A Quilt Block a Day for Autumn

Or Spring, for my friends Down Under!

Did you miss doing A Quilt Block a Day this Summer? I didn't receive any requests for a BaD, so I decided to take a rest for the 90 days of Summer. But I have a fun design for Fall.

It's a scrappy foundation pieced block. I don't have a name for it yet -- maybe when I get some more made, a name will come to me! Here's what the half-block segment looks like:

I'm using "That Green," aka "Poison Green" or "30s Green" for the center of each segment. The print sides are 30s strip scraps in various widths. It's a great way to use up scraps!

Here's the tutorial for foundation piecing each segment. You'll need:

-- foundation paper or the lightest weight copy paper you can find. Some people use old telephone book pages for foundations -- whatever you have at hand!

-- washable glue stick. I use this kind:

but Elmer's school glue stick works also. Just be sure it's water soluble!

-- add-a-quarter ruler or acrylic quilting ruler and rotary cutter

Here are the instructions for making the paper foundations.

Start with an 8½" X 11" sheet of foundation paper. Draw a line across the page at 8½" -- or use your 8½" ruler if you have one.

Draw a line from corner to corner of the 8½" square.

Cut off the narrow rectangle. Then make marks at the folling points on the square:

3½" from two outside corners.
5½ in from the outside corner at the diagonal line.

Connect the dots do your foundation piece looks like this:

Next, cut the foundation piece in half on the diagonal line. Repeat to make as many foundations as you need. If you like, you can copy your original foundation in the copy machine before cutting off the small rectangle and cutting the squares in half on the diagonal line.

Apply glue stick to the center area of the unmarked side of the foundation piece.

Cut a piece of whatever fabric you're using for the center at approximately 5½" X 7" and stick to the unmarked side of the foundation.

On the marked side of the foundation, insert two pins at one of the lines. Poke the pin IN at the line, then bring it UP at 1/4" toward the narrow point, through both the paper and the center fabric.

Flip the foundation and the fabric over.

The pins indicate where you will line up the first strip. Place the strip of printed fabric on top of the center (green) fabric, line up with where the pins show closest to the narrow point of the foundation.

 Before stitching, I drop my stitch length down two "clicks" -- to about 1.5. I also use a larger than normal size needle -- size 14. This will make tearing off the foundations easier when stitching is complete.

Stitch along the line on the marked side of the foundation. Be sure to extend your stitching three or four stitches beyond the edge of the paper.

Fold the paper back toward the marked side, and using the Add-a-Quarter ruler, or the 1/4" line on your regular quilting ruler, cut off the excess fabric. Pay attention! Be sure you're cutting off the excess, not the center of the block!

Pin two more pins on the other line and repeat to stitch the printed fabric on the opposite side of the center fabric.

Press strips one and two away from the center fabric. Add additional strips until all the paper foundation is covered. The width of the strips can vary.

When the paper foundation is completely covered, trim off the excess fabric at the edges of the paper foundation.

And there is your finished segment!

If you decide to make "A Quilt Block a Day" this Fall, I'd love to see your blocks! Send an email with photo attached to Aunt Marti at 52 Quilts dot com.


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Happy Spring! A Quilt Block a Day Tutorial

It's Spring! Not that you'd know it in Colorado -- low of 14F and 22F currently, with snow on the ground.

But, as Shelley wrote, "if Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"

With the advent of Spring comes a new "Quilt Block a Day." Did you keep up with making 90 nine-patch blocks during Winter? I hope so, because you need them to make the Spring BaD!

We're going to convert our nine-patch blocks to Farmer's Daughter blocks. Yes, I'm a farmer's daughter. I grew up on a dairy farm. Maybe that's why I wake up at 4 am every day?

Here is the completed Farmer's Daughter block:

To make it, start with the nine-patch block, tutorial here.

I'm making my Farmer's Daughter quilt using scrappy reds and background tone-on-tone prints. Of course, you can make your's using other colors, or three colors. Or really, really scrappy, with each element a different fabric!

To make the block, first you'll need eight half-square triangles. For a 90-block quilt, that's 720 HSTs. Don't panic, we'll only need eight each day. Cut a stack of HSTs and use them as your Leaders and Enders while sewing other things.

1. Place a 2½" strip of colored fabric right sides together with a 2½" strip of background fabric.

2. Use the EZ-Angle ruler to cut HSTs across the two strips. Then sew on the diagonal seam and press toward the dark fabric. 

3. Lay out the eight HSTs, eight background squares, and the nine-patch block to form the Farmer's Daughter block:

4. Sew two HSTs and one background square together to form the short side of the FD block:

5. Press toward the center background square.   This segment will be sewn to the side of the nine-patch block where the background square seam is pressed toward the dark squares:

6. Although I rarely use pins, in this case, pins will ensure your vertical seams match. Stitch with the HSTs on top, so you can stitch right across the "X" of the seam on the HST:

7. Press toward the nine-patch block:

8. Next, sew three background squares alternating with two HSTs to form the long side of the block.

9. Press each seam toward the outside background square. "nestle" the seams and stitch:

10. Press this seam toward the nine-patch:

 11.  A final pressing, and there's your Farmer's Daughter block!
 

 One down, 89 to go!


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Winter is Here! A Quilt Block a Day Tutorial

Happy First Day of Winter! I promised an easy peasy block for the winter season, and what could be easier than a 9-patch block?

I'm making my 9-patches from scrappy off-whites and reds. Festive, huh?

You may think it's silly to write a tutorial for a 9-patch, but not everyone has made 9-patches. Here are some tips for making a perfect 9-patch.

Start with either 2½ squares or 2½ strips. I used strips for the center three squares and scrappy squares for the outside rows.

This is a great chance to check your ¼" seam. Three 2½" strips sewn together should measure exactly 6½" -- if it doesn't, adjust your seam now before you sew more strips together!

To press, first "set" the seam by pressing with the dark fabric on top.

Next, press the seams toward the dark (red). Be sure to press to the thread -- in other words, make sure there is no little fold over the seam. 

Repeat for the second seam:

After pressing, I place a wooden cutting board over the strip set and wait for the fabric to cool. This ensure the strata is perfectly flat.

If you sewed strips, cross-cut into 2½" pieces. A fast way to cut is to start by making a clean cut at the left edge,using an 8½" ruler. Then cut a 7½" piece. 

Next, move your ruler to the left and line up at the 5" mark. Make the second cut:

Move the ruler to the left again and line up at the 2½" mark. Make the third cut:

Repeat until the entire strata is cut.

Because you pressed toward the dark side, the seams will nest nicely together. I don't even use pins!

I chain piece 2½" squares together rather than sewing off onto a scrap of fabric. By the end of a day of sewing, I have several blocks complete!

Try always to sew with the top seam aiming away from you. That way, your strata will always be lined up.

Add two strata with the dark (red) at the outsides to either side of the center strata. Press these two seams to the center.

See that the vertical seams are pressed outward, and the horizontal seams are pressed inward.

 Again, place the wooden cutting board on the block to flatten it.

Repeat daily to make 90 total 9-patch blocks!



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Design Wall Monday: Block a Day

This season's "A Quilt Block a Day" is "Flying Birds." The tutorial is here.

November 1 was the 40th day  of Autumn. I thought I was caught up, but when I placed the blocks on my design wall, I realised I am short eight blocks.

It only took two hours to make eight blocks, so I should be caught up by tomorrow!

Post your "Block a Day" blocks on the Facebook page, "A Quilt Block a Day."



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