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.
We are in the home stretch of this series. We are down to some of the last setting pieces. This week, we are making 22 pieced variable stars.
In the cutting document, I provided a chart for one star OR (in the second chart) 22 stars. You will need to make adjustments based on your color choices and scrap selections.
Remember that this is a free printable pattern. Enjoy!
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!
Another block with half square triangles! These triangles will spin and swirl their way into your heart!
Yankee Puzzle is made from 16 half square triangles. If you are making the two color version like the one below, you will need 12 units for the big swirl and 4 for the contrast color.
Here is the YouTube video. The cutting chart is toward the bottom of this post. It is a free printable.
The example below and the red, white, and blue example are both made from 2 1/2″ half square triangles.
My inspiration is coming from this old EQ5 book again this week…best quarter I ever spent at a yardsale!
Here are the units layed out. Notice that three of the blocks, starting at the left, go the same direction. The last block on the right is turned a quarter turn to make a flying goose.
Continuing along the right side of the block…
Along the bottom…are you seeing the pattern yet? Three in the same direction, then goose…
The rest of the outside frame…next add a pinwheel to the center (scroll down a little more to see…)
This block can be sewn in quadrant pieces. Here is the stacked pile of quadrants ready to sew…zoom, zoom, baby!
After the quadrants are sewn, lay out is as simple as a quarter turn. A large swirling pinwheel will form in the center when pieces are layed out correctly.
Sew the quadrants together…then sew the halves together…
Ta-dah! Ta-done!
Now for the example made from 1 1/2″ pieces. It finishes at 4 1/2″. (You know I couldn’t resist!)
Finished reveal of this little beauty will be at the end of the post!
Now for my version of the 2 color layout! I creat the large swirling pinwheel (12 half square triangles) with one color.
I add in the second color…
Or maybe this version…
Or this one?? Oh, the decisions!
Here they are finished and ready to use in a beautiful scrap quilt!
Here is the printable cutting chart:
I couldn’t resist adding this beautiful dogwood picture from the post office in Inwood, WV.
And now for a close up…
Simba is enjoying a nice nap on my sewing chair. (The green fabric was put on the chair to prevent her fur from becoming a permanent part of my upholstery!)
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.)
As you can see, I still have a large amount of trimmed bonus half square triangle blocks just waiting for a block.
Today I am making a new center block. I have a project in mind for a Lady of the Lake block.
As you have seen in some of my YouTube videos, I love sunsets at the lake…any lake. The center of my block is going to be that! A sunset on a lake.
Both of these fabrics are directional. I want my sunset and my waves parallel to each other.
Perfect fabrics for my vision! These are 5 inch squares. My half square triangles will finish at 4 1/2 inches. I am making two blocks because I am making two of the same project that I have in mind.
To make sure that my fabrics are going the correct direction, I audition them together…not quite it!
Perfect!
When I unfold the sunset fabric, I notice that it is perpendicular to the wave fabric. When they are sewn on the diagonal, they will be perfect.
After I place the fabric right sides together, I draw my diagonal line. Sew a scant quarter of an inch on both sides of the line.
Cut on the line. Press to one side. Trim to 4 1/2″.
Lay out the block. Make sure that all of the small half square blocks are going the same direction. Notice the dark half is in the upper right corner the entire way around the block.
I sew the smaller half square triangles in rows…top and bottom first.
Then I sew the sides next.
After each section, I lay it back out on my design board. It is very easy to reverse pieces…so I double check after each section.
Holding this design board up to photograph it makes the sections look crooked, but they are not. Add the sides first, then the top and bottom.
Here it is! One block finished! I think it is worth dealing with the smaller pieces to get this beautiful block, don’t you?
Here is the second version of this block. I didn’t have quite enough of the teal blocks, so I threw in some other blues and grays. It will work beautifully in the project that I have in mind!
Here are the cutting charts for this block. The top chart is for using trimmed and made bonus half square tringle pieces. The bottom chart is for construction of pairs of half square triangles before assembling the pieces. Please read carefully. Ask in comments if you have any questions.
I love the boldness of this block. It is a great way to use up the smallest of the half square bonus blocks. Give it a try! You won’t be disappointed!
What blocks are you making to use those bonus half square triangles? I would love to see them! My Facebook group allows you to post pictures and share…Come on over!
This is one of my favorite blocks to use up those bonus half square triangles. I am not sure that I am calling this block by its correct name. It is made up of 16 bonus half square triangle units. If you have a bunch of these hanging out in your sewing space, you will absolutely love this block. Grab a design board and let’s go!
I am starting my layout in the center. The half square triangle pieces must be made from a distinct light and a distinct dark piece to be effective in this block. Color is not an issue in this scrappy block…only light and dark.
In this center, light fabric points towards the center.
Next add more squares to create points going left and right. The “frame” is beginning to emerge.
Add top and bottom pieces to complete the frame.
Add the outside corners to complete the block layout. In this case I used 4 matching corners, just because I could. Scrappy corners would have worked just as well…or better! Sew pieces together in pairs.
Now that you have pairs, lay your pieces out again. (I pressed seams open to reduce bulk.)
Join pair units into rows of four.
Lay your block out to check for correct placement.
Join two rows to make larger units. Notice that the top and bottom halves are the same layout turned around.
Also notice that this block could be pieced in quadrants. This four patch unit makes up the entire block.
Join your larger units together to complete the block. Ta-done!
The jewel box block that we did a while ago also has the same “movement” as the frame in the economy block.
Here is the original version of this block from October in my YouTube series on Scrappy Blocks that use bonus half square triangle pieces. See the video here.
I hope that the cutting charts for this block are not confusing. They are presented in 2 charts…one for just using bonus blocks and the other for construction of half square triangles.
I hope you are enjoying this Build a Block series! Enjoy!
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.
