This week we are making four at a time flying geese to accent those cute little stars that swirl around the middle block. We will need 32 flying geese to frame up those stars. Since we are making them for a time, we will need to make eight geese units.
Trimming the assembled geese makes them perfect to add to the setting star blocks. Please note the direction of your star blocks if you used directional or fussy cut fabrics.
Here it is! The center block for this layout! I used several techniques to make this nice, big block. Please take your time and enjoy the process of making this block! You have the skills to create this!
Here is my original graph paper design. I am including this to help you with unit placement!
Last, but not least, here is everything from above in a printable PDF:
Please remember to contact me in YouTube comments or through gmail. Comments are turned off here. Sorry if you are a spambot!
I love to see and share pictures of your finished work! (Even if they are not necessarily the blocks or the quilt in this series!) We all love eye candy!
I hope you are enjoying this series! Have a fantastic day!
This is a nice and easy block for week 6 of the build a block. For complete directions, please watch the video on YouTube.
The spinning graphic of this block reminds me of all of the commercials about the current elections here is the USA. They make my head spin! How can 2 candidates say opposite things about each other, but everyone is telling the “truth”? Oh, my! I am glad to turn off the television, put on some music, and sew some quilt blocks!
Here is the placement guide for the block in the quilt:
Here is the pattern, with 2 choices of cutting/sewing methods:
I hope you have enjoyed creating this block! I can’t wait to see pictures of progress you have made!
These pictures were taken at the Northern Shenandoah Valley quilt show held in Berryville, VA on April 13, 2024. My friends and I had a great time. I saw many, many beautiful quilts. It was well worth the $10 admission fee. This year’s theme was “My Favorite Color is Plaid”.
I only took a few pictures as I traveled along. Let me tell you why I took each picture…
I love the main star block in this quilt…scrappy…easy to assemble with “standard” parts…probably 16″ squares with sashing and cornerstones. Beautiful!
The blue jars for these flowers remind me of the Estee Lauder perfume that my grandmother wore…because of the color. The flowers are a simple with sew and flip corners on the piecing. One would be a great wall hanging.
Adorable little fat winter birds…do you see the beak of the one that does not line up with the slope of the forehead? I did not notice, but my friend did! I actually like it that way even better.
The border on this quilt sucks you right in. Then you start to notice details. This was a scrap quilt. Every colored piece in the center is different…and even brighter than they appear here. Each quarter circle is custom quilted. This quilt was a “for sale” quilt.
I love the colors on this quilt… a classic combination. The floating nature of the block makes me smile. There is also the secondary design element where the blocks meet. Nice quilting, too.
The nine patch blocks have 1 1/2″ squares…I love this setting with alternate applique blocks. Every applique block was unique. Sometimes setting makes thee quilt.
The sashing in this quilt made the setting seem like an impossibe piecing feat! (The sashing is a “dog bone” looking piece with a small star as a corner stone!) I love the choice of spring green and bright colors for this beautiful sampler.
I love mandalas! This quilt is available in a pattern book…a very detailed book. This would be a great idea to make a personal story quilt! There is so much to love about this quilt…birds, flowers, trees, lighthouses…and quirky little houses, too.
For the record, I am not touching this quilt. It was made up of 3 inch blocks…there were 180 blocks. The quilter made this block during Covid to help get through the isolation of quarantine. My finger is there for size reference. I love those itty bitty pieces!
This story quilt was simply pieced, but those simple blocks add up to a big wow factor. There are pieced and appliqued blocks. Something for every skill level in this beauty! This would be a great scrap buster!
This quilt is the ultimate scrap buster. I think that the churn dash blocks are 6 inches. The more you look, the more your eye travels around the quilt to another fabric color choice. This would be a great leader-ender project.
This is the end of my mini quilt show. I enjoyed looking at all of the beautifully presented quilts on display. Great job by the sponsoring quilt guilds! (I think this is a yearly event. I am looking forward to next year’s show!)
I hope you enjoyed my quilt picks…and my logic for taking these few pictures. Please remember, if you would like to comment, return to my YouTube video and comment there.
Here is the “rough copy” from my video from back in October. I showed the block layed out, but never sewed it.
For this block, you will need:
16 (bonus) half square triangles, 5 darks, and 4 lights. These blocks should all be the same size. The ones shown below are the 2 1/2″ blocks. The picture below shows all seams pressed open for ease of assembly.
Here is the completed block. It finishes at 10 1/2″. Love those colorful birds!
Here is a smaller 5 1/2 inch version made with 1 1/2″ blocks.
Again, all seams are pressed open.
Here are both examples the 10 1/2″ and the 5 1/2″. As you can see in the picture below, it changes the look of the block when it is on point. (I didn’t notice this until I sat down and started typing the text than went with this post!)
Now for the cutting charts I have been promising:
The cutting chart above is printable, but you will need to download it and save it in your downloads file first.
I hope you enjoy making this great scrappy block! Please contact me on facebook or at my gmail account. Comments have been turned off because I am not interested in black market viagra!
