Block #3 construction with dies

NQC Quilt Block Challenge

CONSTRUCTION
of
Block #3 
Maia Star
with 
the dies

This is a quilt designed by Gina Perkes

9 Blocks

1 per week

Get on Facebook and join the group!

The quilt is BEAUTIFUL!!!

GREAT JOB GINA!!!
(I DO have Gina's permission to post about the dies!)


So,
construction is just a little different with the dies.
Really,
the only difference is the squares...
Instead of cutting squares for the flying geese to make triangles
(which is an easy method)
We've used our dies to cut
Half Square Triangles
(HST).


Here it is,
Along with some tips.

Let's make the FLYING GEESE

Remember this die?
3" finished HST (Half Square Triangle)
These are our Flying Geese

 So,
Here's my piece from the die...
There are 16 of these.

Let's lay it out...
Instead of the 3" square on the directions,
we're using a 3" HST.
IT ALL MATCHES!

When using the HST,
you might wonder how to line these up...
With right sides together,
line up the corner and the long side
(as you see on the left side of the HST below).
Then the opposite side will line up with the other edge.

You will sew from corner to corner sewing across the rectangle
and at the base of the HST.

Now follow Gina's directions in pressing.
Press to the corner.

Repeat on the opposite side.

Lay it on as it should be...

just to check! 

Now,
flip it so it is right sides together,
and the corner and long sides are lined up.
Then the opposite side point should be lined up as well.
(If you need to adjust your alignment, do it now.)

And press to the corner.
You have a FLYING GEESE unit!

GREAT JOB!!!

Let's do it again for the center of this block!

The HST block is already made...

Now to add the little HST to the center.

Lay it down to just make sure it's right.

YEP!

It works!

Now,
flip it over so it's right sides together.
Matching the edges with the big block.
Like this...

If you put the HST too far in,
you won't be sewing from corner to corner...
And it just floats in the block...
This is NOT right.

If the HST triangle edges are hanging over,
that's NOT right either.
This will give you a smaller triangle and not even.

Matching these edges with the bigger block gives you the corners
you're sewing from and to.
Sew at the base of the HST
from corner to corner

Now press the right side out by pressing it toward the corner.

There you go!

ALL the other directions are JUST as Gina has written them!

The directions are well written,

 and have been tested for us.

Continue making your block as Gina's directions are written.

Keep those blocks coming!

You're each doing an AMAZING job!!!

Sew the pieces of life together!

They make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!

Nina Clotfelter
www.ninaquilts.com

Block #3 NQC Quilt Block Challenge

NQC Quilt Block Challenge

Block #3
Maia Star

This is a quilt designed by Gina Perkes

9 Blocks

1 per week

Get on Facebook and join the group!

The quilt is BEAUTIFUL!!!

GREAT JOB GINA!!!
(I DO have Gina's permission to post about the dies!)

Gina has done a FABULOUS job writing the directions for this block!

If you haven't watched Gina's video on making Half Square Triangles (HST),
PLEASE go to the FILES tab and watch the video...
It's a GREAT video!!!

So,
This block is pretty simple to cut!

I had to use a mixture of dies from my Studio and GO! cutters...
That's OK with me!

There's ALWAYS a test run!
Just using scraps...thought you'd like to see...LOL!

It all worked...
So,
Here we go!

DIES USED

 FABRIC A:
4 - 3" squares - Studio #50132

8 - 3" x 5.5" restangles
4 - 1.5" x 3" restangles
For both of these rectangles,
Using the common denominator (remember this? LOL!)
Which is 3
And cut 3" stripes.

Then, sub-cut those stripes into the 5.5" & 1.5" rectangles.
(My background is solid.  If you have a directional background,
be careful.  You may have to cut a strip from each direction.)

FABRIC B:
16 - 3" squares
These are used to make the Flying Geese.
Cut HST using Studio Die #50275
(You can still use the 3" square die from Fabric A,
if you're more comfortable with that method.)

FABRIC B & C:
1 - 6.25" x 12.5" rectangle.
These are making HST...
There are 4 of these
(I don't have a die for a finished 5.5" HST, so I used a die for a 6" HST and cut it down.)
 used 12" GO! QUBE #3

FABRIC E:
4 - 1.5" x 5.5" rectangles
  Studio 1.5" strip die #50052
Then sub cut into the 5.5" rectangle

(This is the 1.5" strip die.
To make it easy to cut squares, I have marked lines across at 1.5" apart.)

