Catherine Dreiss - Quick & Easy Quilt Block Builder: Frustration-Free Instructions for Piecing; How-To Illustrations & Easy-to-Follow Charts

Publisher: Amy Barrett-Daffin Creative Director: Gailen Runge Acquisitions Editor: Roxane Cerda Managing Editor: Liz Aneloski Editor: Catherine Dreiss Technical Editor: Gailen Runge Cover/Book Designer: Catherine Dreiss Production Coordinator: Zinnia Heinzmann Illustration and Photography: Catherine Dreiss Published by C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549 This book is born of a lesson learned while making my first quilts. Simply this: read quilt pattern instructions ... and then question them! Per a designers instructions, I made a bed quilt entirely with four-at-a-time half-square triangles, not knowing how stretchy and distortable theyd be. Of course my seams didnt match! Lesson learned. Later, I participated in a Block of the Month quilt that required many flying geese units.

The instructions called for the thrifty and efficient four-at-a-time no-waste technique. But I opted to paper piece them instead because the flying geese would have the precise results I love. As you read quilt block instructions, notice how theyre usually broken into units: half-square triangles, quarter-square triangles, flying geese, square-in-a-squares, and so on. It isnt hard to substitute one technique for another that best suits your time-constraints, amount of fabric, or desire for precision! I hope you find this book a one-stop place to learn many basic techniques! Most methods include a sample block in several sizes to give you that lovely aha moment of how any given technique can work for you. Enjoy! Many of the quilt block elements in this book can be made by paper piecing. Cut fabrics into squares, sized according to the chart on, and arrange with an eye toward good color or value contrast. Place the rows of squares right sides together and sew a seam up one side. Press seam allowance toward the darker fabric. Press seam allowance toward the darker fabric.

Alternatively, press the top row to the left and the bottom row to the right. Place your two rows right sides together and sew from the edge, nesting your seams. Open and press seams to twirl the centersee tip on. What Are Nested Seams? The loveliest patchwork has perfectly aligned seams without bumps created by bulky, overlapping seam allowances. When you sew together two fabrics that have seams, make sure that they are pressed in opposite directions. Place the fabrics right sides together, with the seams nestled against one another.

Best practice is to pin on both sides of the nested seams to secure the fabric. You will have matched seams on the front and less bulk to sew through! Four-Patches from Strips When you need to make many identical four-patches, it is much more efficient and accurate to sew them from strips. It is a common quilt block element that also stands up well on its own. Cut your fabric in strips, from selvage to selvage, referring to the chart on for widths. Place the strips right sides together, and sew up one side with a seam. Use a ruler to cut the strips, using the same measurement from Step 1. Use a ruler to cut the strips, using the same measurement from Step 1.

Line up the ruler to the seam, not the edge of the fabric, for better accuracy. Arrange your sets to complete the four-patch and sew a seam. Open and press seams to twirl the centersee tip on. Carrie Nation This block honors 19th-century prohibitionist Carrie Nation, who was famous for carrying a hatchet to destroy saloons. It is a simple block, but it is spectacular when arranged with alternating colors in a diamond setting. Nine-Patches from Strips The classic nine-patch block is a checkerboard pattern of two colors.

Unless youre making a very scrappy version, the quickest and most efficient way to make nine-patches is to start with strips. Cut strips using the widths in the chart on, and sew together using a seam allowance. Press seams toward the darker fabric. Use a ruler to cut the strip set, using the same measurement from Step 1. Line up the ruler to a seam, not the edges of your fabric, for best accuracy. Note: you will need twice as many A rows as B rows. Sew rows with a seam allowance. Sew rows with a seam allowance.