 2.5″ square in the corner of a print A square and sew along the line.

Trim off the corners 1/4″ away from the seam, open and press towards print A. Repeat for all print A squares.

Step 3. Repeat the process from step 2 for the background squares and remaining 2.5″ print B squares for two adjacent corners, pressing seams towards print B. Step 4. Arrange all your units and the 4.5″ print B square and sew into rows, pressing seams away from the background squares. Sew the rows together and press seams toward the centre row.

Easy weathervane quilt block

String Block

So, I don't exactly know what these blocks should be called. So, I'm going to call this the half-square-triangle method for creating string blocks. I found this tutorial by Erin over at Two More Seconds and modfied it to suit my needs for the bee block. So, feel free to reference back to her tutorial because it is fantatsic.

So, in the bee packages is a slew of strips of fabrics. Mostly blue and aqua, but there are also two red strips.

For each block, you will need to sew enough strips together to get two squares that are approximately 10" x 10". No need to be precise at this point. So, because we are making two blocks for the bee, you will need to make a total of four (4) of these units.

Be sure to split the two red bits up - they should end up in different blocks.

Iron the strips however you like. Now, trim the blocks to exactly 10" x10".

With right sides togther place two of the strip sections on top of one another, making sure that one section has the strips running horizontally and the other has strips running vertically.

I would highly recommend pinning everything together. It stops shifting.

Now, here is where the tricky part comes in. Sew around all four edges with a 1/4" seem allowance. Once this is done, cut the blocks from corner to corner two times. It seems strange, but this method of creating half-square triangles is kind of cool, as long as you don't mind working with bias edges. There is a fantastic video showing how this is done, here.

Anyway, this is what you should end up with. You should have four units (per block) that are 6 3/4" square.

Arrange the blocks so there is a diamond in the middle and sew them together to get the final block. The final block should be 13" x 13", assuming I've done my math correctly.

Anyway, hope this is clear. If not, let me know.

Paper Pieced Geese

Little Crash Course on Foundation Paper Piecing

Paper Piecing can seem like an intimidating skill because it is usually used by more advanced quilters, but once you practice a couple times, I think you'll love it!

Paper Piecing is such a great technique to have in your quilty tool belt because it allows you to stitch complex designs very simply. And it's much easier to get all your points to match!

To help you on your journey today to learn how to paper piece, I have included a Free Flying Geese PDF Pattern Download.

The geese measure 2" x 4", a great size for learning how to paper piece.

You Will Need: - A Printed Copy of the PDF Pattern (download here https://www.dropbox.com/s/vpfwl5vu2c944fd/FlyingGeesePattern.pdf?dl=0) (there are specialty paper piecing papers that are thinner weight, but regular weight printing paper is great for learning!)

- A small ruler, or add a quarter ruler

- Rotary cutter and mat - Assorted Fabric Scraps for the Geese - At least 3" x 5" (use larger for more wiggle room) - Assorted Fabric Scraps for the Background - At least 4" x 4", Cut Diagonally (use larger for more wiggle room) Tips for Paper Piecing Success: - Shorten your stitch length to 1.55 or 12 - 18 stitches per inch - Use a larger needle, like 90/14 - Have your iron close by, you will be pressing after each step

- Prep your pattern by cutting it out, I like to leave a bit of extra paper around the outer seam allowance line, and folding along all the dividing lines.

- Grab one of your Flying Geese fabrics and place it Right Side Out on the back (unprinted side) of your pattern. Make sure the fabric covers all of the seam allowance areas. You can lift your pattern up to a window or light source to check. Pin or hold in place.

- Now fold your pattern back along the dividing line between #1 and #2. (I drew a dotted line so you could see the full #2 area

- Place a Background Fabric scrap Right Side Up on your table, and then place the pattern on top so that the #2 area, and seam allowances, are covered by the background fabric. Again, you can check by lifting it up to a light source. Pin or hold in place.

- Now for the actual paper piecing! Flatten the pattern, and carefully bring your pattern and paper over to your sewing machine. Printed side of the pattern up, sew directly along the #1 and #2 dividing line. I like to extend into the seam allowances on either side a bit, you could also back stitch. Be sure you are using a small stitch length.

