My First Quilt -- part 3 -- Making the blocks

Quiltalong Series:

Getting ready   Part 1--cutting fabric   Part 2--4-patches  Part 3--blocks to center

 Part 4--border, binding  Part 5--Sandwich and Quilting   Part 6--Binding

So here's where we left off....

we had constructed our four-patches.  

At this point, make sure they are all exactly the same.  

(As in the colors in the same positions)

Take 2 of your Light Outer and 2 of your Dark Outer strips.

Lay them out on your cutting mat like so.  It's perfectly fine to stack them and cut them at the same time.

Cut them into 5" pieces.  So the finished pieces will be 2.5" x 5", and you will have 8 of each color.

See the outlined piece?  That's what we're constructing now.

There are 8 of them in the finished quilt.

Lay out your 4-patch like so, with one of the strips you just cut on each side.  See how the colors are going to match up to create a border effect?

you may have a tiny bit of extra on the sides.  That's fine.  See how my 5" piece is a tiny bit taller than the 4-patch?  Don't worry about it.

Take the border piece on the right side, flip it over on top of the 4-patch and stick some pins in it to secure it.

Now we're going to get really wild.... we're going to sew both side seams before we press.  So take the side piece on the left and flip it over on the 4-patch and pin.

Repeat for all 8 4-patches.

{I really like taking pictures of stacks of fabric....}

Take your stack to your sewing machine, and start sewing the side seam on each set.

Chain piece if you want to, or sew them all separately. 

If you are chain piecing them, I want to show you a cool trick.  So we've sewed the right seam on each one....  

at the last one, pull some extra thread out, turn your fabric around, 

and keep going, sewing the other side seam without breaking the thread.

They will stay in order and organized since they are already sewed on the other side...

And when you finish sewing, they will be attached on both sides.  Cool, eh?

Clip all threads and pull pins.

use the iron to set the seams.

Then open one side and press.

Then turn it around and open the other side and press.

You can lay out your center of the quilt top and get an idea of where we're going.

Now.. at this point, you might look down the post and see how many pictures are left... but don't worry.  

The next part goes fast!  I'm just trying to keep the same level of detail throughout, but you will get through it in no time....

Here we go!

Next we're going to sew the blocks together.  There are 4 of them.

See how they alternate in the middle and along the outside?

Lay them out like this, then flip the top onto the bottom and pin.

Repeat for all 4 blocks

 

Stack them up and take them to your machine.

Sew the side.

Press to set the seam.

Then press to the side.

Now you have 4 blocks!

Put 2 of them together and pin.

Sew them.  press them.

then put those together.  

Pin. Sew. Press.

And now you have 4 blocks together to form the center of your quilt top.

Next time we'll trim it up, add the border, and make the binding!

Quiltalong Series:

Getting ready   Part 1--cutting fabric   Part 2--4-patches  Part 3--blocks to center

 Part 4--border, binding  Part 5--Sandwich and Quilting   Part 6--Binding