Block of the Month - Row 3

 

 

 

By Sandra Schlagel

 

My house would not be a home without books, so Row 3 is a row of books, with the books on each end turned on their sides.  Feel free to line them up any way you like, mix up the sizes and colors if you choose.  If you are not a book person, think of them as stacks of fabric instead!

 

I have a confession to make about this row by row mystery quilt - it is a mystery to me, too!  This is the first time that I'm making this quilt, just one row ahead of you.  I started with my hand-drawn original pattern on grid paper, but have already changed two of the blocks.  I love to design quilts and most of my quilts, both traditional and art, are my original designs.  However, while making this block-of-the-month quilt, that is the responsibility of each past president, I discovered that writing patterns is not my strong suit.  So, thank you for sticking with me on this one, and letting me know right away when I've made a mistake or omission.  I just found out that I didn't have the cutting instructions on the blog, so those were added today - sorry!

 

Anyway, here we go ... those of you who thought the tulips were too fussy, may enjoy this easy-peasy block.

 



Refer to the diagram above, along with photos below, for piecing and connecting placement.  Press each seam as you sew, according to your preference.

Background, Color A, cut:

Two 8-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

Two 6-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

Two 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

Two 2-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

One 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece

Books, Color B, cut:

One 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece

Two 4-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece, using different fabrics for each piece

Two 5-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece, using different fabrics for each piece

One 6-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece

Layout cut pieces in an arrangement that you like.

1.  Sew one Color A 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece to one Color B 5-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece.  Sew the other same-sized pair together.
2.  Sew one Color A 2-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece to one Color B 4-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece.  Sew the other same-sized pair together.
3.  Sew the Color A 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece to the Color B 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece.

Sew the six book/fabric units together, including the Color B 6-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece, as above or in any order you prefer.  Feel free to mix up the sizes to suit your scraps.  Sew the two Color A 6-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces to each side of the book unit as illustrated.

Sew the two Color A 8-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces to the top and bottom of the unit as illustrated to completed the block.

 

Make six blocks and sew them together side to side in a row.  Sew the row to the top of row 2.  The next row will (hopefully) be posted the week of our next guild meeting, which is April 10.

Block of the Month - Row 2

By Sandra Schlagel

Here is row 2 for our current Block of the Month project, called "Scrap Happy Home."  We're building from the bottom row up.  I used a different tulip flower bud color family for each of the six blocks, but maintained the same color family (green) for the stem/leaf pieces throughout the row.

 

Refer to the diagram above, along with photos below, for piecing and connecting placement.  Press each seam as you sew, according to your preference.

 

Tulip Buds, Color A, cut:

Six 2-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

 

Tulip Buds, Color B, cut:

Six 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

 

Tulip Buds, Color B, cut:

Three 2-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

 

Tulip Buds, Color C, cut:

Twelve 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

 

Tulip Leaves, Color B, cut:

Nine 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

 

Background (leaf units), Color C, cut:

Twelve 2-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

 

Background (flower bud units), Color C, cut:

Two 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

 

Background (top/bottom), Color C, cut:

Two 8-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces using different fabrics for each piece

 

 

When working with scraps, I will usually cut more pieces than I need of each color so that I have several to choose from.

Make flower buds first.  Start a flying geese unit by placing a color C 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" square to one edge of a piece A, right sides together.  Draw a diagonal line on C from outer corner to opposite corner to form a triangle.  Sew along the line, trim excess fabric.  Open to reveal the completed rectangle, press.

Finish the flying geese unit by placing a color B 1-1/2" X 1-1/2" square to opposite edge of the A piece, right sides together.  Draw a diagonal line on B from outer corner to opposite corner to form a triangle.  Sew along the line, trim excess fabric.  Open to reveal the completed rectangle, press.

Make a flying geese unit for the bottom of the flower bud using a color B 2-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece and two color C 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" squares.

Sew the three flying geese units together to form the flower bud.  Make three flower bud units and sew together in a row.  Sew one color C background 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" piece to each side of the flower buds.

Sew one color B 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" square diagonally (as in half of a flying geese unit) to nine of the color C background 2-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces.  Trim excess, press open.  Three of the C background 2-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces will not have leaves sewn to them.  Arrange units as above, sew together to resemble photo below.

Sew remaining background color C 8-1/2" x 1-1/2" pieces to top and bottom of the units.

Finished 8-1/2" x 8-1/2" block is above.  Sew six blocks together.  I decided to have the colors follow a diagonal pattern, but you could keep the colors in rows of vertical stripes instead.

Sew the row of tulips to the row of houses.  Row three will be posted soon!