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2021 Block of the Week – We’re Finished!

We made it to the end of the road on this sew along project. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have! I also hope you learned a few quilting tips along the way. If you have just found this blog and say to yourself “what did I miss?”, click on last week’s blog post: Week 9, and you will find block 9 and links to all of the previous weeks. In this post, I will share my finished quilt top and provide a link for the finishing instructions. This setting is optional, so feel free to create your own setting if you do not like mine. I will also provide some tips for on-point settings for quilts to help make this setting easier for you to achieve. At the end, there will be information on the grand prize drawing. I will be including all the names from all the weeks, including those of you who comment on this week’s post. So let’s get started!

2021 Block of the Week Quilt Top

Here is my setting for the 9 blocks we made over the last 9 weeks.

What do you think? As with a lot of my patterns, I like to add a secondary design element. That’s what the black checkerboard blocks and setting triangles achieve. For these finishing instructions, click here: 2021 BOW Finishing. I hope you like it! If you are not a fan of on point quilts, feel free to use your own setting or you can use the setting for the 2020 block of the week quilt. Those instructions are here, the blocks are just different, of course.

Creating an On Point Quilt Setting

First I will share an overview of how you set blocks on point and then I will use this years BOW quilt to demonstrate the piecing steps.

Setting Triangles – Unlike quilts made from blocks that are set normally, on point block quilts need what are called setting triangles. Setting triangles are cut from squares. There are side triangles and end triangles.

For our block of the week quilt, we are piecing the side setting triangles but it’s a good idea to know this step when all your setting triangles are not pieced.

When I write my patterns for on point set quilt tops, I do the calculations for these triangles for you and tell you what size squares you need to cut them from. However, if you are making a pattern with a straight setting but decide you want to do an on point setting, you will need the formulas for those calculations. So here they are:

Side Triangles –  You take the finished size of your block x 1.414, then add 1 1/4″ to that number. For example, if your finished block is 6″, here is how the formula works:

6″ x 1.414 = 8.48″ (round this up to the nearest 1/8″ to 8.5″)
8.5″ + 1 1/4″ = 9 3/4″ square needed.

This square is then cut diagonally twice for 4 quarter-square triangles. For the above quilt, there are 12 side triangles, so you will need three 9 3/4″ squares:

End Triangles –  You take the finished size of your block/(divided by) 1.414, then add 7/8″ to that number. Example:

6/1.414 = 4.243 (round this up to the nearest 1/8″ to 4.25
4.25 + 7/8 = 5 1/8″ square needed.

 This square is then cut diagonally once for 2 half-square triangles. You need 4 end triangles, so you will need two 5 1/8″ squares:

Since our side triangles are pieced, I will take a little detour here and give a brief tutorial on making those before we continue with the piecing of the full quilt top. In our pattern, you will be making a 4 patch unit and use two quarter-square triangles to complete the side triangle. The photo below is the first triangle laid out next to the 4 patch unit:

When you stitch a square and a triangle together like this, line up the 90 degree corners (where I am pointing). The point of the triangle will overlap. Don’t cut that off because that helps us achieve 1/4″ seam allowance above the 4 patch unit of our finished setting triangle unit. In the photos below, you will see the rest of the steps:

As you can see in the last photo, the stitching line for the second seam crosses at the other point made when you attached the first triangle. When you press the unit and flip it over, you will see there is 1/4″ above the top of the 4 patch unit created by these triangles so you will not cut it off when this side triangle is pieced into the quilt top.

Laying Out and Piecing the On Point Quilt

So now that you have the setting triangles made and the end triangles cut, you can lay out your quilt top using a large floor space or design wall. Here’s my 2021 BOW quilt blocks and triangles arranged and ready for stitching:

Unlike regular quilts where you join straight rows or columns, this type of quilt has its rows joined diagonally. I like to piece the end caps on the upper left and lower right first (where I am pointing in the photos below)

I join the side triangles to the block first, then I join the end triangle. I use a ruler to make sure I have the point of the end triangle in the center of the block before stitching (photo below right). This assures me that my end piece will be centered evenly to create a end cap “triangle”.

Next, I stitch all the other rows diagonally and join those rows for the quilt top center.

If you have carefully matched up the seams of the rows when piecing, you will have a nice square quilt top (or rectangular if you are doing a pattern for a rectangular quilt). Notice the triangle points still visible in the photo on the right? Those can now be trimmed off if you like.

So, I hope this brief on point setting tutorial will help you in finishing your 2021 Block of the Week quilt! Now for the grand prize! It’s a copy of my book, Blooming Patchwork, a Quilt-in-a-Day Triangle Square-up ruler, a package of binding clips and my newest pattern, Spinning Spools!

The drawing will be on Monday, June 21st. Good luck! ***GRAND PRIZE WINNER! Congrats, Donna Schulz!***

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Block of the Week – Block 9

Here we are! The last block in my 2021 BOW. These 9 weeks have gone fast. I hope you have enjoyed making the first 8 blocks and you will like this one too. If you are just finding this BOW project, you can access the previous block instructions and blog posts by clicking on each week: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6 , Week 7, Week 8. This weeks tip of the week will actually be many mini tips for quilters based on some of the things I like to do to make my quilting experience relaxing and fun. Hopefully you will find a tip or two helpful to you too! As with the last 8 weeks, there will be a drawing for one of my patterns. The winner will be chosen from the comments and questions you leave below. So now that all that is out of the way, lets see the last block!

Block 9 – Bloom

Find the PDF instructions for the block here: 2021 BOW Block 9.

This block has a lot of elements in it that previous blocks in this series had, so you should be able to make this one using the knowledge you have gained making the others. So now onto the time saving tips for quilters.

Time Saving Tips for Quilters

Tip #1 – Always Buy Extra

My quilt patterns use the assumption of 40″ usable width of fabric (as I discussed in last week’s post), but some patterns may not. If you are not sure if the pattern you are buying allows for selvage, cutting errors or pre-washing fabric (if you do that), always buy a bit more than recommended. I usually ad about 1/8 of a yard to what is needed. I don’t pre-wash my fabric, but I have made cutting errors… a lot! You do not want to get to the end of your piece of fabric and still have pieces you need cut from it.

Tip #2 – Test Blocks

One of the things I recommend as a time saver is to read through the pattern you are planning to work on and create a “test” block out of scrap fabric. This is a great way to find out if you understand the instructions! It’s also a way to “audition” color choices.

Here’s one of my test blocks:

After the test block has served it’s purpose in helping me understand the pattern and make color choices, what can I do with it?  I decided to take these blocks and rummage through my scrap stash to make mini quilts for friends and family! Here’s a candle mat I made from the test block:

This is a great way to make a gift for the non-quilter in your life. They will love their little gift and you will not let a scrap of fabric go to waste!

Tip #3 – Label Cut Pieces

This may seem like a no brainer but to keep yourself organized, you should label the pieces you cut and organize them in stacks based on which part of the quilt they construct. This is especially helpful if you cut all the pieces for your project in the beginning. I like to get all the cutting done at once and it allows me to make sure I have enough fabric. If I cut in stages, by the time I figure out I’m short of fabric, it may be sold out!

Above is an example of a project cut out and ready to go. Each stack represents a group of blocks made from the same color prints. This keeps me organized and I avoid picking up the wrong piece and stitching it into a unit. The less “unsewing” I have to do, the better!

Tip #4 – Stitch Ripping

Speaking of “unsewing”, I have a tip on ripping out stitches in a way to hopefully avoid damaging your fabric. Here’s how I do it:

I cut a stitch every 4 or 5 stitches in the middle of the seam and then gently pull apart the pieces.

The seam comes apart fairly easy and then all you have to do is finish cutting the threads on each end of the unit.

Tip #5 – Backstitching

This may seem like a simple tip, but you’d be surprised how many people skip it. Back stitch to lock your stitched seam at the beginning and end of a seam. 

The unit on the left has back stitching at the beginning and end of the seam. The one on the right does not. The next photo shows how the seam can easily separate, which can cause your quilt to come apart at the seams … literally!

The unit that has the back stitching is nice and secure, even with seams pressed open.

Backstitching can be done whether you are just stitching one unit at a time or you are stitching a chain of units. It only takes a brief second to backstitch at the beginning and end of each unit in a chain.

So that’s it! Those are some of my favorite tips to share. I hope you learned something. Share a tip with me in the comments below and your name will be entered into a drawing for my pattern, Twinkling Log Cabin.

This is one of my older scrappy quilt patterns, but it’s still one of my favorites! The drawing will be on Monday, June 14th. That is also the day that I will reveal the wall hanging I made from these blocks and share those instructions. **We have a winner! Congrats, Gail S.!**

So, until next week,

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

2021 Block of the Week – Block 8

It’s time for block 8 of the series! This BOW is going fast and in two short weeks, you will see the finished wall hanging I have made. I will provide the instructions to complete the wall hanging if you so desire. If you are just joining the party, all the block of the week blocks are still available here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6 and Week 7. After the block reveal, I will talk about fabric tips, including fabric bias, and bias seams. This block has a lot of those! Comment on the post and be entered into this week’s drawing and the grand prize drawing at the end. Enjoy!

Block 8 – Double Pinwheel

To get the instructions for this block, click here: 2021 BOW – Block 8.

Like I said above, there are a few bias seams in this block so that is why I would like to review that with this blog post. But first, I will cover what “bias” of fabric actually is. No matter your skill level as a quilter, it never hurts to review this. If you are a new quilter, this should help you understand how and why your fabric is behaving in certain ways. So let’s get started!

Fabric Facts

The common belief is that fabric has a usable width of 44″. But you can not always depend on that being the case because of the selvage of the fabric.

Selvage is the tightly woven, finished edges of fabric on the lengthwise grain. This prevents the woven fabric from fraying or unraveling. Because you cut off the selvages before you cut from your piece of fabric, the actual usable fabric width is between those selvages. You can also lose width from pre-washing the fabric if that’s something you do. For those reasons most patterns, mine included, assume 40″ of usable width.

Here’s a few tips to save you cutting headaches:

Tip #1: Don’t assume the pattern writer of the pattern you want to make assumes 40″ width of fabric unless it’s stated on the pattern. If I do not know the width assumed, I will purchase about 1/8 yard extra than noted on the pattern. This also allows for width lost when squaring the fabric up, pre-washing it or for cutting errors … we all make them!

Tip #2: Cut largest to smallest pieces from a piece of fabric. My patterns list all the cutting instructions up front and I list them from the largest piece to the smallest for each fabric, but some patterns may not. Make sure you know how many pieces are to be cut from a piece of fabric and plan how you will cut them efficiently, if the pattern does not instruct you, before you start cutting.

Tip #3: It’s a good idea to understand the grain of the fabric and bias so you know how a fabric will behave in a unit or block you are creating. It’s also important to know this because some patterns will tell you to cut certain pieces on the lengthwise or crosswise grain. Here’s a brief run down:

The lengthwise grain (warp) of the fabric is parallel to the selvage. This is where the fabric is most stable.

The crosswise grain (weft) is perpendicular to the selvages. It is a little less stable than the lengthwise grain.

Bias of the fabric is at a 45 degree angle from the selvages of a piece of fabric.

On the bias,  the fabric is the least stable and has the most stretch to it. That’s why binding cut on the bias is used for quilt tops with scalloped edges or for a circular quilt. Also any seam sewn on the bias (like in half-square triangle squares) must be handled with care when pressing or when ripping out that seam so the fabric is not stretched out of shape. Once fabric is stretched on the bias, it usually stays distorted.

