We are so close to finishing our quilts! Our lovely base blocks are made, and this week we will turn them into Block 1 and Block 2.
Weekly Goal
Our goal this week is to turn our 8 base blocks into Block 1 and Block 2. You will have four of each. The best part of this week is being able to lay out all eight blocks at the end. You will be able to see what your final quilt will look like, and it does not disappoint.
Weekly Tips
Let’s talk about the size of your base block. Most of you are making the throw, and the pattern says it should be 16.5″ x 16.5″. However, you may have all of your base blocks or a few measuring larger than this. This happened to me too. Because it is easy for these blocks to become slightly off during construction, there is some built-in wiggle room. If one of your blocks is too small it can cause more problems than a block being too big. To fix this, we will just slightly scale these down to all be 16.5″ x 16.5″. For me, my base blocks were all closer to 16.75″, but they are ready now for the next step. I’ll explain.
Start by trimming your base blocks. To do this, check each side and make sure it is straight. You will see in the image below, how I needed to trim uneven edges at first. After you have taken care of uneven edges, measure your block again. If it is too large, trim off about 1/8″ (or less depending on your block size) on the sides that have your last accent strip. I feel I need to pause here and say, “I am not a perfectionist”. I hope this doesn’t distress those of you who are perfectionists, but I promise it all works in the end.
Making Block 1 is very straightforward, but Block 2 deserves more attention. Block 2 is a diamond in a square (or square in a square). I love this block because it allows for so many possibilities. It is a simple block, but it can give quilters some trouble, especially when it is this large. I have a few tips for you.
First, to avoid any stretch in the K squares, you can add a stay stitch before cutting them in half diagonally. To do this, fold the block in half diagonally to create a crease. Next, sew 1/8″ from the crease on both sides. Cut the block in half along the crease. Now it is ready to be sewn to your base block.
To make sure the inside square is well centered, you can find the center of your base block to use as a guiding point. Fold the base block in half vertically and then again horizontally. Press and open. There will be a point in the middle where the two crease lines cross – this is your middle. When placing your triangles on top of the base block, use this as a reference to make sure the points of the triangle are aligned on top of this center point. You will notice that you have around 1/4″ hanging off on the edge of the base block, and this is perfect. After you sew the first two triangles onto your base block, make sure you follow these same steps to align your triangle over the center point of the base block. You can see how I do this below.
Going Forward
This week, we have a prize of free long-arm quilting from Sisu Quilting Co and discounts from Sisu Quilting Co and Alexandra Bordallo. Make sure to check your inboxes for details and share your progress this week. Happy sewing!
