QAF Block of the Month
March 2007
Paths & Stiles
9 1/2" (unfinished), 9"
(finished)
QAF's March block
is another easy block, and this time, it's dressed in spring colors. Maybe
it will remind us of meadows in spring. You will need one floral fabric,
your choice of color, but keep it spring-like, on the pastel side of bright,
one soft, medium green, and one background of white on white (WOW). All
your fabrics should be 100% quilter's quality cottons, washed and pressed.
There are 3 pieced
components to this block, as you can see. You will notice the little 9
patch block in the center, and 4 HST for the corners. And then, there are
4 rail-fence type patches for in-between which I will show you how to strip
piece. I am sure you will agree that all the components are really easy,
nothing that we have not done before. They all go together to make such
an interesting block.
You may make up
to 3 blocks in each color combination.
Cut for each block:
(2) 4" squares
(2) strips 1 1/2" x 18"; cut (2) 1 1/2" squares from the end of each of
these strips, leaving the strips at least 15" long
(1) strip 1 1/2" x 15" long
(5) 1 1/2" squares
To assemble block:
First, make the (4) Half Square
Triangles (HST). Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of
the two white squares. Place each on a
floral square, RST. Stitch 1/4" on each side of the diagonal lines. Cut apart
on the drawn lines. Press triangles open, seam to the floral. Square them up
to 3 1/2" square, lining up the diagonal line of the ruler on the seam line.
Next, make your 9 patch center patch, placing the (5) green 1 1/2" squares
in the 5-spot, and the (4) white 1 1/2" squares in between, as in the picture
above. Sew in rows of 3, press to the dark, the sew the 3 rows together. Press
and square up to 3 1/2".
Last, make the rail fence patches,
by first sewing one of the long white strips to the green strip. Press to
the green. Stitch the remaining white strip to
the other side of the green strip, press again to the green. Stitch with a
scant 1/4" seam, as with all your piecing work, as this strip set needs
to measure 3 1/2" wide exactly.
Now, cross cut the strip set to (4) 3 1/2" pieces, and you will be able to
lay out all your patches (as in picture above) and stitch your block together.
Stitch the top 3 patches together, then the center 3, then the bottom row.
Press the top and bottom rows to the center, and the center row out to the
rail fences. Your block should then go together very neatly and the rail fences
should align with the 9 patch intersections.
Square up your block(s) to 9 1/2" and you are finished! Enter lots! Won't
this make someone a very pretty spring quilt?
Here are some setting ideas:
