I am going to keep my post short and sweet today. I want you to have lots of time to choose your colors for your quilt. Get out those colored pencils! Please print as many of the free coloring pages as you desire…Let’s play with color!
I would love to see your fabric choices and your coloring sheet plan! Please send photos to my gmail and I will share them on a Friday Blabfest. We are all inspired when we share!
This week we are making four at a time flying geese to accent those cute little stars that swirl around the middle block. We will need 32 flying geese to frame up those stars. Since we are making them for a time, we will need to make eight geese units.
Trimming the assembled geese makes them perfect to add to the setting star blocks. Please note the direction of your star blocks if you used directional or fussy cut fabrics.
We are in the home stretch of this series. We are down to some of the last setting pieces. This week, we are making 22 pieced variable stars.
In the cutting document, I provided a chart for one star OR (in the second chart) 22 stars. You will need to make adjustments based on your color choices and scrap selections.
Remember that this is a free printable pattern. Enjoy!
The election is over…no more political adds for a while. Whew!
This is the last block in this quilt. Next week, we start the setting pieces so that we can have the top done by the end of the month.
This block finishes at 12″ when set in a quilt. It is made up of mostly 2″ squares.
When I assembled this block, it took about 40 minutes to trim the triangle blocks. This is not my favorite task, but I powered through by taking short breaks between block stacks.
I like that this block looks complicated, but it really is not.
My hints are:
Pin when you feel like you need to…
Consult the pattern for correct placement…frequently…
Press diagonal seams to the dark, and
Press most straight seams open to reduce bulk at corners.
Here is the printable PDF:
I hope you are enjoying this build a block series. If you have any questions about cutting pieces at a different size for a different piecing technique, I would be glad to help you! Contact me through e-mail at werquilters@gmail.com.
Here it is! The center block for this layout! I used several techniques to make this nice, big block. Please take your time and enjoy the process of making this block! You have the skills to create this!
Here is my original graph paper design. I am including this to help you with unit placement!
Last, but not least, here is everything from above in a printable PDF:
Please remember to contact me in YouTube comments or through gmail. Comments are turned off here. Sorry if you are a spambot!
I love to see and share pictures of your finished work! (Even if they are not necessarily the blocks or the quilt in this series!) We all love eye candy!
I hope you are enjoying this series! Have a fantastic day!
This is a nice and easy block for week 6 of the build a block. For complete directions, please watch the video on YouTube.
The spinning graphic of this block reminds me of all of the commercials about the current elections here is the USA. They make my head spin! How can 2 candidates say opposite things about each other, but everyone is telling the “truth”? Oh, my! I am glad to turn off the television, put on some music, and sew some quilt blocks!
Here is the placement guide for the block in the quilt:
Here is the pattern, with 2 choices of cutting/sewing methods:
I hope you have enjoyed creating this block! I can’t wait to see pictures of progress you have made!
This is the third block in my YouTube Patriotic quilt block series. This block is quick to assemble because it contains only a few pieces. (See the cutting chart at the end of this post.)
I started by speed strip piecing the three 4-patch blocks.
These units are quick to sew, cut and reassemble into 4 1/2″ blocks…three of them.
I chose to make these blocks in red and blue. The blue squares will line up on a diagonal in the finished block.
Now for the four half square triangles. I use the two at a time method. I draw a line on the back of the background square.
I sew a scant quarter inch seam on both sides of my drawn line.
I use scissors to cut blocks apart. You can use a ruler and rotary cutter if you wish.
I am incredibly lazy. Not only do I speed piece, but I speed press, too. (I am making the 12 blocks for the layout all at one time!)
Trim blocks to 4 1/2″ for a perfect fit!
Lay the block out. Assemble in typical nine patch fashion…a row at a time.
Here is the first of the eight blocks in this series. Please enjoy the pictures below. This block finishes at 12″ (unfinished at 12 1/2″).
In my YouTube presentation, I show you three different ways to create the flying geese for the star. I just couldn’t resist the educational opportunity. You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you can take the teaching out of the teacher!
The striped part of the block is made from red or white 2 1/2″ strips. See the chart at the bottom for lengths.
The empty corner in the above picture is filled by a 6 1/2″ star. I am making three blocks for my layout. What a great opportunity to make flying geese for the stars three different ways. You can choose your favorite method after giving them all a try. Keep in mind, the more you practice, the better your skills will become.
Here are the three methods:
Making two at a time half square triangles, that are combined to make geese, are probably easiest for beginners who might be intimidated by the flying geese block. I always make blocks oversized and trim to make them perfect. It does take a little extra time, but the results are much better for me.
The second method is sew and flip.
Sew and flip is great because it starts with the finished size block as a base. There is some waste unless you make bonus square triangles. (I only do this if the starting blocks are 2 1/2″ or bigger.)
The third technique is the four at a time method. I am calling it the flock o’geese method.
This method requires cutting less pieces. It is a technique to consider if you have adequate fabric pieces. I always make pieces larger so I can trim to have perfect pieces. I think this technique is the fastest and wastes the least amount of fabric.
Here is the geese fabric (plus corner squares) for each method. All three of these methods are worth perfecting!
Oh, I almost forget! Here are the centers of the stars…3 1/2″ squares.
Here is the finished block:
It is so cute!
Here are all three for my quilt layout:
Here is the printable PDF pattern sheet:
I hope you enjoy making these blocks!
Please remember to leave comments and feedback on my YouTube channel or Facebook page. Comments for this page are turned off because of spammers.
As we are listening to commercials for presidential candidates here in the United States, I have decided to make a patriotic quilt. We will not be discussing politics…everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I am not sharing mine…sorry.
During this series, I will be making red, white, and blue blocks. I chose the blocks because of the names of them. We will be making blocks for 8 weeks. We make the last block the day after the election. Then we will work a bit on the final layout…especially those little filler blocks.
This picture is fairly clear above. I am not so sure that the same picture is clear on the print out below:
I hope you enjoy this series! Let’s build some blocks and make a quilt!
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