If you're interested in just a refresher, Here is how my block of the month works:
I use a random number generator to pick the book shelf, then book, and then page for me. If it gets me a Quilt block, then that is the one I make and share. If it is an advertisement or not a quilt block specific project or book, I flip to the next page and/or next book in line.
As for fabric, I am only using out of my stash, so a lot of it is going to be older Cotton & Steel.
On to Block 5!!
This months Block is Half Square Triangles! In this case I have chosen to use the half square triangles to make a pinwheel design. I used the Quilter's Precut Companion book from Missouri Star as a reference.
Fabrics:
This Block only requires two fabrics. In this case I used two 10 inch by 10 inch squares. I do not remember what fabric line they are from but they were precuts.
Cutting and Assembly:
If you are using yardage, you will need to cut two 10' by 10' squares. If you are not doing the same half square triangle method I am using, 4 at a time, you will need to adjust the cutting and piecing to fit that method.
All you do is put the squares right side together and sew along the entire outer edge. Then you cut the square corner to corner on both diagonals. This gives you 4 half square triangles! I chose to turn them into a pinwheel!
If you're interested in just a refresher, Here is how my block of the month works:
I use a random number generator to pick the book shelf, then book, and then page for me. If it gets me a Quilt block, then that is the one I make and share. If it is an advertisement or not a quilt block specific project or book, I flip to the next page and/or next book in line.
As for fabric, I am only using out of my stash, so a lot of it is going to be older Cotton & Steel.
But Now on to Block 4!!
This week I discovered block 4 in "Sweet Celebrations with the Moda Bake Shop Chefs" Compiled by Lissa Alexander. It is a part of the quilt pattern "Blossoms Birthday Quilt" by Stefanie Roman. A very straight forward block, that later in the quilt gets combined with sashing and a corner stone to create a really large and beautiful block and quilt. But, for our block of the month, I just did one block; not the four to make the giant block.
The block I think turned out really cute. I ended up using fabric exclusively (with the exception of the grey background fabric) from Cotton + Steel's Ten by Tens, designed by Rashida Colman-Hale. It is an older fabric line, but it is really cute! I also was able to make this block with just a layer cake.
For the Block it takes 6 fabrics total, 5 I used from the layer cake and 1 'background'.
If you look at my block here is the breakdown of the cutting:
Pink: 2 1/2" by 2 1/2" (cut 1)
Green: 2 1/2" by 2 1/2" (cut 1)
Geometric light grey: 2 1/2" by 4 1/2" (cut 1)
2 1/2" by 6 1/2" (cut 1)
Words: 2 1/2" by 6 1/2" (cut 2)
Dark Blue Floral: 2 1/2" by 2 1/2" (cut 1)
Dark Grey Background: 2 1/2" by 2 1/2" (cut 6)
Assembly:
To assemble the Block you make a four square and do diagonals on the strips(half square triangle style). The hardest part, to me, is always making sure that I do the correct diagonal to create the effect. I had to seam rip and re-sew things. Not to mention I miss cut one of the geometric grey strips! which is your reminder to double check and not to trim things or measure twice before so you know it is correct!
So there you have it! I think it is a cute addition to my previous blocks! Let me know what you think!!
I am a quilter. I love to sew, and I want to share my quilt projects. But with work and making videos/blog posts every week to upload, it can be hard to fit in a full quilt project. (Not to mention that it adds time to a project when I film it and most of my projects are following copywritten patterns which adds some complexity to what is appropriate to show.)
So like many quilters, I am turning to a 'Block of the Month'! But, to make it more interesting for the blog and YouTube, I am going to make it Randomized.
To make it Randomized, I am going to use a random number generator.
I have three shelves of quilting/sewing books and I went through and counted the books on every shelf.
So to Pick a Book, I will enter 1 through 3 into the number generator to pick a shelf.
Then I will enter the number of books on the shelf, to pick a book.
Finally, I will enter the number of pages, to pick a page/pattern.
Some notes:
If the book picked is not sewing or quilting related, I will move to the next book.
If the page does not have a pattern, or the pattern is not something that can be reduced down to one main block, I will flip the pages until we find one.
If you want to watch my videos on the Blocks of the Month, Here is the Link to My Playlist!
Block 3:
This Month's Block is from Quilter's World Magazine from October 2012. It is from the Pattern called Bittersweet, designed by Sue Harvey and Sandy Boobar for Pine Country Quilts. It is a super cute quilt finished and a really simple but attractive block!
Fabric & Cutting:
The racoons and the center green fabric are both older cotton and steel. The cat circles and the tan fabric did not have any thing written on the salvages, so I am not sure what designer they are from. In choosing fabric for this block, because I struggled with contrast with the previous blocks, I used a little trick to help pick.
I turned my phone camera to black and white and looked at the fabrics all together with that filter. It allows you to see the contrast between the colors clearly without being distracted by the actual colors they are. I also asked my mom for a second opinion before committing to them.
A cutting Tip for making just one block, like in this block of the month, is to go through and write down the fabric cutting instructions for the just pieces and amounts you need for just the one. If you see in the photo bellow, I only needed to cut out one 3.5 by 3.5 inch square for the very center of the block; the full pattern calls for 18. It just makes it easier for at a glance references.
So there you have it! We just finished Block 3! If you are interested in seeing a little more in-depth view of how this block comes together, please check out my YouTube video on it! I found it very fun.
The Random Block of the Month Explained (Skip to Block 2 if you've seen Block 1):
I am a quilter. I love to sew, and I want to share my quilt projects. But with work and making videos/blog posts every week to upload, it can be hard to fit in a full quilt project. (Not to mention that it adds time to a project when I film it and most of my projects are following copywritten patterns which adds some complexity to what is appropriate to show.)
So like many quilters, I am turning to a 'Block of the Month'! But, to make it more interesting for the blog and YouTube, I am going to make it Randomized.
To make it Randomized, I am going to use a random number generator.
I have three shelves of quilting/sewing books and I went through and counted the books on every shelf.
So to Pick a Book, I will enter 1 through 3 into the number generator to pick a shelf.
Then I will enter the number of books on the shelf, to pick a book.
Finally, I will enter the number of pages, to pick a page/pattern.
Some notes:
If the book picked is not sewing or quilting related, I will move to the next book.
If the page does not have a pattern, or the pattern is not something that can be reduced down to one main block, I will flip the pages until we find one.
If you want to watch my videos on the Blocks of the Month, Here is the Link to My Playlist!
Picking: Shelf 2 Book 44
This month's Block was found in "Hidden Block Quilts" By Lerlene Nevaril. It was published by C&T Publishing in 2002. It has instructions for 55 different blocks and shows the instructions very clearly. I recommend taking a look at it, if you have a chance. Here is the Amazon Link if you are interested in seeing more from it. I am not associated with amazon, the authors or receiving any monetary benefit from anything. I really choose these at random.
Block: Page 66
My Number generator gave me page number 65, but based on that page I continued on to page 66. It gave me a breakdown of four different variations on a similar block for the quilt pattern named "Game Cocks Block". I decided to go for the farthest left variation, which looks like this:
As you can see, it is a lot of small pieces and 6 fabrics are used. Because this block is very intensive with the pieces, I think that it is probably to my advantage to be doing one block of it at a time. It would be pretty easy to mix up the pieces if you cut several of these blocks out entirely all at once.
I also think that seeing it broke down makes it a lot clearer on how to goes together.
The math on this one you can figure out and assemble based on these images. But because it is a more intensive block, I will not be giving out the math that the book gives. I do not want to overshare, but if you check out my YouTube video, I will showcase the sewing more!
My Fabric Choices:
As you might be able to tell, I mostly picked older Cotton and Steel Fabric out from my stash. I am fairly certain that they are all old Cotton and Steel, but because of some not having the salvages, I can't say for absolute certainty.
Here is the info I know for certain:
The Rain Drop and Candies are both from the line Beauty Shop, Designed by Sarah Watts & Melody Miller for Cotton and Steel.
The Popcorn is from the line Penny Arcade, Designed by Kimberly Kight for Cotton and Steel.
The Grey with dots is from the Line Black and White, Designed by Rashida Coleman-Hale for Cotton and Steel.
The Apples and Strawberries are most likely from Cotton and Steel also but I am not 100% sure on the lines or designers.
Like I mentioned in Block 1's post, I am using fabrics from my stash. And for this block specifically, I decided to pick food themed fabrics. They caught my attention while digging in the tote so I decided to just go for it.
My Finished Block:
Here it is! Despite using a large number of smaller pieces of fabric, the cutting and sewing is quite straight forward. It makes a very striking block that is very different from our first block. I also need to work on fabric contrasts it seems, but I still like it.
Unlink the name of my blog suggests, it is not about birds at all. Birds also kind of scare me, so birds as the topic of my blog is kind of out of the question. Instead it comes from the image Flock and Squawk gives me. When I think Flock and Squawk, I think of a lively and colorful gathering. The flock is friendly to one another and each sounding in on there own opinions.
I also got inspiration from a 'Stitch 'n Bitch' Group. Which I didn't know has referred to knitting groups sense around World War 2 (4). I had only ever heard the phrase 'Stitch 'n Bitch' in the context of sewing groups, which I enjoy being a part of. I think it is pretty clear to see the inspiration for the name Flock and Squawk, from the name 'Stitch 'n Bitch'. I really liked the Blank and Blank structure, as well as the general idea of gathering to talk.
This is an image from the Nationaal Archief, the Dutch National Archives.
So with wanting to have a name that feels similar to 'Stitch 'n Bitch', I thought hard about it and finally landed on Flock and Squawk. It felt fitting because women are sometimes referred to as Hens, like in Scotland according to Wiktionary (2). Birds also travel in flocks when migrating(1) and the sound can be called a squawk(3).
With all that together, it felt like Flock and Squawk fit the image that I see or think of when I work on a project with a group. That lively gathering of individuals who all chime in on what they are working on.
I hope you enjoyed this little insight into my Blog and YouTube channel's name! I hope that you will join me and let me know what you think about my projects and share your own. Have a great week!
I am a quilter. I love to sew, and I want to share my quilt projects. But with work and making videos/blog posts every week to upload, it can be hard to fit in a full quilt project. (Not to mention that it adds time to a project when I film it and most of my projects are following copywritten patterns.)
So like many quilters, I am turning to a 'Block of the Month'! But, to make it more interesting for the blog and YouTube, I am going to make it Randomized.
To make it Randomized, I am going to use a random number generator.
I have three shelves of quilting/sewing books and I went through and counted the books on every shelf.
So to Pick a Book, I will enter 1 through 3 into the number generator to pick a shelf.
Then I will enter the number of books on the shelf, to pick a book.
Finally, I will enter the number of pages, to pick a page/pattern.
Some notes:
If the book picked is not sewing or quilting related, I will move to the next book.
If the page does not have a pattern, or the pattern is not something that can be reduced down to one main block, I will flip the pages until we find one.
For Month One We have the Classic and Simple 'Block In a Block' (Also Known as "Square in a Square"
This Block is made of a square that has triangles sewn along the edges. This creates the look of a square rotated inside another square. It is perfect for beginners and uses very simple math along with straight stitches to create.
Fabric:
I am using an older line of fabric from Cotton and Steel. I just picked some out of my Stash and do not know the specific designer for the fabric used. I also like to press/iron all of my fabric before I start cutting.
The Math/Fabric Cutting:
Note: this is also explained visually in my YouTube Video
The math for this block is fairly simple. You will start with two fabrics.
Fabric A will be the center of our Block and Fabric B will be the triangle edges.
We first will cut our fabric into squares.
To find out the correct sizes to cut your fabric use the formula:
Fabric B + 1/2in = your Fabric A
So if I cut Fabric B into a 4inch square, then I need to cut Fabric A into a 4 1/2inch square.
Once you have determined the size you would like to make, cut one Fabric A square and two Fabric B squares.
Cut the Fabric B squares diagonally once.
The Sewing:
I personally like to sew using a straight stitch set at a 1.5 or 2 stitch length, using a neutral or white thread. I also like to use, if I can, a sewing machine foot that has a 1/4inch guide to ensure my seam allowance. If you do not have the machine foot, you can always use tape or find another guide that will help ensure you are sewing with a 1/4inch allowance.
To sew the blocks together, take your Fabric A and align the long edge of a Fabric B triangle to it right sides together. Sew it together with the 1/4inch seam mentioned before.
Clip the threads and press the seam to the center or open before repeating with the remaining sides.
The finished Block:
Here you Have it! A Fully Finished Block! Please share with me your finished block if you choose to follow along over on my Instagram @Flock_Squawk!