- When you are done, flip your pattern over and admire your work! You just paper pieced!

- Fold the pattern back along the dividing/stitching line to clean up the seam allowances. Line up your ruler with 1/4" extending past the fold and trim (this is where an add a quarter ruler comes in handy!) Then unfold your pattern and press the Background Fabric flat, away from the Geese Fabric.

- Onto the next one! Fold the pattern back along the next dividing line, between the #1 and #3 areas. If you stitched a bit beyond the printed line in the previous step, you will need to tear the paper away from your stitching a little bit.

- Again, place a Background Fabric scrap Right Side Up on your table, and then place the pattern on top so that the #3 area, and seam allowances, are covered by the background fabric. You can check by lifting it up to a light source. Pin or hold in place.

Flatten the pattern and sew along the #1/#3 dividing line.

- Fold the pattern back along the stitching/dividing line and trim the seam allowance to 1/4". Press the Background Fabric away from the Geese Fabric.

- Now onto the #4 area, the next Flying Geese.

- Paper piecing is a great way to work fussy cutting into your sewing. If you want to make sure a specific part of your fabric is in the sewn area, fold the pattern back and center that motif (in this case the little white cat) in the numbered area. Remember that the fabric will be folded down after it is sewn, so in this instance the cat is upside down.

- Like before, make sure the fabric covers all the numbered area, including the seam allowance, pin or hold in place, and sew along the dividing line.

- Trim your seam allowance to 1/4" and press the fabric away from the pattern.

- Now continue working in number order until all of the pieces are sewn.

- When your pattern is all pieced, flip it over and trim the seam allowances. Line your ruler up with the outer most, seam allowance, line (which should be 1/4" away from the design line). Trim along that outer line. Now you have a neat, tidy bit of paper piecing ready to quilt with!

- If you want to sew two pieces of paper piecing together, wait to take your papers out until you have sewn them together. Line the two pieces along the edges, and use the marked seam allowance lines on the papers to help match them up. I like to use Clover clips for this part, both because of the bulk, and because the edge of the clip can show me if the line matches on both sides. Then just sew the two pieces together along the seam allowance line.

- When you're done sewing the pieces together, it can help to take out the papers before you press the seam.

- To take out the papers, start carefully tearing along the stitching lines. The shorter stitch length and larger needle should have perforated the paper enough to make the papers easy to remove. A pair of tweezers can be super handy for getting the paper out of small corners and details.

- When all of the papers are removed, give your piece a good press. And voila! You just did paper piecing!

I hope that you had a lot of fun with this tutorial, and that you are able to make all kinds of fun things with your new found skill and free pattern!

North West Quilt as you go block

Supply List:

      

Quilting fabric in two color ranges Coordinating thread 20″ square of batting 20″ square of backing fabric Basting spray Rotary cutter, ruler, and cutting mat Sewing machine and all the regular sewing supplies

Note about supplies: You can make this in whatever size and whatever colors you’d like. I had to choose one size and a set of colors for the sake of this tutorial. But the options are endless — be creative!

Directions: There will be three layers to the North West quilt block panel. A backing fabric, the batting, and the top with the two colors of fabric. Unlike a normal quilt sandwich, the back of your panel will be not so pretty because of the QAYG quilting. So it’s perfect for making things with a lining — pouches, bags, pillows, etc. It doesn’t work so well for an actual quilt.

I find it handy to have my cutting mat, rotary cutter, and ruler, as well as my iron close by so I don’t have to get up between each step.

Step 1: Cut Your Fabric, Backing Fabric, and Batting For this tutorial, I am making an 18″ x 18″ panel. Because QAYG tends to go a little wonky, I’m starting with 20″ x 20″ pieces of batting and backing fabric, giving me plenty of room to trim if it gets a little shifty.

For Color A (gray in my tutorial), cut 2.5″ wide strips. For Color B (yellow), cut rectangles 4″ tall by 7″ wide. The number of scraps depends on the size you are making. Your longest Color A strips should be the length of your batting (in this case, 20″).

Step 2: Make a Quilt Sandwich Spray baste the back of your batting and press the backing fabric to the batting. Spray basting should help the fabric shift less.

