QAF Block of the Month
July 2006
Broken Dishes
8 1/2" (unfinished), 8" (finished)
Here's an oldie but goodie for July, and we are doing it in
red, white and blue, just for you. Just perfect for the car for your picnics
this summer. This pattern makes a great scrap quilt too, so have fun with
it.
Each block will use 1 blue fabric, one red fabric and one white
fabric. The fabrics should be pretty saturated with color, read as red and
blue and white. All 3 fabrics should be tone on tone (TOT) and if they had
stars or dots on them, but still read the color, that would be even better.
You could also use plain white, or even solids in the red or blue.
I am showing the block set side by side in a straight set,
which gives you a secondary pattern (pinwheel), so that it's hard to see
where one block ends and the next really begins. Like a puzzle!
The 8" (finished)
size of this block means that you can use your Nickel squares if you have
some in these colors.
For each block:
Make half square triangles (HST):
Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of each white square.
Place one white square, right sides together (RST)with a red square and
the other RST with a blue square. With white square on top, stitch 1/4" on
each side of the drawn line. Cut apart on the drawn line, and you have
two HST.
Press
open with seam allowances to
the
darker
fabric. Now, using your smallest square up ruler, with your seam line lined
up with the diagonal on the ruler, trim your HST to exactly 4 1/2" square.
(I have a 4 1/2" square up ruler, which makes this such an easy step,
but you could use a larger size if that is what you have.) It's THAT easy!!
Now, take your HST and lay them
out, following the block picture above. Your red HST will 'point' to the
center of the block, while your blue HST
will 'point' to the top right and lower left of your block. Stitch the top
two HST together, taking care to keep them in the same configuration, and
press to the dark. Stitch the bottom two in the same way and press to the
dark.
Check your layout again, and
stitch the top set of HST to the bottom set. Because you squared up your
HST and pressed the seams per the instructions, your seams should nestle
nicely, so that the center points meet perfectly. Press seam out, square
up your block,,
making
sure
it
measures
8 1/2" square and you are finished.
These blocks are so easy to make,
you may want to make lots of them! You
may make up to 3 in each group of fabrics to enter in the BOM. Have
fun,
and maybe you will be the lucky winner(s) this month!!
Hooray for the Red, White and
Blue!!!