Glad to see you here for my weekly Build a Block post! This one is going to be short and sweet because this block is so easy to make…and has so few pieces!
This block finishes at 8 1/2″ square. It is constructed from the following pieces:
Center: 2 1/2″ x 8 1/2″,
outside strips: Two 2 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
Bonus triangles: Sixteen 1 1/2″ bonus half square triangle blocks…8 on each side of the center strip…look closely at the placement below (both pictures are a little different…you decide it is your block!)
I sewed the half square triangle blocks in strips first. Then I pressed those seams open to reduce bulk. You could press then any direction you want. There are no points to match, so it is really your personal preference…as always. (I read in a quilt book yesterday…whatever you do is right…it is your quilt. Amen to that!)
I think this block would also look good as a six in block, using a 2 1/2″ strip in the middle and 1 1/2″ strips on the outsides and only 6 bonus half square triangles in those strips.
I can also envision this block as part of a row in a row quilt…with alternating blocks turned so one goes side to side and the next goes up and down. That would be a great way to use scraps and those half square triangle blocks, too.
On a happy note, this is my 100th blog on this platform. (I had a blog on another platform before…it crashed and burned…time to start over in a new place with the help of my son. I appreciate his help more than he realizes!
I hope you have a great time making this easy block! As always, Enjoy!
This is yet another block to use up the bonus half square triangles. I made an quilt early on in my quilting experience using this block. It was a gift to my mother-in-law. Sadly, I do not even have a picture of it to share…maybe next time I visit I will have her get the quilt out!
I made two sizes today: 7 1/2″ and 14 1/2″. These blocks go together quickly, especially if you have the half square triangles already to use. The cutting chart is at the end of this post.
Here is the purple version:
You will notice in the picture above that I, ooops, forgot the background corner blocks!
Here is the corner block…layed out to sew four at a time…
Please notice the placement of the “claws”. They are sewn in opposite directions. You can NOT stack all 8 sets together and sew!
Here I have assembled the paws and have them ready for the final assembly. The center sashing is pressed towards the larger sashing pieces. When the paws are added to the sashing, those rows are pressed towards the sashing strip in the middle.
Here is the pressed block.
Ta-dah! Ta-done! This is the little 7 1/2″ block. Cute, eh?
Now for the bigger version. Here are my pieces:
It is assembled the same way…just twice the size!
Ta-dah! Ta-done!
Both blocks!
Another block snuck in there!
Please note the number of pieces in ( ) at the top of each column.
Here is the cutting chart:
I hope that you are enjoying the Build a Block blogs…especially for the cutting charts. They are PDF’s, so they should be printable.
I love hearing from readers and viewers, but unfortunately, I keep receiving unrelated comments…and inappropriate advertisements. So, consequently, comments are turned off for this blog. You can contact me through my YouTube channel or Facebook group. (I am sure you can figure out the name of those places, if you are here reading…hint, hint.)
This week I am using bunches of bonus half square triangle blocks…20 to be exact! I am showing you this block in two sizes (12 1/2″ and 6 1/2″) and two different color ways (same pinwheels and scrappier pinwheels). Construction of both sizes and colorways is the same.
This block is constructed like a standard nine patch once you have made those swirling, little pinwheels. Did you realize that the pinwheels can swirl clockwise or counter clockwise? Somehow I did not realize this! That fact completely passed me by! For more information on making the pinwheels, please see the video above.
Here are the “organized” scrappy blocks:
Here is the 6 1/2″ super scrappy block:
Here is the 12 1/2″ super scrappy block:
Looking at the above picture, I realize that some of my scrappy pinwheels stand out a little better than others, but then again, I am using up my scraps. C’est la vie!
I can’t resist tempting you more about the flat pinwheel technique. Look at how flat this one is…yes, it really does lay flat. I did not pin or fuss overly much to get it that way.
Here is the back center of that block. Look at that little mushed mess of seams. That is what makes this all work!
The video shows you how to pick out about 6 stitches (3 on each side of the connecting seam) to get this little pinwheel nest…three stitches! So worth it! This is coming from me…one of world’s biggest slackers!
If ever a product should sponsor me, this one is it! The “cadillac” of seam rippers!
Here are the cutting measurements for a variety of sizes:
Thank you for reading and watching! I am having great fun creating and sharing with you!
Just to let you know, I am turning off comments here on the blog. I am tired of the Russian manifesto and viagra comments…or just plain phishing comments. Please comment on my Facebook group or on individual YouTube videos. I do love hearing from you, but…
Have a wonderful day! Hope you are creating something fantastic from your scraps!
This is a great block to use up some of those bonus half square triangles. This block measures 6 1/2 inches for the purposes of this post. See the video presentation here.
I got the idea for this block from this book. I think I changed the color placement by the time I was finished…and that probably changed the block and its name! Fundamentally, it is the same block in the end.
A cutting chart for the block and other sizes is at the end of this post.
