Mercer County Star

We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Month, Threads of Memory.

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com

This is how I made my block, it may

differ from the original.

Fabric Requirements:

Fabric A: Red print

4 - 4 1/2''squares

Fabric B: Green

1 - 6'' square 

Fabric C: Large Light Print

2 - 6'' squares - Mark a 

diagonal line on back.

Fabric D: Blue

1 - 6'' square

Fabric E: Small Light Print

4 - 1 1/2'' squares

4 - 1 1/2'' x 2 1/2'' rectangles

Fabric F: Red

8 - 1 1/2'' squares - Mark a 

diagonal line on back.

Fabric G: Fussy Cut

1 - 2 1/2'' square

Make Small Center Star: 

Make Flying Geese Units:

Place a Fabric F 1 1/2'' square on left

side of a Fabric E rectangles and sew

a thread width below drawn line.  Open

and press to the corner, trim back 2 

layers of fabric to 1/4''.

Repeat process on the right side of 

rectangle.  Make 4 of this unit.

Layout units as shown and sew

together in 3 rows.  Press seams 

in rows 1 and 3 to the outside and

seams in row 2 to the inside.

Sew rows together and square to 4 1/2''.

Make Quarter Square Triangles

(Outer Center Units)

Pair 6'' squares in the following combinations

with right sides together:

1 - B/C    1 - C/D

Sew 1/4'' away from each side of drawn line,

cut on drawn line and press seams to the

Fabrics B and D.  On the Fabric B/C units,

mark a diagonal line on the opposite

diagonal from the seam.

Pair a B/C unit with a C/D unit with

right sides together as shown.  Be 

sure to have seams lock against each 

other.  Sew 1/4'' away from each side 

of drawn line, cut on drawn line and

press seam open to reduce bulk.

Squaring a Quarter Square Triangle is easy 

if you follow the directions!  Place the diagonal

line of the ruler along the seam line as shown.

Since we want a 4 1/2'' square, place the 2 1/4''

intersection at the center of block (as shown

with the arrow), now trim the top and right 

seams.  

Rotate the unit and place the 4 1/2''

lines of the ruler along the left and bottom

edges and trim the remaining untrimmed

edges.  Make 4 of this unit.

Layout units as shown and sew together

in 3 rows.  Press seams in rows 1 and 3

to the outside and seams in row 2 to the 

inside.

Sew rows together and press final seams

open to reduce bulk.  Square to 12 1/2''.

Check out everyone's work on Dustin's Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/threadsofmemory/#

If you like what you see here, please

become a follower of this blog and leave a 

comment, let me know you are out there!

~ Ellen

Portsmouth Star

We are quilting along with Barbara Brackman's

Block of the Month, Threads of Memory.

http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com

This is how I made my block. it may

differ from the original.  If you want 

to use a fussy cut in the corner units

this is not the method to use.  It is 

best to use a fabric that will blend 

easily for the Fabric B.

Fabric Requirements:

Fabric A: Fussy Cut

1 - 4 1/2'' square

Fabric B:  Blue

4 - 2 1/2'' squares

4 - 2 1/2'' x 4 1/2'' rectangles

Fabric C: Green

2 - 3 1/4'' squares - Mark

a diagonal line on back.

1 - 6'' square

Fabric D:  Red Print

2 - 3 1/4'' squares

1 - 6'' square

Fabric E: White Print

2 - 6'' squares - Mark a 

diagonal line on back.

Make Half Square Triangles:

Pair Fabric C and Fabric D 3 1/4'' squares

with right sides together.  Sew 1/4'' away from 

each side of the drawn line, cut on drawn line.

  Press seams to the Fabric C and square to 2 1/2''.

Make Corner Units:

Layout a Half Square Triangle and Fabric B

2 1/2'' square as shown and sew together, 

press seam to the Fabric B square.

Layout above unit and Fabric B rectangle

as shown and sew together, press seam to

the rectangle.  Square to 4 1/2''.

Make 4 of this unit.

Make Quarter Square Triangles:

Pair 6'' squares in the following combinations:

1 - E/D        1 - E/C 

The first step is the same as making a Half

Square Triangle:  sew 1/4'' away from each

side of the drawn line, cut on the drawn line.

  Press seams to the darker fabric.  Mark a 

diagonal line on the opposite diagonal from the 

seam on the Fabric C/E units.

