If you're looking for a new block idea but you don't really want to take on a whole quilt right now, then this is the read for you! Today I'm talking about the Complete Blocks section of our site! The Complete Blocks are paper pieces and/or templates only, no pattern necessary!
The beauty of NOT having pattern instructions is 1. that you can save money by not buying the pattern and 2. that you have the freedom to sew in the order that makes the most sense to you. Kali and I are teaming up to show you how to dissect one of our Complete Blocks. The steps discussed here will be applicable to any of our blocks!
We're using the Card Trick Block as our example- not too simple, not too complicated. Find it here.
The first step is to visualize the entire block, and find the longest lines to begin cutting your block into simpler sections. In the case of Card Trick, you would cut two horizontal lines, then two vertical lines, to give you nine working sections.
Within those nine sections, you want to see what else you can break down. Card trick has one center square (5), four HST units (1, 3, 7, 9), and four units that are composed of two quarter square triangles (QST) and one HST (2, 4, 6, 8).
In many cases, you'll want to start with the smallest pieces first. You would baste all your pieces, then sew the two QSTs together for each of the four units, creating one HST for each unit. Then you'll be able to sew all the HSTs together to make square units. Next, sew 1, 2, 3 together, then 4, 5, 6, then 7, 8, 9. You now have three rows of three units each. Sew the three rows together and voila, you have a completed block!
In Keep It Simple and Sew (KISS) terms, 1. Visually dissect your block. Find the longest lines and mentally cut your block into simpler sections. 2. Cut it again into even smaller pieces. Voila! You're ready to start sewing.
As an extra tip: In more complex projects, number all the pieces that are the exact same sizes, eg. all the QSTs in this block would be labeled #1 because those are the first pieces you'll sew.
We trust your skills, and know that you can easily figure out how to sew these blocks without patterns, however, as always, if you get stuck, please give us a call and we'll be happy to help!
2 comments
Perplexed by penrose. I love the penrose block but I am really struggling with the pentagon layouts. I love math but I haven’t found a reasonable layout. Can you point me in the right direction? Do I need to make my own templates for the odd diamond and star? Thank you!
Where do I get the Dear Jane paper pieces?