To make a 6 1/2 inch block, you will need the following pieces:
Note that the eight 1 1/2 inch half square triangles are bonus blocks from other projects. I have an abundance of these on hand…time to use them up. You could easily use the 2 at a time triangle method or whatever method you prefer. You could even use the four at a time flying geese method.
Here is my initial layout of the block:
I chose four 2 1/2″ squares for the corners from the scrap bin.
I found this great 2 1/2″ strip in that box for the rectangles.
I couldn’t decide which block to use for the center…what to do?
When I went to the cutting table to cut that nice tan background fabric, I found this strip right on top of my pile of scraps! Fantastic! Why didn’t I think about using a 1 1/2″ strip to cut?
I cut the strip into four 2 1/2″ pieces for the background…better.
I was looking for four of one kind of half square triangle bonus block and four of another kind. I was looking for something with pink or red as dark colors in both. I was trying to follow the picture pattern. The strawberries are cute.
Here is what I initially came up with for the flying geese:
That looked so busy and disjointed to me. I keep looking at the box of squares sitting there beside the sewing machine. I decided to try these bonus blocks.
Much better for me! (The first one was okay, too, but I like this one just a little better…) Remember, make the block that you love! Now to choose the center!
Light swirl fabric with a touch of glitter is nice.
Slightly darker paisley looks good, too…a nice contrast…brings out the birds in the background a little.
Nice detail across the middle of this block, but the color isn’t quite right…and it looks flat compared to the first two choices.
Here was my final decision in my finished block. (I probably should have pressed it so it was flat for its picture. It is straight, square, and true. I promise!)
I couldn’t help myself. I just had to make a 12 1/2″ block.
I have lots of these green and tan half square bonus blocks…lots.
Eight of them didn’t even put a dent in the pile!
I chose four corners and a center. I will use that 2 1/2″ strip now…ha ha!
This larger block went together even quicker than the smaller one.
Ta-dah! Ta-done! The measurement for the pieces is listed in the chart below. I think a 4 x 5 block quilt made from 12 1/2″ blocks would be quick and easy! There would also be a nice secondary four patch design where the blocks meet in the corners if you didn’t use sashing.
Here are both of the blocks that I made today. There is also a 9 1/2″ version in the chart below.
I hope you are enjoying this series on scrappy blocks. The blocks I have chosen for the next couple of months focus on using up those bonus half square triangle blocks. Time for me to go trim up some more of those!
What scrap blocks are you making? Please feel free to share your thoughts and pictures with me here or at my gmail account.
This book is my muse. It only offers templates to be cut. Thank you, but not today! For the video and below, I list the pieces needed for the 6 1/2″ block.
In the video, I take time to play in my fabric scrap bins. I created a blue version and a green version of this block. The bonus half square triangle blocks have been trimmed to the appropriate size. The half square triangles were pressed to the dark fabric before they were trimmed.
I do like the diagonal movement in this block. This would make a fantastic quilt all by itself. Hmmm!
I start by speed piecing those little four patches…zoom, zoom…and away we go sew!
I press the four patches open to reduce bulk. If I were making one of the larger versions of this block, I would probably press to one side or the other. Life is full of decisions…don’t spend too much time on this one.
At this point, some people like to “web sew” the block together. I seem to get tangled and frustrated with the joined threads, so I repeatedly lay the block out on a design board so I don’t make mistakes. (Unfortunately, I still make mistakes. I have become very proficient with a seam ripper!)
I press towards the four patches and plain squares. Pressing open is an option, too. See my illustrations below. (The arrows would not cooperate when I was editing the next picture…and I had had enough fun that day!)
If you pressed towards the 4 patches and/or the solid blocks, your seams will nest nicely as you finish assembling this block. Almost completed…just assemble the rows.
Ta-dah! Ta-done! It was that easy!
Here’s another possible layout. There are many ways you could layout a set of these blocks to make a beautiful quilt.
Here is the cutting chart for additional sizes of this block. If I were making an entire quilt, I would probably go for the 12 1/2″ size for starters. I would make the second version with 6 1/2″ blocks because that is the size I am fascinated with at the moment. Please share any quilts you have using this block. I love to see your work, too!
I took a short break today from quilting to fix some jewelry, etc. I played with glue…not the hot kind…
Some of this is very blingy. I think that bracelet in the middle is Sarah Coventry. The cat will be so impressed when I am wearing that to work in my sewing room.
I used to wear pins all the time. Maybe I need to impress the cat with those, too. That one looks like a scarab beetle…creepy and cool simultaneously.
The barette is sterling silver. It is incredibly heavy. The barette part had come off the decorative piece. I think I finally found the correct glue. Hot glue was not it.
I used to work with a lady that would create and kiln her own glass pendant pieces. I added a charm and a beaded “chain” to this one so I could wear it. I love the foil in the middle of this one!
I hope you have enjoyed this week’s build a block presentation…and my other ramblings. What are you working on? We are quilters…and sew so much more!