Take care with this step, you want to pair the

E/C and E/D units with right sides together.

You want the 2 seams to butt up against each 

other and lock in place, pin along the seams.

Sew 1/4'' away from each side of the drawn

line, cut on drawn line.  Press seam open to

reduce bulk.

With Quarter Square Triangles there is a very

specific way to square up.  Place the diagonal line 

on the ruler on the diagonal seam that runs from 

top right to bottom left, also for this size QST, 

place the 2 1/4'' mark on the ruler in the center

of the unit as shown by the arrow.  Now trim the 

top and side.

Rotate the unit and place the 4 1/2'' lines of 

the ruler on the left and bottom edges as shown.

Trim top and right side.

Make 4 of this unit.

Layout units as shown and sew together in

3 rows.  Press the seams in rows 1 and 3 to 

the outside and the seams in row 2 to the

inside.

Sew rows together and press seams open to 

reduce bulk.  Square to 12 1/2''.

Check out everyone's work on Dustin's Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/threadsofmemory/

Missouri Star

 

 

 

 

 

This makes an 8 1/2'' unfinished block.

Marie has requested pressing tips,

I'll add them in red.

Fabric Requirements:

Fabric A : Light

4 - 2 1/2" Squares

1 - 5 1/4" square -

cut with 2 diagonal cuts

Fabric B: Medium

2 - 3 1/4" Squares

cut with 2 diagonal cuts

Fabric C: Dark

2 - 3 1/4" Squares

cut with 2 diagonal cuts

Fabric D: Medium

2 - 2 7/8" squares

Cut with 1 diagonal cut

Fabric E: Medium

1 - 3 3/8" square

Sew 2 Fabric D squares to

opposite sides of Fabric E

square.  Press seams out and

trim dogears.

Sew remaining 2 Fabric D

triangles to remaining sides

of Fabric E square.

Press seams to the outside.

Square to 4 1/2".

Sew together Fabric B

and Fabric C triangles as

shown.  Notice there are

4 of one type and 4 of

another.  Press seams

to the dark fabric.

Sew Fabric B/C triangle

unit to a Fabric A triangle.

Take care to use the correct

Fabric B/C triangle.  Press seam

to the dark fabric.  Trim dogears.

 

Sew B/C triangle unit to

other side of Fabric A triangle.

Again, take care to use the

correct B/C triangle.

Press seam to the dark fabric.

Square to 2 1/2" x 4 1/2".

Sew 2 Fabric A squares to

each side of rectangle units.

Press seam to the light fabric.

Make 2.

Sew 2 rectangle units to

each side of center square.

Take care matching points.

Press seams open to reduce bulk.

Sew units together as shown, 

again, take care to match points.

Press the last 2 seams open

to reduce bulk.

Square to 8 1/2".

This is another one.

Churn Dash - 8 1/2'' block

A Churn Dash block is quite easy when

made as a 12 1/2'' unfinished block but when

you need it to be an 8 1/2'' unfinished block,

it is much more challenging.  Here is how to

do it.

This is what I cut:

Fabric A: light floral

2 - 3 1/2" squares - cut on diagonal

4 - 3 1/8" x 1 7/8" rectangles

Fabric B: dark pink

2 - 3 1/2" squares - cut on diagonal

Fabric C: dark stripe

4 - 3 1/8" x 1 7/8" rectangles

Fabric D: pink & white floral

1 - 3 1/8" square

Sew light and dark triangles

together on long edge.  Press

seam to the dark fabric.

Square to a "heavy-handed"

3 1/8" or 3 1/8' + a smidge.

Oh yeah, such technical terms,

right?  I mean just a bit over 3 1/8".

In my first block I squared all

9 units to 3 1/8" exactly and with

sewing and pressing it ended up

as 8 3/8" instead of 8 1/2".

Sew light and dark rectangle

units together on long edge.

Square to 3 1/8" plus "a bit."

Layout units as shown and

sew together in 3 rows.

Press seams in rows 1 & 3

to the outside and seams

in row 2 to the inside.

Pin and sew rows together

taking care to have the seams

"lock" together at the

intersections as you pin

to achieve precise piecing.

I pressed the final 2 seams

open as this reduced the bulk

in the block and made it flatter.

Mine squared up at 8 1/2"

using this method.

Here is my first attempt.