BLOCK OF THE MONTH May 2018

BLOCK OF THE MONTH MAY 2018

STRIP PIECED DIAMONDS

This is a two for one deal!  Don't you love a bargain!

Simple strip piecing produces a square that is turned on point to becomes a diamond. Corners are added, producing two delightful blocks.

Midway through last year, our Block of the Month contributors made a mountain of blue, red and yellow Blocks of the Month that have made MANY gorgeous quilts for our Aussie Heroes.

They met the Requests of so many Heroes.

So, let's do it again with a different block.

COLOURS

Just simply red, blue and yellow.

Please use a different shade of BLUE for the diamond and the background.  The background can be light and the strip piecing fabric dark or the opposite as I have used used.

The RED fabric can be the same for the strip piecing and the background, as I have used.  Or you can use two different red fabrics eg. a red and white stripe for the diamond and red tone-on-tone print for the background.

My subtle Red Poppy fabric is from Sweet Bundle Fabrics...isn't it beautiful!

The YELLOW can be any yellow that looks good with your choices of blue and red fabrics.

This is a good block for printed fabrics or plains can be used.  

Please remember to keep printed fabrics gender neutral, as the majority of our quilts 

are made for men.

Bali Prints, geometric shapes, picture patterns, mottled fabrics are all great choices.

Stripes would work well in the strip piecing section of the block.

100% cotton fabrics please

1/4 inch seam allowance for all construction

Please do not trim uneven edges of blocks or try to square them up as 

ALL blocks are cut to make them the size needed for each quilt 

design created to meet the Recipient's Requests.

INSTRUCTIONS

to make two blocks

Cut three strips of fabric each about 26 inches long

RED FABRIC             1 3/4 inch wide

YELLOW FABRIC    1 3/4 inch wide

BLUE FABRIC           3 1/4 inch wide

BLUE FABRIC 

Cut two 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch squares 

Cut the squares diagonally in half

RED FABRIC (not pictured)

Cut two 8 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch squares
Cut the squares diagonally in half

Sew the three strips together with the yellow in the centre 

Press the seam allowances away from the yellow strip so they don't shadow under the fabric

Measure the width of above sewn strip and cut four squares using YOUR measured width.  This allows for any variation in cutting width and seam width so you'll have perfect squares.  It doesn't matter if your result is a little different to mine.  The finished blocks will be perfect ;-) 

Stack the four squares accurately on top of each other with the right side of fabric up.

Cut diagonally as shown.

Each stack of four triangles will make one block.

Put one stack of triangles aside for Block #2

Take one stack of triangles and layout as shown below.

Stitch two triangles together along the seam where they are touching, with right sides together.

Repeat for the remaining two triangles.

The result is two larger triangles.

Press the seam allowances towards the long red strip.

Now place the two large triangle pieces together.  The seam allowances in the middle will "nest" as they lay in opposite directions.  I like to place a pin here so that I can concentrate on holding the long points of the triangle together.

Stitch the seam.

Press the seam allowances together to one side or press the seam allowances open.

This is the pieced square.

Fold the pieced square in half and mark the centre with a pin.

Lightly press each of the four blue triangles in half with wrong sides together.

Place a folded blue square over the pieced square, as shown below, matching the pressed fold to the marking pin.

Open out the blue triangle and pin to the pieced square, as shown below.

Sew the seam and press the seam allowances into the blue triangle.

Repeat for the opposite side of the pieced square.

Fold the pieced block in half and place pins at the half way points.

Position a blue triangle as before and pin in place as shown, with points of the first blue triangles extending beyond the edge of the pinned triangle.

Sew the seam as pinned.

Cut off the extending triangles and discard.

Press the seam allowance into the blue triangle.

Repeat the above steps for the last blue triangle...and Voila...Strip Pieced Diamond #1

To make Strip Pieced Diamond #2, follow all the steps above using these images

...and Voila...Strip Pieced Diamond #2 is finished.

THANK YOU FOR MAKING THESE BLOCKS

You are part of the team that makes quilts for our Aussie Heroes.

As all the thank you letters we receive testify, our quilts make a difference

in the lives of deployed Defence Force personnel.

 Thank you for your contribution.

PDF Version of the block is HERE

Please send your finished blocks to

Sandy Corry

9 Wendouree Court

North Boambee Valley   NSW   2450

Include your email address and I will let you know when they arrive.

Watch the Happy Mail post on the Blog each Wednesday to 

see the blocks that have arrived during the previous week.

Wishing you happy sewing time,

Sandy