Step 3: Start Quilting Set up your machine to quilt. Lengthen your stitch a bit, and use high-quality thread like Aurifil because it can get linty up in here. This is a thread-intensive project, so you might want to wind an extra bobbin or two.

This may go against your instincts, but quilt a 4″ x 4″ square of Color B to the corner of your batting right side up. I use simple straight-line quilting at a 45 degree angle to the piece, but you could do some FMQ if you’re so inclined. I find using some spray basting helps keep things from shifting.

To save thread, when I come to the end of the fabric, I turn the panel, stitch three stiches down, and then stitch back the other way across the fabric. It actually goes pretty quickly once you get the hang of it.

Here’s a quick video I made of how to do the turning: QAYG Video Tutorial. You will get to see my seriously mad video-making skillz here (BAH!). This is from the Bloomin’ panel, but you get the effect.

Here is what you should have when you’re done:

Step 4: Add Your Second Color Add a strip of Color A to each side of the first square of Color B. To do this, lay a piece of Color A down on top of Color B, lining up the edges.

Stitch close to the edge of the fabrics (I use a 1/8″ seam allowance). Open up the two pieces and press the Color B piece away from the Color A piece. If you’d like, us a little spray basting to keep the piece from shifting.

Quilt the new Color B piece using the same technique you used on the Color A piece, but quilt along the length of the strip instead of at an angle.

Repeat on the other side of the first block, quilting along the length of the strip:

Helpful Tip: If you find that your presser foot is a little sticky because of the spray basting, stick a scrap of fabric behind your foot — it will keep everything moving smoothly. Just make sure you don’t quilt it to your batting!

Step 5: Start Your Triangles Place your next Color A strip at a 45 degree angle across the edges of the two Color B strips. I place it right-side up just to see where I’m going.

To save yourself some extra quilting, you can trim off the corners of the rectangle to create a square. I’m not too precise here — the edges will be covered by the next strips.

Place the triangle face down and stitch along the long edge (the hypotenuse, thankyou-very-much-high-school-math-class). Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll want to position it so that your seam hits right at the top right corner of the first Color B square. Stitch along the long edge of the triangle.

Open up the new piece and press it away from the others.

You can see how the corner of the square is right up against the bottom of the triangle.

Hope that explains it well enough!

Helpful Tip: If your Color A fabric is light (you can see the honeycomb hexies through the yellow triangle above), put a piece (or two!) of white fabric underneath it when you quilt it down, so that the Color B fabric doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t show through.

Quilt that piece using the same technique you used before on the square. You should end up with this:

Step 6: Keep going!

Using the same technique, add two more Color B strips and quilt them down.

Then add a Color A piece and quilt it down.

You can see how youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be quilting the strips perpendicular to each other, and the triangles at a diagonal:

And then keep going!

Maybe try a pop of color (thanks Instagram friends for the lime inspiration!)

Repeat until you get to the size you’d like! You’ll notice I had more fabrics chosen in the beginning, but I didn’t use them all. Because I’m not so great at the maths (other than remembering the word “hypotenuse”) and I chose too many.

As you go, you’ll find that your batting and fabric may start to shift — that’s why I always make my batting and backing fabric a bit bigger than the finished panel size.

Trim down your edges and square up your block. You’re ready to use this panel when you make a bag or pillow!

Let me know if you give this North West Quilt-As-You-Go Panel a shot — I’d really like to see what you create with it!

Solstice Stars with 5 options

Ribbon star quilt block tutorial

Please note, all seams are 1/4″; Final block size 12.5″ unfinished

Step 1. Cut your fabric: Pattern Piece Background Corners Cut 4 Background Half Square TrianglesCut 6 Top Left Points Cut 2 Top Right Points Cut 2 Bottom Left Points Cut 2 Bottom Right Points Cut 2

3.5” x 3.5” 4” x 4” 4” x 4” 4” x 4” 4” x 4” 4” x 4”

Fabric Color White White Blue Purple Red Green

Take all of your 4″ x 4″ squares and cut them diagonally into half square triangles. Set aside one of each of your blue, purple, red and green half square triangles. You will only need 3 of each color for your star.

Step 2. Sew each of your remaining 12 colored half square triangles to your 12 background/white half square triangles, creating 12 squares.

