CQF Month 1 - July 2012 - Olympic Rings

27 July -  12 August the eyes of the world will turn to London England for the  30th Summer Olympic Games.  It doesn't matter where you are from, or who you are rooting for, there is nothing as thrilling as seeing athletes from across the globe gather to compete.

According to Wikipedia, the symbol of the Olympic Games is composed of five interlocking rings, coloured blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field.  The rings are meant to represent the continents participating in the games, the colors are those that appeared on all the national flags of the world at the time of the emblems creation. (1914 by Pierre De Coubertin)

In honor of this occasion, the first Circle of Quilty Friends block is "Olympic Rings". (NOTE: If you are doing this series as one big quilt...the corners of this block are different....you might want to hold off until next month when the Circle of Quilty Friends corner is used.)

General Description of Block:   This nine patch block is made of two sets of four identical blocks, (one on the corners, and one on the edges) and one solid patch in the center.  This block finishes at 13 1/2" square.

FQG:  Your kit will contain enough fabric to complete the black rings.  You need to add a white background (tone on tone is fine) and any of one of the other Olympic colors for the ring.  (blue, yellow, green, or red)

Cutting Directions: (33 pieces)

• From background (white) -
• cut 1, 5" x 5" square
• cut 8, 2" x 5" rectangles
• cut 4, 2" x 2" squares
• cut 4, 2" x3 1/2" rectangles

Cutting diagram for kit fabric. - a 7" x 8" rectangle

• From black -  (FQG - use the diagram to cut the fabric in your kit.)
• cut 4, 2" x 2" squares
• cut 4, 2" x 5" rectangles
• From one color (blue, yellow, green, or red)
• cut 4, 2" x 3 1/2" rectangles
• cut 4, 2" x 5" rectangles

Piecing Directions:
Corners-  Make 4

This is the most difficult part of this block.  Pay close attention to where each piece goes.

• Sew white 2" squares to black 2" squares
• Iron seams open
• With black and white unit perpendicular to your body and the black block closest, Sew colored 2" x 3 1/2" rectangles to the right side, long edge of patches.
• Iron seams toward pieced side.
• Sew white 2" x 3 1/2" rectangles to white/colored end of pieced patches.
• Iron seams toward white side.
• Sew black 2" x 5" rectangles to yellow/white edge of pieced patches.
• Iron seams toward black wide.
• Trim corner blocks to 5" square.

Edges - make 4

• Sew 4, white 2" x 5" rectangles to 4 colored 2" x 5" rectangles along the long edge.
• Iron seams toward colored side.
• Sew 4 white 2" x 5" rectangles to other long side of colored rectangles
• Iron seam toward colored side.
• Trim edge blocks to 5" square.

Block -

• Sew patches into three rows
• Row 1 & 3
• Corner block with black rectangle vertical on right
• Edge block with colored rectangle perpendicular to the black rectangle.
• Corner block with colored bits aligned and black rectangle lying horizontally on the bottom
• Row 2
• Edge block with colored rectangle vertical
• White 5" x 5" square
• Edge block with colored rectangle vertical
• Sew rows together to make block.
• Be sure to align rows so that the colored bits connect
• Your block should measure 14" x 14" (actual size)

This is a sample of what 12 blocks would look like.

A quilt made from 12 blocks would look something like the picture above.  It would measure 43.5" x 57."  It would make a great quilt for a baby born during this Olympic summer.  To make it big enough to snuggle under while watching the games you will need a few more blocks...or borders...get sewing!  The games start soon!

FQG - You can pick up your kit at the June 29th meeting of our guild.  Blocks are due back at the July 24th meeting.