QAF Block of the Month
January 2005
Basket
8 1/2" (unfinished)8" (finished)
Something new for the new
year! This Basket block is offered in 8" size, and some of the other
blocks for this year will also be 8", so
that you could possibly use them together if you wanted to make them for
yourself. Row Quilts come to mind...the Cabin in November 2004 was an 8" block
and would be a fine block to use in a row quilt along with this basket, and
you
never
know what we might come up with later. I think that I will make some of each
8" block that comes along, perhaps out of some coordinated scraps, like
maybe all plaids...or all in a color range...something to tie it all together,
for my own row quilt this year, as well as making the usual for the BOM.
For this basket BOM, use a white on white for the background
and clear medium pastel tone on tone (TOT) fabric for the basket. You will
need just the two fabrics for each basket. You may make up to 3 of the same
colored fabric. You may use the same WOW for all your baskets if you wish.
Please use
washed and pressed quilter's quality cottons for these blocks, as usual.
I found, with these 1" pieces, they are easier to handle if you be
sure to press your fabric, and maybe even use a bit of sizing when you
do. This
is especially useful if your pieces come out of your scrapbasket.
For each block:
Cut: 1 piece 4" x
4 1/2"
2 pc. 1" x 8 1/2"
2 pc. 2" x 4 1/2"
2 pc. 1" x 1 1/2"
2 pc. 1 1/2" x 2"
2 pc. 1 1/2" x 3"
2 pc. 1" x 3 1/2"
From Basket fabric:
Cut: 1 piece 1" x
5 1/2"
1 pc. 1" x 2 1/2"
1 pc. 1 1/2" x
3 1/2"
1 pc. 1 1/2" x
5 1/2"
1 pc. 1" x 6 1/2"
2 pc. 1" x 4"
A note on cutting: As you can see, all
of the pieces could be cut from strips in our strip swaps. If you have
been swapping strips with us, you could
cut your basket pieces from a 1" and a 1 1/2" strip cut from one
of the strip swap strips.
To assemble block:
A note on sewing: There are many seams
in this block, and most of them are small ones, making those 1/4" seams
even more important to maintain.
Lay out ALL your cut pieces, organizing them so that they resemble the Basket
Block picture. Start with the center big rectangle, attaching the side handles
and then the top handle. Attach the side backgrounds, and then the top 'border'
piece. Press all to the dark.
Now start with the longest basket piece
and attach the side background pieces to it. Continue down the block, and
then, when these are all prepared, sew
them together in order. Attach the bottom background and you are finished.
Press well, and square up. Your block needs to measure 8 1/2" square
exactly, to be entered in the BOM lottery.
Make lots of baskets to enter! You could be a winner!
Below are a couple of ideas for quilts
for the winner(s).