See how stretchy it is on the bias?

Since we will be doing a lot of bias seams as well as straight seams for this block, here is the simplest explanation i have of these two types of seams.

A straight seam is right there in the description: straight. Putting two units together and sewing straight on the lengthwise or crosswise grain. An example of this is two squares stitched together:

A bias seam is when you join two pieces of fabric matching the bias cut sides, like with half-square triangles:

This is why you need to be extra careful in stitching seams on the bias. If you have to pick out the seam in the above example, you could risk stretching the fabric on that bias and it will be distorted. This will lead to your unit not measuring correctly when you are done.

So, that’s it for this week. If you are a beginner, I hope you learned something. If you are an experienced quilter, I hope you weren’t too bored! Leave a comment below or ask any questions you may have and you will be entered into a drawing for my pattern, Open Windows:

You’ll get a lot of practice with bias seams making this quilt! The drawing for this pattern will be on Monday, June 7th. **We have a winner! Congrats, Karen J.!**

Until next week,

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

2021 Block of the Week – Block 6

Welcome back to my 2021 Block of the Week. We are already at block #6! If you are new to this series, you can find the posts for the previous blocks here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4 and Week 5. Like the other weeks, there will be a drawing from the blog post commenters for one of my patterns. Your name will also be entered into the grand prize drawing at the end of the series (grand prize information in the week 1 post).

Block 6 – Rolling Star

I like the block for this week because of the way the light tan background illuminates the star portion of the block. You can also improvise and change the tan to a black print and change the colors for the star pieces to bright colors. There are many fun options.

Click here for block assembly instructions: 2021 BOW Block 6.

Here are some of the ways to make this block look different. First, change the tan fabric to black:

Next, add in another color instead of the tan print on the outside, then shift colors around. If you alternate the two block color combos below, that would make a striking quilt!

The key is to have fun! Now onto the quilting tip of the week. Achieving crisp points which will be very helpful for this block with lots of points.

Crisp Points

We have all done this. You’re piecing a quilt with a lot of stars or flying geese units. When you’re all done, your points are cut off!

Notice the point on the left is cut off compared to the point on the right. This is one of the things that dogs a lot of quilters. I find that many times this is due to impatience (rushing through chain piecing) and not being being aware of where your points are in relation to the seam you are stitching. So, here I will share some tips to avoid blocks with cut off points. I am using flying geese units in my example, but the concept will apply to any unit with points.

When you flip over a flying geese unit like shown below and you will see a point created by the seams of the unit.   

Paying attention to where this point is while you are stitching is an important key for getting crisp points.

Notice, in the photo below, I have pinned the pieces so they won’t shift. As I am stitching I keep an eye on the point. I want to keep my stitching above it. Hopefully, if I made my geese unit correctly, the top of the point is 1/4″ from the edge of the unit.

I am using a pin to show you where the point is as I am stitching.

In the  photo below you can see my needle is going to pass the stitching above the point but still be an accurate 1/4″ seam (see where I am pointing with the pin). You want the stitching to stay above but not too far. If your stitching touches the very tippy top of the point, that is still OK. The photo on the far right shows my seam done, passing right over the point.

When I turn the piece over to the right side, you can see that the point is nice and crisp!

Like I said earlier, the key to getting these crisp points is to make sure when you piece your units that have points, the unit has the correct seam allowance. 1/4″ from point tip to edge of the unit:

In some blocks, you may need to join two units with points. Here’s a few tips on doing that and keeping the points crisp. Once again, I will use flying geese units in the example.

When pinning the units together, you want to start by lining up the points of each unit and pinning there. Here is how I line up the points. I lay the units right sides together and then pull the top unit down to get the point lined up with the point of the unit below. I slowly inch the top piece back, eyeing the point the whole time.

Pin the center first to keep the points from shifting and then pin the rest of the unit before stitching.

Follow the stitching instructions I shared above, stitch the unit keeping your seam above the point. Since you took such care in aligning the points, the stitching should be above the point on the back unit to.

You can see in the photos of each side below where the stitching line passes above the point:

And after pressing the unit open once stitched, flip it over to the right side and see that the points are matched!

So those are my tips on how to achieve crisp points. It may take some practice, but you will get there! Hopefully you will not have to use your seam ripper too much.

That’s it for this week. Leave your comments or questions below and you will be entered into a drawing for my pattern, Twilight Desert. This pattern will give you a lot of practice on achieving crisp points!

The drawing for this pattern will be on Monday, May 24th. Good luck and see you next week! **We have a winner… Congrats, Carla!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

2021 Block of the Week – Block 5

Wow! We’re already onto block 5 of my Block of the Week series. Welcome back to those of you who have been with me from the start. If you are new to my 2021 BOW, you can find the posts for the previous weeks here: Week 1,     Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4. There will be another drawing for the commenters on this post just like the previous weeks and your name will also be added to the grand prize drawing at the end of this sew along. 

This week’s block is so much fun, that I am actually designing a stand alone pattern with a table topper/wall hanging and a table runner project in it. I hope to have that pattern available this summer. I’ll keep you posted! The quilting tips/technique I share this week is a review of the stitch & flip (or folded corner) technique. Mastering that technique will help you successfully make this block. I also have a mini tutorial video that may help with the lesson I have posted at the end. Let’s get started!

Block #5 – Spinning Spools

For instructions to make this block click here: 2021 BOW Block 5.

Now let’s move on to the technique of the week: Stich & Flip or, as some people call it, Folded Corners.

Stitch & Flip

What is it? The easiest description is adding a smaller square of fabric to another larger square, rectangle (or any other piece with a 90 degree angle) and stitching it with a bias (45 degree) seam. For the Spinning Spools block above, that would be the added corners of color print fabric to the tan rectangles in each section of the block. In my example below, I am using a large black square and a small tan square so it’s easy to see the steps.

Here, I start with a 2 1/2″ black square and a tan 1 1/2″ square. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the tan square as a guide for stitching:

Next, lay the small square face down and line up its edges with the edges of the bigger black square as shown. I like to pin it in place for stitching so the small square does not shift. Then I stitch on the line.

Now comes the important part. Do not cut off the excess fabric in the seam allowance yet. I like to finger press the small square open and measure the unit to make sure it still measures 2 1/2″.

It still measures correctly! So now I can trim off the excess fabric in the seam allowance and take the unit to the iron for pressing. 

And that’s it! You can repeat this step on all the other sides of the above square or just on one other side, what ever the pattern calls for. A key to success, like last week’s seam alignment lesson, is to use pins to keep the pieces from shifting while stitching. The reason we measures the unit with none of the excess fabric trimmed is in case the seam has to be resewn, we will have the larger square still intact. Hopefully you do not have to do that often because it’s easy to distort your fabric pieces when trying to pick out a bias seam. 

Mini Video Tutorial

Here’s the mini video tutorial I did on this technique. Hopefully this will demonstrate the technique more clearly for you.

That’s it for this week! Please share your comments and any questions you may have below. I will choose a name from the comments and the winner will get my pattern, Scrappy North Stars.

This is a one block, scrappy quilt pattern that will give you a lot of stitch & flip practice! The drawing for the winner will be on Monday, May 17th. **We have a winner! Congrats, Shirley!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

2021 Block of the Week – Block 4

Welcome back to my 2021 BOW! Are you having fun yet? Have you decided to take some of these blocks and make a small wall hanging or table runner? I hope so! As I said when we began, when the series ends I will have a layout for a sampler using these blocks. But they are fun stand alone blocks to create other quilts! If you are just joining the fun, here are links to the previous blog posts for the first 3 blocks: Week1, Week2, and Week3. As with the other weeks, I will have some quilting technique tips. This week, I will cover seam alignment when piecing a block. So let’s get started with Block 4!