Step 3. Trim your squares to 3.5″.

Tip: I like to use a small quilting ruler with a diagonal line, and line that up with the seam. I then trim the top and right of the block. Turn the block 180 degrees and line up the seam again. Trim the remaining sides of the square to 3.5″.

Lay out your resulting squares into the design of the quilt block, using your 3.5″ background/white fabric for the corners.

Step 4. Sew your squares together. You’re done!

Whirling star quilt block tutorial

Please note, all seams are 1/4″; Final block size 12.5″ unfinished Reduce your stitch length so that the paper template will perforate easily. I used 1.4 stitch length.

Paper Piecing Templates Print 2 of Template A below and print 4 of Template B below. Be sure to print them at 100% and check the scale icon with a ruler before starting.

Template A Template B Prepare the templates. Cut out the templates around the seam allowance line. Here is a visual of what we are going to make with our templates:

Note: I updated the templates a bit after taking the photos. Your templates specify “A” and “B” on them, which will help you out during the directions.

Step 1. Cut your fabric. When cutting fabric for paper piecing, you will be cutting rectangles that will be larger than needed.

I recommend cutting 1 of each piece below, making a block, and ensuring it is enough fabric for your sewing style. Then you can make adjustments later for the rest of your blocks. These are the fabric sizes I used for my paper piecing.

Pattern Piece Fabric 1A Cut 2 4.5″ x 5.5” Print/Color 2A Cut 2 4.5” x 5.5” White/Background 3A Cut 2 4.5″ x 5.5” Print/Color 4A Cut 2 4.5” x 5.5” White/Background 4” x 4″, 5A Cut 1 then cut Print/Color diagonal 6A Cut 1 4″ x 4”, Print/Color

then cut diagonal 1B Cut 4 4.5” x 5.5” Print/Color 2B Cut 4 3.5” x 7″ White/Background 3B Cut 4 3.5” x 7″ White/Background Tip: I like to write the fabric color name on the template pieces so I don’t get confused as I’m sewing. Yes, I’m easily confused.

Step 2: Let’s start with Template A. Take your fabric cut for Piece 1A and place it right side out on the back of your template, making sure to cover the entire template space 1A. Pin into place.

Step 3: Take your fabric cut for Piece 2A. Place it right side together to Piece 1A which you pinned into place in Step 2. Hold your template up to the light and make sure at least 1/4″ of the fabric overlaps into template space 2A. This will probably feel backwards and wrong the first few times you do it. Pin into place.

Step 4: Sew along the seam line on the template between pieces 1A and 2A. Be sure to also sew into the grey seam allowance. Remove your pins.

Step 5: Flip your block over. This is what your seam will look like.

Trim your seam allowance to 1/4â&#x20AC;ł.

Your block should now look like this:

Press your fabric open.

Step 6: Take your fabric cut for Piece 3A. Place it right side together to Piece 1A and 2A which you have sewn into place. Hold your template up to the light and make sure at least 1/4â&#x20AC;ł of the fabric overlaps into template space 3A. Pin into place.

Step 7: Sew along the seam line on the template.

Step 8: Trim along seam allowance:

And press:

Step 9: Using the same technique, continue and sew on pieces 4A, 5A, 6A, in that order. Your paper piecing template should now look like this:

Step 10: Turn your block over and trim the excess fabric from around the template.

Before:

After:

You can see that some of my fabric was a bit too short. Ideally your fabric will cover the entire template.

Congratulations! Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made your first paper pieced block!

Step 11: Now repeat these steps for the second Template A. Step 12: Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s move on to Template B. I will do a quick walk through to get you started.

Take your fabric cut for Piece 1B and place it right side out on the back of your template, making sure to cover the entire template space 1B. Pin into place.

Step 13: Take your fabric cut for Piece 2B. Place it right side together to Piece 1B which you pinned into place in Step 12. Hold your template up to the light and make sure at least 1/4â&#x20AC;ł of the fabric overlaps into template space 2B. Again, this will probably feel backwards and wrong the first few times you do it. Pin into place.

Step 14: Sew along the seam line on the template between pieces 1B and 2B. Be sure to sew a bit into the seam allowance. Remove your pins.

