Oops 1 - July 2013 - Breaking Formation

"Breaking Formation"

 

"Breaking Formation" is fashioned from a traditional quilt block known as "The Flying Dutchman," "Dutchman's Puzzle," or "Windmill".  Is constructed from pairs of flying geese blocks.  It is an old design with origins in the late 1800s.  

 

Traditional "Flying Dutchman,"" Dutchman's Puzzle," or "Windmill" block.

 

As I was researching the block I discovered that my drawing has a double error in it.  A traditional "Flying Dutchman" block has the flying geese flying away and in a clockwise rotation from the center of the block.  Look closely and  you will see that my block has the geese flying toward the center seams and in a counter clockwise direction.   My geese must be Australian rather than Canadian. 

 

I decided to leave my block the way it is...for a couple of reasons....

 

First - no matter what hemisphere you are from mistakes happen when you a piecing quilt blocks.  I suspect it has always been and will always be this way.

 

Second - what better way to start a series called "Oops" than with a double error?!

 

Most pointedly, I liked the resulting quilt better this way.  I was totally tickled that the broken blocks create a pattern resembling "Friendship Stars" when they are put together.

 

Thus the first quilt in our Oops BOM series  is called "Surprised by Friends" - which is one of the very best ways to be surprised.  I hope you enjoy it.



"Surprised by Friends"

General Description

• The Quilt:  "Surprised by Friends"
• 36, 12" finished "Breaking Formation" blocks in a 6 x 6 grid
• 2 borders
• 1" finished inner border
• 6" finished outer border
•  As described the quilt finished out at 86" square.

Sizes		Fabric Requirements
# Blocks	Finished Size	Red	White	Blue
36 6 x 6 grid	86" x 86" Twin/Full	1 yard	3 ½ yards	4 ½ yards
16 4 x 4 grid	62" x 62" Throw/Crib	3/4 yard	1 3/4 yards	3 yards
64 8 x 8 grid	110" x 110" Queen/King	1 ½ yards	6 1/4 yards	7 yards

• If you choose to make "Surprised by Friends" please take a picture and add it the Tops to Treasures Flickr group.  I'd love to see your quilt.
• The Block: "Breaking Formation"
• finishes at 12" square (actually measures 12 1/2" x 12 1/2")
• four patch construction
• made from 8 flying goose blocks.

FQG: This month we are making a red, white, and blue quilt in honor of our nations birthday.  Your kit contains fabric for the mistake.   (Weekend Clubhouse 2012 Red Petit Point, purchased from The Fat Quarter Shop; SKU#SG4607-REDX-D)

Please add a white background, and shades of blue for the geese.  Your patches of white and blue DO NOT have to be from the same fabric...they just have to be white and blue.

Cutting Directions: (24 pieces/block)

• Background:
• cut 16, 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares
• Blue:
• cut 7, 6 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangles
• Red:
• cut 1, 6 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangle 

 

Piecing Directions:

• Flying Goose Units
• Gather
• 16, squares background
• 7, rectangles blue
• 1, rectangle red
• Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each background square.
• With right sides together, align 1 square with short end of 1 rectangle
• Sew to the side of the diagonal line - on the side that is adjacent to the right angle.

 

 

• BONUS BLOCK OPPORTUNITY:
• Sew an additional seam, parallel to the one you just sewed, and 1/2" closer to the adjacent right angle. (this would be over the words in the picture above.)
• Cut corner off.
• Iron seam allowance of little hst open.
• Save all 16, hsts and make the bonus block at the bottom of this post.
• Iron background square in half, away from body of rectangle.
• Repeat process on opposite end of rectangle to complete flying goose unit.
• Be careful to get the diagonals going in the right direction.  You want to create a blue pyramid. NOT a blue parallelogram.
• Trim unit back to 6 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangle
• Repeat with remaining squares and rectangles (7 more times) to make units for block.
• Deuce Goose Patches:
• Gather
• 6 flying goose units - all blue
• With right sides together and the point of one pyramid touching the base of the next, sew 3 sets of 2 units.
• Iron seam allowances towards the blue.
• Trim patches to 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" square
• Oops Patch:  Pay attention here - it is not like the others - it is a purposeful mistake and is the key element in this project.  If you do it right it will be wrong!!
• Gather
• 1 blue goose unit
• 1 red goose unit
• With right sides together, and pyramid base touching pyramid base, sew units together to make Oops Patch.  It should look like the picture below.
• Iron seam allowance towards the base of the blue pyramid.
• Trim patch to 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" square.

Oops Patch

• Breaking Formation Block
• Gather
• 3 Deuce Goose patches
• 1 Oops Patch
• Assemble blocks to look like picture below....only in red, white, and blue.

"Breaking Formation"

• Iron seam allowances away from pinnacle of pyramids.
• Trim block to 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" square.

 

FQG: Return you completed block(s) to me by the July 23, 2013 or bring it to the general meeting on that night to be eligible to win.  The prize package will contain all blocks completed, all kits returned, and a coupon for free edge to edge quilting.  I can't wait to see who is "Surprised by Friends!"

 

 

 

BONUS BLOCK!

Sew the 16 hsts into a 16 patch like the one pictured below.

 

Boxed Bow Ties

 

The block will end up being 9 1/4" x 9 1/4" (actual measurements)

 
BONUS DRAWING for FQG
Bring it back with your Breaking Formation block and we will have a second drawing. 
 

 

If you had 36 bonus blocks (from the 36 blocks in the swap) you could have a bonus quilt like the one above.  It measures 52 1/2" x 52 1/2".