Block #4 – Mountain Pass

For instructions to make this block, click here: 2021 BOW Block 4.

Now let’s get into this week’s quilting technique tip. I hope this will help you to complete this block or just provide a refresher for those of you who are experienced quilters.

Aligning Seams

Many quilt patterns and their designs depend on seam alignment to make the design flow. If you do not match seams when piecing a block, the design can suffer. Same thing goes for joining blocks. Here’s an example of one of my patterns that shows the importance of seam alignment, my quilt pattern, Follow the Stars:

 

Here’s a few close-up photos (below) of one of the blocks and where the blocks meet in the quilt that demonstrates how seam alignment is important in the design.

Within the block (photo on left), you want the black corner squares to line up and meet right at the points of the squares to create the flow.  In the photo on the right, when joining the blocks, you want the black squares of each block to align with the sashing to create the overall “criss crossing” design in the quilt.

So here are the steps I follow in aligning seams. The examples below are from a Jacob’s Ladder table runner pattern, called Fiesta, I designed. Here’s one of the table runners in the pattern. Looking closely, you can see how important it is to line up the seams of these blocks carefully to create the flow of the whole pattern.

The Jacob’s Ladder block that makes up this table runner has a seam that needs to match up so the four-patch units in the block are aligned correctly and then when the blocks are pieced together, the middle seams of each block need to align. Here’s how I make sure seams align when piecing blocks together:

The two blocks on the left are the ones I am stitching together. I lay one block on top of the other and then I peel back the top one so I can align the seams. I try to bend it back where the 1/4″ seam line will be to make sure the seams are aligned. Once I am satisfied, I will pin the unit there first so my seam alignment does not move when I pin other parts of the block. When I am done, the seams are matched perfectly on the front (photo below). Pinning is definitely and important part of seam alignment!

As you can see, part of the runner design depends on the corners of the squares meeting accurately and I accomplished that by carefully aligning the seams and pinning them in place before stitching.

Hopefully this brief tutorial on seam alignment will help you with this block and other projects you may be working on. I like to think we learn something new every day! It never hurts either to brush up on your skills even if you are an experienced quilter.

Leave me a comment on this tutorial and you will be entered into a drawing for my pattern, Oh My Scraps!. You will also be entered into the grand prize drawing that will take place at the end of this series. Sorry, drawing is open only for US residents.

Oh My Scraps! Quilt Pattern

The drawing for this pattern will be on Monday, May 10th. **We have a winner! Congrats, Darrell!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

2021 Block of the Week – Block 3

Welcome back to my 2021 Block of the Week project. If you are just joining in, find the previous posts here: Week 1 and Week 2.This week’s block is a cute little basket block. You can make several of these and make a fun mini wall hanging! This week’s tip is a review on accurate 1/4″ seam allowances since this block requires accurate seams for everything to fit perfectly to make the 6 1/2″ block. At the end of this post, I share with you a video showing how I assembled the inner basket part of the block, joining triangles to squares. So let’s get started!

Block #3 – Posey Basket

For instructions to make this block, click here: 2021 BOW Block 3.

Now onto this week’s quilting technique tips that I hope will help you to complete this block or just provide a refresher for those of you who are experienced quilters.

Accurate 1/4″ Seams

Why is the 1/4″ seam allowance so important? Because most quilt patterns are written to include a 1/4″ seam in the measurements of the pieces cut out for the pattern, unless otherwise indicated. So, if you do not piece with an accurate 1/4″ seam allowance, your 1 1/2 x 2 1/2″ flying geese unit, for example, might measure something quite different. This will then lead to your block units not measuring accurately, causing you problems assembling them and the quilt top.

It’s best to test out whether your machine is stitching a 1/4″ seam using scrap fabric. even if your machine comes with a 1/4″ quilting foot like mine: 

Thickness of thread and needle position (if your machine allows you to move it) can also make your seam more or less than 1/4”. So, here’s how to test your seam allowance:

First, stitch two scrap strips together using the your 1/4” foot as the guide (or if you don’t have one, the marks on the machine throat plate) and then measure the seam.

My seam measures up! But if your seam doesn’t, my tip to help to achieve a 1/4” seam is to mark a 1/4” line on your machine’s throat plate.

Some newer machines already have a mark etched in the throat plate that guides you to a 1/4” seam if you line up the edge of your fabric with it while stitching. You can test the accuracy of this marking like you did above. Notice, in the photo below, the etched line on my machine (arrow pointing to it). That’s the mark on the machine throat plate I was talking about. I use a tape measure and make sure the needle is at “0” and, as you can see, the 1/4″ mark of the throat plate falls even with the tape measure 1/4″ mark.

If you do not have this marking on your throat plate or you do not want to depend on that, use a piece of masking or painter’s tape to mark the 1/4″. Then you line up the edge of the piece you are stitching with the left edge of the tape. The photo below shows the tape marking on my throat plate. That’s it! Time to stitch those accurate 1/4″ seams!

Mini Tutorial – Joining Triangles and Squares

OK… now it’s time for my mini tutorial that demonstrates how you join triangles and squares together.

I hope this video was helpful!

Share a comment on this post and you will be entered into a drawing for my pattern, Posey Patch. Sorry, drawing is open only for US residents.

You will also be entered into the drawing for the grand prize at the end of this Block of the Week series. The drawing for this pattern will be on Monday, May 3rd. **We have a winner! Congrats, Lois Oberg!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

2021 Block of the Week – Block 2

Hi! Welcome back to my 2021 Block of the Week series. If you missed week 1 you can find the first post here. This week’s block is just as fun and scrappy as last week’s. I will once again review the block and then cover some quilting techniques that will help you complete the block. Since this week’s block has a lot of half-square triangle (HST) squares, I will cover how to make HSTs the traditional way and how to make them in multiples. Once again, have fun rummaging through your stash of scraps to put together your favorite combination of colors! Like last week, there will be a drawing from the comments for a prize and you will be entered into the grand prize drawing at the end. Sorry, drawing is open only for US residents. Let’s get started!

Block #2 – Double X

For the instructions to make this block, find the pattern here: 2021 BOW Block 2.

Now onto this week’s quilting technique tips that I hope will help you to complete this block or just provide a refresher for those of you who are experienced quilters.

Making HSTs – Traditional Methods

There are two traditional methods to make half-square triangle (HST) squares. The oldest is to cut two different fabric squares in half, then stitch together two of the triangles with a bias seam.

I stitch the two pieces using a “scant” 1/4″ seam. I like to use a scant 1/4″ because then I can trim the square to size. We’ll get to the trimming after I finish going over these two methods.

This next method is the quicker way to get two HST squares from two separate pieces of fabric. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of one of the squares, lay them right sides together, stitch a scant 1/4″ on each side of the line and then cut the unit apart.

Now to the trimming. There’s two ways to do that too. The first way is to press open the stitched units, then trim all 4 sides by laying the ruler’s 45 degree line on the diagonal seam. In the first photo below, I show the measurement of the seam showing the scant 1/4″.

The second way to trim these squares is to trim them while they are still not pressed open by using the Quilt in a Day ruler that is part of my grand prize give-away. You lay the line marked with the square size on the seam and trim the excess. Using this ruler means you only have to make two trimming cuts instead of four like above. Then you press open the unit for an HST square!

Multiple HSTs

This is a great method to use when you have to make a lot of HST squares of the same color and you’d like to make more than two at once. This method gives you eight HST squares at once!

Start with 2 squares that are 2 times the size of the HST you are making plus 1 3/4″. For this block, my HSTs needed to be 1 1/2″. So, 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 = 2 1/4 then 2 1/4 + 1 3/4 = 4″. Once you have your squares cut to size, draw diagonal lines on the wrong side of one of the squares as shown. Lay the 2 squares right sides together, keeping the square with the drawn lines on top.