Step 15: Press your fabric open. Continue paper piecing piece 3B. Step 16: Press your fabric open. Trim your template, just as you did with Template A.

Step 17: Repeat and create the other 3 Template Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Step 18: You now have all 6 templates pieced you need to create the star! Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the layout:

Remove the paper from the back. This should perforate easily as long as you remembered to shorten your stitch length before sewing.

Step 19: Sew your 2 Template Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s together. Align the middle seam to ensure the center points align when you sew the block together.

Resulting Block:

Step 20: Now we will sew the 4 Template Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to the corners to finish the block. Line up your seams again.

After sewing all the corners to the center block, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re done! You should have a beautiful Whirling Star!

Another star quilt block tutorial

Please note, all seams are 1/4″; Final block size 12.5″ unfinished

Step 1. Cut your fabric: Pattern Piece Center Cut 1 Strips Cut 3 Short Strip A Cut 1 Short Strip B Cut 1 Block Corners Cut 4 Star Points Cut 4 HST Background Cut 2

4-1/8” x 4-1/8” 5-1/8″ x 1-1/2” 4-1/8” x 1-1/2” 1-1/2” x 1-1/2” 4-1/2” x 4-1/2” 3-5/8” x 3-5/8” 3-5/8” x 3-5/8”

Fabric Background/White Print/Color Print/Color Same color as Short Strip A Background/White Print/Color Background/White

Take all of your 3-5/8” x 3-5/8” squares for star points and the HST background and cut them diagonally into half square triangles.

Step 2. First we will sew the strips around the 4-1/8” x 4-1/8” center square. This is the part where I mentioned we were going to cheat a bit. Hopefully everyone is ok with that.

Layout your strips around your center square.

Take your shorter strip (Short Strip A, 4-1/8” x 1-1/2”) and sew to the bottom of the center square.

Continue to sew on the left and top strips, as you would a log cabin block.

For the final side, sew the 1-1/2″ x 1-1/2″ square to the end of the remaining side strip.

Then sew the final side strip to the block, making sure you align the matching fabric seams.

At this point your center square should measure 6-1/8″ x 6-1/8″.

Step 3. Since I am a visual person, I find it helpful now to layout the rest of the block pieces before we continue.

Step 4. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sew together the top left and lower right points. Take your corner square.

Gently iron press the block in half and then in half again the other direction, so you can see the center of the block. You could also make a mark using a water soluble pen.

Step 5. Place one of your half square triangles (HSTs) right side together with the corner square. Align your point to the center line you marked. Sew together. Make sure you are sewing along the long side of the HST, and not the short side which you are probably used to doing.

This is what your corner should now look like.

Step 6. Repeat with the other HST.

Repeat for the other corner. Your block layout should now look like this.

Step 7. Now we will make the top right and lower left corners. First repeat the previous steps and sew on your HSTs to the corner squares.

Step 8. Take your background HSTs and sew them to the sides of the star point section.

Your section should now look like this.

Step 9. Repeat for the other side. Your layout should now look like below.

Step 10. Almost done! All that is left is to sew on the corners of the block to the center.

First sew the top left and lower right to the center.

Step 11. Next sew the remaining top right and lower left to the block. Square your block to 12.5â&#x20AC;ł x 12.5â&#x20AC;ł if necessary.

Congratulations! You are done!

Star of mystery quilt block tutorial

Please note, all seams are 1/4″; Final block size 12.5″ unfinished Reduce your stitch length so that the paper template will perforate easily. I used 1.4 stitch length.

Paper Piecing Templates Print 2 of Template A below and print 4 of Template B below. Be sure to print them at 100% and check the scale icon with a ruler before starting.

Template A Template B Prepare the templates. Cut out the templates around the seam allowance line. Here is a visual of what we are going to make with our templates:

We will be filling in the missing notches with half square triangles (HSTs).

For those that are wondering why I didn’t work those HSTs into the templates, I like to make the templates of a size that will print on a home printer without having to visit a copy shop for enlargement. (I figure no one will make the star if it requires that much effort! :)) Adding those HSTs made the templates slightly too big to be printed at home, so we will add those at the end.

