Super Scrappy Sunny Quilt Tutorial

Beta Testers needed! Please give this post a read over and let me know if I pass muster or not...if you are up to sewing a block and sharing with me all the better! I'll PM you my mailing address if you don't already have it :)

I was over on Pinterest (imagine that! ha) a while back and saw a folded up quilt in the background of a picture, yeah I'm that nit picky! I took out my sketch pad and fashioned up what I thought would be a good pattern to achieve the look of the quilt.

Now the quilt hidden in the depths of this picture was all matchy-matchy and totally not me! I decided to go the super scrappy route and .....all-la peanut butter and jelly sandwiches...!!!! here is what I came up with :)

P.S. I'd love to put a link in right here to the original picture but I can't even believe it!!! I did not pin the picture!!!! I have now spent really far too much time looking back through my likes and pinterest in general to find this picture but alas I am now saying, I give up! trust me it's out there somewhere!

I have now decided that this would be a great block to use for the Stash Bee Quilt I am participating in in 2014 :) super de doper excited!!! and I have per the rules of engagement in said Quilt Bee written what I feel are the directions to making this block.

And so we begin:

First, I decided that each "block" will contain lights and darks of varying and not too matchy prints, and that any ole print will do, going super scrappy on this one!

The block is made up of 4 units that are sewn individually then pieced together to form the one big block seen above.

To achieve this I had to cut from 8 different fabrics, 4 dark and 4 light. In the picture above you can see my darks as being the majority fabric and the light being really small triangles in each section.

So I cut:

Dark:
one 4.5 x 4.5 square
two 2.5 x 6.5 rectangles
one 2.5 x 4.5 rectangle
one 2.5 x 8.5 rectangle

Light:
one 4.5 x 4.5 square
two 2.5 x 2.5 squares

First we need to prepare a few of the blocks for making triangles. To do this I took the 4.5 x 4.5 fabrics and placed right sides together and with my Ticonderoga pencil (the best on the planet I swear!) I used my ruler and made a straight line from corner to corner on the light fabric. This will be our sewing line.

 

Now we sew along that drawn line. Literally I did a straight stitch right over the line I drew.

Now I am not a fabric waster so I have decided that the "scrap" bit that would normally be cut and maybe tossed by some would make a really nice pieced border...so I took my ruler again and drew two more lines, each one a quarter inch from the last. In my case I went to the right of center.

 

 

I then sewed, again literally right on the drawn line of the third line. I then used that center line that has not been sewn on as my cutting line.

 

I then pressed this to the dark.

And all of this left me with two similar blocks. Please note that only the 4.5 x 4.5 block will be used in the construction of this block. The smaller square is to be set aside for use later in the border :)

Now we move onto the 2.5 pieces. Taking both 2.5 x 2.5 light squares we set them onto the dark (exactly as shown below) onto the 2.5 x 8.5 and one of the 2.5 x 6.5 pieces.

 

 We then draw a diagonal line in the exact direction as shown.This ensures that the final triangle will be in the desired direction. Sew on top of this drawn line.

cut the seam allowance to 1/4 inch.

You will then need to press this seam up to make a complete rectangle. Now the blocks are all ready for final assembly. I like to lay out the blocks in their final placement to ensure that I will sew them in the correct direction.

Taking the 4.5 x 4.5 center square I place a 2.5 x 4.5 dark rectangle along the top edge and sew using a 1/4 inch scant seam.

I then press to dark.

Next, I take a 2.5 x 6.5 plain (the one without the light triangle) and sew that to the right edge. I pressed the seam out toward the 2.5 x 6.5 rectangle.

Next take the 2.5 x 6.5 piece with the light triangle on the end and sew that to the bottom. I pressed this seam out.

Finally, take the 2.5 x 8.5 with the light triangle and sew it to the far left side. I then pressed this seam out.

Our first 8.5 x 8.5 inch unit is done :) I made the other 3 units in the same exact fashion. When it came time to sew and iron the 4 pieces together I did iron the center seams  open. I felt this helped me achieve a more "flat" effect.

 

However, when I sewed the final two halves together I left the seam closed and pressed to one side.

 

And here we have I! Our first block completed for the Super Scrappy Sunny quilt :)

 

And some final words for my Hive Mates...I am ok with what ever color you choose or what ever motif you choose. you pick what you think is scrappy best!

I am also ok with a finished block size that passes the stretch test. Meaning, that when it lays flat on its own and is a wee bit off but I can pull a bit to make it 16.5 x 16.5 when I sew it all together, I am totally cool with that!

 

And lookie here! I also am totally ok with stuff just not lining up so much...check out this seam...



Zoinks! what happened there! all's good in the end...this totally passes the stretch test :)

I can't wait until March to see what rolls in!!

Any questions please ask!!

 

Happy Sewing!

Melodee :)