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

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.

Birds in the Air

 

 

Hi!  If you enjoy this blog, please become

a follower, I need to know if anyone is out

there using these tutorials!  And pop on over

to the American Homestead blog and see what

is going on in my life.  All the best!  ~ Ellen

 

http://americanhomestead.blogspot.com

 Cut 2 dark & 3 light 3 1/2"

squares, then cut on the diagonal.

Then cut 1 - 8 7/8" square &

cut on the diagonal.

Sew 3 light and dark squares as

shown, mine squared up to 3 1/8".

Sew units together as shown.

I found that pressing seams

as shown above is the best

option to achieve precise points.

Especially that center seam, notice

those seams are pressed in opposite

directions, they will lock together

when you pin the seam.  After

sewing this seam, I pressed the

seam open to reduce bulk.

Sew the final light triangle to

the light & dark unit.  Next you

have to trim the long edge of this

triangle, take care to leave 1/4"

from the points of the dark triangles.

 

Then sew the above units together

along the long edge of the triangles.

Press seam to the solid triangle

and square to 8 1/2".

Here is another one I made

using different fabrics for the

dark triangles.

This is another with

different fabrics.

Cotton Boll

Cotton Boll

 

Hi!  If you enjoy this blog, please become

a follower, I need to know if anyone is out

there using these tutorials!  And pop on over

to the American Homestead blog and see what

is going on in my life.  All the best!  ~ Ellen

 

http://americanhomestead.blogspot.com

 

This is a block that you have to think of

as a 4-patch, then it is easy.

Cut 4 - 2 7/8" squares and cut on diagonal.

Cut 4 rectangles 3 3/8" x 7".

Use the same fabric for all 4 or

2 of one and 2 of another, the

choice is yours.

On the back, draw a line in the center.

Place the diagonal line on a square

ruler on top of the drawn line and

the point of the angle on the edge

of the fabric.  Cut excess triangles off.

Place long edge of small triangles

right sides together on long edge of

rectangles.  Overlap the point of the

triangle by 1/4" and sew.  Repeat to

the other side.

This is an important step for

precise points.  Press the triangle

seams of 2 rectangles to the inside

and the seams of the other 2 rectangles

to the outside.  If using rectangles of

the same color, just do 2 and 2.  If  using

2 different fabrics, press Fabric A

seams to the inside and Fabric B

 seams to the outside.

Square up the pointed edge

of rectangle as shown.

Now square up opposite side

of rectangle, unit should measure

to a 4 1/2" square.

Layout units as shown and sew

together in 2 rows.  Now this is

where the pressing of the seams

comes into play.  As you pin the seam

before sewing, take care to "lock" the

seams together at the mid section

of the seam.

By pressing and taking care you

will get very precise points.

On the two units press the

seams in opposite directions.

Sew final seam of block and

press seam open to reduce bulk.

Square block to 8 1/2".

Here is one I did using the

same fabric for the rectangles.