Dear Frisco Quilt Guild friends - this block is the most difficult one I have given you. It is not hard, but it will take more time to piece. Give yourself plenty of time to do it.
General description of block: This is a nine patch block with Quilty Friend’s signature corners, flying geese, and a square in a square. The overall effect reminds me of the graphic designs used by American Indians in the southwest United States. It also suggests a gathering of friends and family around a large square table. It uses 4 of the 5 selected fabrics.
Cutting directions: (41 pieces)
FQG - dark and light refer to your kit fabrics
- From dark (Red)- cut 1, 5 1/4 inch square. Sub-cut this square diagonally into 4 small triangles.
- From light (yellow) - cut 1, 5 1/4 inch square. Sub-cut this square diagonally into 4 small triangles.
Now we’re going to do something different - look at your background and contrasting fabrics. Pick the lightest one. Call it Amos. Pick the darkest one. Call it Bella. (I always wanted to do that. A & B are so boring.) FQG - pick fabrics that coordinate with the fabrics in your kit. DO NOT match the fabrics. If you have to use a fabric that is similar in hue make it Bella. Think Fall jewel tones. I think it would be fine to add plum and navy, just make sure that the other fabric is much lighter.
From Bella - (darkest fabric)
- cut 8, 4 ½ x 2 ½ inch rectangles for middle edge blocks
- cut 4, 2 ½ inch squares for center block
- cut 2, 5 1/4 inch squares; sub cut them on the diagonal into 4 large triangles for corner blocks.
- cut 1, 4 ½ inch square for center block
- cut 16, 2 ½ inch squares for middle edge blocks.
Piecing directions:
Corners -- Sew one dark and one light small triangle together to make one large triangle.
- Being careful not to warp the triangles, iron seams open. Be careful to sew each set in the same order. The finished large triangles should be identical.
- Using the right angle to align the pieces, sew each two colored triangle to a large Amos (lightest color) triangle. Trim the excess seam allowance (this should be Amos fabric).
- Being careful not to warp the triangles, iron seams toward Amos. The finished squares should be identical.
- Trim square to 4 ½ inches.
- Make 4
Middle Edge block - Each edge block is made of two flying goose blocks- Draw a diagonal line on wrong side of all Amos 2 ½ inch squares. (There should be 16)
- Align 2 ½ square with a corner of a rectangle of Bella fabric with right sides together and the drawn line parallel to the corner.
- Sew next to 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 Amos fabric back so piece is a 2 ½ x 4 ½ inch rectangle with a dark corner. There should be three pieces of fabric meeting in one corner.
- Iron toward corner.
- Do this a second time on the corner adjacent along the long edge of the rectangle.
- Leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance, trim excess fabric from back of block.
Ta-da! You just made a goose. Now make 7 more. - Sew two goose blocks together, with light triangles pointing in the same direction (Point to long edge.) Each set makes one edge block.
- Iron seam toward Bella.
Center Block - Square in a square.- Draw diagonal lines on each 2 ½ inch square of Bella. (There should be 4)
- Align 2 ½ square with a corner of the 4 ½ inch square of Amos fabric with right sides together and the drawn line parallel to the corner.
- Sew next to diagonal 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 Bella fabric back so piece is a 4 ½ inch square with a light corner. There should be three pieces of fabric meeting in one corner.
- Iron toward corner.
- Do this a to each corner of the light square.
- Leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance, trim excess fabric from back of block.
- Trim block to 4 1/2 inches square.
Block-
- row 1& 3 - corner square with light & dark side on the outside edge; middle edge block with geese pointing up; corner square with light & dark side on the outside edge.
- row 2 - middle edge block with geese pointing to the left; background square; middle edge block with geese pointing to the right.
- Assemble rows so that same fabrics are touching to make one 12 ½ inch block (actual size, including future seam allowances.)
