Month 8 - Feb 2012 - Love Potion

General Description of block: This is a nine patch block with Quilty Friend’s signature corners, an on point square in square center, and house blocks on it's edges. The block reminds me of the classic Shoo Fly; however with the center altered it also suggests four chalices joined at their bases.  It uses 5 fabrics.

Cutting Directions: (29 pieces)

FQG - dark and light refer to your kit fabrics.

• from dark (grey with berries in kit) - cut 1, 5 1/4 inch square.  Sub-cut this square twice diagonally into 4 small triangles
• from light (white in kit) - cut 1, 5 1/4 inch square.  Sub-cut this square twice diagonally into 4 small triangles.

FQG - this month's pallet has red, pink, green, and white.  Let's put the darkest reds and pinks in the chalices corners, pale greens in the edge block triangles, and pastel reds, greys, and/or white in the centers.

• from background (pastels in red, grey, pink, or white) -
• cut 4, 4 1/2 inch squares for edge blocks
• from 1st contrasting fabric (dark red or pink chalices) -
• cut 2, 5 1/4 inch squares.  Sub-cut squares once diagonally into two large triangles for a total of 4 large triangles for corner blocks.
• cut 4, 2 1/2 inch squares for center block
• from 2nd contrasting fabric (pale green) -
• cut 8, 2 1/2 inch squares for edge blocks
• cut 1, 4 1/2 inch square for center block

Piecing:

Corners:

• Sew one dark and one light small triangle together to make a large triangle.
• Being careful not to warp the triangles, iron seams open.
• BE CAREFUL TO MAKE THEM ALL THE SAME
• Make 4
• Using the right angle to align the pieces, sew each two colored triangle to a large 1st contrasting (red) triangle.
• Trim the excess seam allowance (This should be all 1st contrasting/red fabric)
• Being careful not to warp the triangles, iron seams toward the 1st contrasting fabric (red)
• Trim square to 4 1/2 inches.
• Make 4.

Edges:

• Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of 8 2nd contrasting (pale green) 2 1/2 inch squares.
• Align 2 1/2 inch square with a corner of a 4 1/2 inch background (pastel) square with right sides together and the drawn line parallel to the corner.
• Sew next to the line.  Place your stitches just to the corner edge of the line.  I used the presser foot as a guide and let the line go under the metal right at the edge of the sewing area.
• Fold 2nd contrasting fabric (pale green) back so piece is a 4 1/2 inch square with a pale triangle in the corner.  There should be three pieces of fabric meeting in one corner.
• Iron toward corner.
• Do this a second time on an adjacent corner.
• Leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance, trim excess fabric from the back of block.
• Make 4

Center:

• Draw a diagonal line on each 2 1/2 inch 1st contrasting (red) square.  (There should be 4)
• Align 2 1/2 inch square with a corner of the 4 1/2 inch square of 2nd contrasting (pale green) fabric with right sides together and the drawn line parallel to the corner.
• Sew next to the diagonal line.  Place your stitches just to the corner edge of the line.  (Like you did for the edge blocks!)
• Fold 1st contrasting (red) fabric back so piece is a 4 1/2 inch square with a dark corner.  Three fabrics should be meeting in one corner.
• Iron toward corner
• Do this to each corner of the 2nd contrasting fabric.
• Leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance, trim excess fabric from back of block.
• Trim block to  4 1/2 inches square.

Block:

• rows 1 & 3 - follow the picture - corner square with light & dark side on the outside edge; edge block with pastel "house" pointing up; corner square with light & dark on the outside edge.
• row 2 - follow the picture - edge block with pastel "house" pointing to the left; center block; edge block with pastel "house" pointing to the right
• Assemble rows so that pastel "house" blocks are pointing away from the center.
• Block should measure 12 1/2 inches square.  (actual size, including future seam allowances.)

A quilt made from 16 of these blocks would look something like this....

Bring your finished block(s) to the February general meeting of the Frisco Quilt Guild to enter the drawing.  The winner gets to take home all of the blocks entered as well as any  remaining kits, printed finishing suggestions, and scrap fabric from this project.