Step 1. Cut your fabric. When cutting fabric for paper piecing, you will be cutting rectangles that will be larger than needed.

I recommend cutting 1 of each piece below, making a block, and ensuring it is enough fabric for your sewing style. Then you can make adjustments later for the rest of your blocks. These are the fabric sizes I used for my paper piecing.

Pattern Piece Fabric 1A Cut 2 4” x 4.25″ White/Background 2A Cut 2 4” x 5.5” Color/Print 3A Cut 2 4” x 4.25” White/Background 4A Cut 2 4” x 5.5” Color/Print 1B Cut 4 3” x 6” Color/Print

2B

Cut 4

3B, 5B

Cut 4

4B

Cut 4

Notches

Cut 2

3” x 6.5” 3.5” x 3.5”, cut diagonal 3” x 6.5” 3.5” x 3.5”, cut diagonal

White/Background Color/Print White/Background White/Background

Step 2: Let’s start with Template A. Take your fabric cut for Piece 1A and place it right side out on the back of your template, making sure to cover the entire template space 1A. Pin into place.

Step 3: Take your fabric cut for Piece 2A. Place it right side together to Piece 1A which you pinned into place in Step 2. Hold your template up to the light and make sure at least 1/4″ of the fabric overlaps into template space 2A. This will probably feel backwards and wrong the first few times you do it. Pin into place.

Step 4: Sew along the seam line on the template between pieces 1A and 2A. Be sure to also sew into the grey seam allowance. Remove your pins.

After sewing:

Step 5: Flip your block over. This is what your seam will look like.

Trim your seam allowance to 1/4â&#x20AC;ł.

Your block should now look like this:

Press your fabric open.

Step 6: Flip your block over to the printed side and trim around the seam allowance.

Your block should now look like this:

Step 7: Take your fabric cut for Piece 3A. Place it right side together to Piece 1A and 2A which you have sewn into place. Hold your template up to the light and make sure at least 1/4â&#x20AC;ł of the fabric overlaps into template space 3A. Pin into place.

Step 8: Sew along the seam line on the template.

Step 9: Trim the seam allowance.

Step 10: Press open and trim around the template.

Step 11: Repeat these steps for piece 4A.

Congratulations! Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made your first paper pieced block!

Step 12: Repeat for your second Template A. You should now have the below 2 pieces.

Step 13: Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s move on to Template B. I will do a quick walk through to get you started.

Take your fabric cut for Piece 1B and place it right side out on the back of your template, making sure to cover the entire template space 1B. Pin into place.

Step 14: Take your fabric cut for Piece 2B. Place it right side together to Piece 1B which you pinned into place in Step 12. Hold your template up to the light and make sure at least 1/4â&#x20AC;ł of the fabric overlaps into template space 2B. Again, this will probably feel backwards and wrong the first few times you do it. Pin into place.

Step 15: Sew along the seam line on the template between pieces 1B and 2B. Be sure to sew a bit into the seam allowance. Remove your pins.

Step 16: Press your fabric open. Trim around your template.

Step 17: Continue paper piecing piece 3B, 4B and 5B. Your block should look like this:

Step 18: Repeat and create the other 3 Template Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

Step 19: You now have all 6 templates pieced you need to create the star! Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the layout:

Remove the paper from the back. This should perforate easily as long as you remembered to shorten your stitch length before sewing.

Step 20: Sew your 2 Template Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s together. Align the middle seam to ensure the center points align when you sew the block together.

Resulting block:

Step 21: Now we will sew 2 of your Template Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to opposite sides of the block. Line up your seams again.

Resulting block:

Step 22: Take your remaining Template B blocks and sew the remaining HSTs to the sides as shown:

Step 23: At this point, I decided to trim my HSTs to be even with my Template B blocks.

I kind of wish I had waited to trim everything even at the end when I was squaring up the block. I will leave it up to you as to when you trim these, but at some point you should trim them.

Step 24: Now we will sew the last 2 Template Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to the corners to finish the block.

Line up your seams again and sew.

After sewing all the corners to the center block, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re done! You should have a beautiful Star of Mystery!

Two colors star quilt block tutorial

Please note, all seams are 1/4″; Final block size 12.5″ unfinished

Step 1. Cut your fabric. When cutting fabric for paper piecing, you will be cutting rectangles that will be larger than needed.