Now, stitch a scant 1/4″ on each side of the drawn lines. Like in the traditional method, I use a scant 1/4″ seam because I then have the option to trim the HSTs if needed. If you make them too small …. no way to make them grow!

Once you have the squares stitched this way, use a ruler to cut this unit into four quadrants, and then cut the quadrants apart. Use one of the trimming and pressing methods above for eight HST squares!

So, that’s it for Block #2 and this week’s quilt technique tutorial! Leave me a comment on this blog to be entered in a drawing for my quilt pattern, Village Square, where you will get a lot of practice with one of these HST square methods. There’s 384 HST squares in this quilt!

The drawing for this pattern will be on Monday, April 26th. Have fun making block #2! **We have a winner! Congrats, June Kempston!**

Happy Quilting
Deanne

2021 Block of the Week Begins!

Hi everyone! Since we enjoyed the block of the week so much in 2020, I decided to run another series starting today. I plan on presenting a new block each week for the next 9 weeks and then have instructions to finish a fun wall hanging from the blocks. Of course, the finishing is optional. If you like a block, feel free to make a whole quilt out of that one block! Since this is a scrappy project, I am not giving any overall fabric requirements. This is meant for using up scraps and small pieces of fabric in your stash. When I give finishing instructions in week 10, I will have fabric requirements for any fabric needed for borders, etc that might not be found in your stash.

Added bonus! For participating and commenting on the blog each week, you will be entered into a drawing for a give-away. There will be one each week and then, at the end, a grand prize! Sorry, drawing is open only for US residents. But we’ll talk more about that later. For now, let’s get started with block #1! 

Block #1 – Combination Star

For the instructions to make this block, find the pattern here: 2021 BOW Block 1. 

So now onto this week’s tips. I will show you the steps to make fast quarter-square triangle squares or fast QST squares as I will refer to it throughout the remainder of this post.

How to: Fast QST Squares

As I show in the pattern, the traditional way to make a QST square is to cut two different print squares into quarters by cutting diagonally and then sewing them together, carefully because these are sewn on the bias. But, there is what I think is a simpler way that make two QST squares at the same time.

Step 1: This step starts out having you make two half-square triangle (HST) squares. Take two squares of different colors, lay them right sides together – lining up raw edges, and draw diagonal lines in both direction on the wrong side of the top square (first photo). Next, stitch an accurate 1/4″ on each side of only ONE of the lines. Cut the unit apart and press the pieces open for two HST squares. 

Step 2: Now comes the twist! Layer the two HST squares right sides together with the tan print of the top square over the color print on the bottom. You do not want the same color print sides on top of each other.

Be sure to line up the seams of the HST squares as shown and pin so the pieces don’t shift while you move on to the next step.

Step 3: Extend the line from the tan print as shown to give you a guide and once again, sew 1/4″ on each side.

Finally, once the stitching is done, cut the unit apart on the drawn line and press open for two finished QST squares!

So, if you have a lot of QST squares to make, this is a slick way to make two at a time without having to sew on an already cut bias seam.

This method also works when you need QST squares with 3 or 4 different colors. See the examples below.

I hope you will join me in this Block of the Week adventure for 2021! The grand prize at the end of this project will be a copy of my book, a Quilt in a Day Triangle Square-up ruler, and an assortment of my latest patterns. Commenting on one or all of these Block of the Week posts not only enters you for the prize that week, but enters you in the grand prize drawing!

Leave a comment below and be entered in the drawing this week’s give-away, my Mill Country Sky pattern, which will give you some practice with QST squares!

This drawing will be on Monday, April 19th. I’m excited for this project and I hope you join me every week! Let’s get sewing! **We have a winner! Congrats, Christie Brehm!**
Happy Quilting,
Deanne