Pattern Piece Fabric Corners Cut 4 4.5” x 4.5″ White/Background 3” x 3”, cut Background Cut 6 White/Background diagonal Star Color 1 Cut 4 2.5” x 2.5” Color/Print 1 3” x 3”, cut Star Color 1 Cut 4 Color/Print 1 diagonal Star Color 2 Cut 4 2.5” x 2.5” Color/Print 2 3” x 3”, cut Star Color 2 Cut 2 Color/Print 2 diagonal Step 2. Take your white/background half square triangles (HSTs) and your print HSTs and sew them together into squares.

Step 3. Trim your HSTs to 2.5″ squares. Tip: Use the diagonal line on your quilting ruler as a guide down your seam. This ensures an equal trim on all sides of your square.

Trim first two sides:

Turn and trim other two sides:

Step 4. Layout your star as below:

Step 5. We will now assemble the tiny squares into larger squares, creating a nine patch square. Sew the sets of four, 2.5″ x 2.5″ squares together. This will create 4.5″ x 4.5″ squares as seen below.

Step 6. Sew your blocks together into rows.

Step 7. Sew your rows together. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re done!

Links:

Raspberry Kiss block by Wooden Spoon Quilts: http://woodenspoonquilts.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/raspberry-kiss-blocktutorial_56.html Simple Heart block by Cluck Cluck Sew: http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2015/01/simple-heart-quilt-tutorial.html Economy Block by Red Pepper Quilts: http://www.redpepperquilts.com/2013/08/economy-block-quilt-in-progresstutorial.html Cat block by Elizabeth Hartman http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransson/2013/11/making-a-basic-cat-block.html Pinwheel Blocks by Missouri Star Quilt Co https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekYpJzHoW6E Friendship Star block by Generations Quilt Patterns: http://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/friendship-star-quilt-block.html Cross Stitch Block by Pile O Fabric http://pileofabric.com/blogs/modern-quilting/15173629-cross-stitch-block-tutorialslice-insert-method?_ga=1.136572662.736527188.1414192049 Churn Dash by Cluck Cluck Sew http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2013/10/churn-dash-block-tutorial.html Hashtag block by Patchwork Posse http://www.patchworkposse.com/hashtag-quilt-block-tutorial/ Flying Geese by The Crafty Mummy http://thecraftymummy.com/2014/09/make-flying-geese-block/ Mini Spool Block by The Crafty Mummy http://thecraftymummy.com/2014/10/mini-spool-block/ x and + scrappy block by Badskirt http://badskirt.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/japanese-x-and-scrappy-quilttutorial.html?m=1 Patchwork Wheel Block by Don't Call Me Betsy http://www.dontcallmebetsy.com/2012/03/patchwork-wheel-block-tutorial.html?m=1

July Star Block by Cluck Cluck Sew http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2011/06/tutorial-july-star-blocks.html Ribbon Star Block by Freshly Pieced http://www.freshlypieced.com/2012/01/ribbon-star-block-tutorial.html?m=1 Woven Block by Sew Happy Geek http://sewhappygeek.co.uk/index.php/2012/01/03/sew-happy-quilt-qal-week-1woven-snowball-block-tutorials/ Tic Tac Toe block by Blossom Heart Quilts http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/2015/01/bee-hive-tic-tac-toe/ Easy weathervane quilt block tutorial by Bee in My Bonnet http://www.mccallsquilting.com/content_downloads/WeathervaneBlock.pdf Paper piecing for beginners http://ellisonlane.com/2013/08/beginningpaperpiecing.html String Block by 107 Quilts http://www.107quilts.com/2011/09/sew-modern-bee-october-tutorialstring.html?m=1 Paper Pieced Geese by Michael Ann Made http://www.michaelannmade.com/2015/06/foundation-paper-piecing-crashcourse.html North West Quilt as you go block by Hey, Let's make stuff http://heyletsmakestuff.com/2014/05/01/north-west-quilt-go-block-tutorial/ Solstice Stars with 5 options by Fresh Lemons Quilts http://www.freshlemonsquilts.com/?page_id=1534