FABRIC F:
4 - 2" squares
These are 1.5" Finished HST (in the center of the block)
6" GO! Qube die #5 - #55705

Here is how to cut squares using a strip die.
(1.5" strip die used in this sample)

Cut your strips normally.

Then, lay them across the blades so they will get sub cut
(Here you can see the marked lines at 1.5" so it's easy to make 1.5" squares.)
Can you see in the picture the blades are horizontal,
and the drawn lines are vertical?

Run through to machine again... 

 And you have 1.5" squares!

 SUPER EASY!!!
And very accurate!

I didn't have time to sew this all together yet.

But you can see it laid out...

and it all works beautifully!!!

(Yes, I did sew the 5.5" HST together, 

Remember, I used a larger size and had to cut it down?)

Other dies you could use:

3" SQ -

(can also use 3" strip die)

GO! - #55256

Studio - #50749, #50748, #50016, #50132, 3" strip die  #50058

Sizzix - #657606

2.5" Finished HST

(This die replaces the 16-3" squares)

GO! - #55257, #55018

Studio - #50275

Sizzix - #657611

2" SQ - 

(can also use 2" strip die)

GO! - #55022

Studio - #50602, #50201, #50748

REMEMBER

1.5" Finished HST can replace this 2" square

GO! - #55312

Studio #50771

Sizzix - #659142

5" Finished HST

GO! - Didn't find one

Studio - #50273

Sizzix - #657520

(All dies are straight from the brand website)

Keep those blocks coming!

You're each doing an AMAZING job!!!

Sew the pieces of life together!

They make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!

Nina Clotfelter
www.ninaquilts.com

Block #2 NQC Quilt Block Challenge

NQC Quilt Block Challenge

Block #2

This is a quilt designed by Gina Perkes

9 Blocks

1 per week

Get on Facebook and join the group!

The quilt is BEAUTIFUL!!!

GREAT JOB GINA!!!
(I DO have Gina's permission to post about the dies!)

As you can see,

The blocks will be getting a touch more difficult as we go along.

These are VERY doable!!!

Using DIES to cut your pieces 

gives you accuracy from the beginning.

There are a few systems on the market...

You can do your own research.

Accuquilt - they have several systems

GO! Baby

GO!

GO! Big

Studio (pro)

Sizzix - they also have several systems

Sidekick

Big Shot

Big Shot Express

Big Shot Plus

Big Shot Pro

Whatever your system is, they are all good systems...

ENJOY

what you have...and USE it!!!

Onto BLOCK #2!

You'll have to print out the directions from the

NQC Quilt Block Challenge Facebook site.

Dies I used are again from

8" GO! QUBE

Fabric A
  4.5" square
Die #1 - #55708

Fabrics B,C,D,E

4" finished Half square triangle 

Die #3 - #55710

Instead of cutting the 4 7?8" square

Fabrics B,C,D,E

4" finished Quarter square triangle

Die #4 - #55711

Instead of cutting the 5 1/4" square

Cut by hand:

 4.5"x8.5" rectangle

(I could actually use the 4.5" strip cutter to cut many of these.

I would cut several strips, then sub cut them into 8.5" sections.)

Here the block is just laid out before sewing...

The 2 smaller triangles are from Dies #4

(instead of the 5 1/4" square subcut into triangles).

The larger triangle is Die #3

(Instead of the 4 7/8" square subcut into triangles).

Step #1 is using the QST (quarter square triangles)

They are turned so the straight edge is on the outside.

You'll be sewing on the bias edge, so don't stretch, 

but this is a super short length...you'll be good!

Press seam as directed.

Here, this block is laid out again.

The 2 QST have been sewn together and pressed.

Now, I made each of theses 4 blocks as a whole block.  

That's just how my mind worked best!

So...

I laid the coordinating HST (half square triangle)

on top and sewed them together along the long diagonal.

Again, these are bias edges...  

And, you want to make sure your seams stay as pressed...

in this case they were pressed open.

Here's the seam...

yes, my bobbin ran out...

And,

Press as directed.

And here's the completed block

Here's the next one in my color way

all laid out before sewing. 

All 4 of the center blocks are completed.

All 4 of the center blocks are sewn together...

make sure you have them right before sewing together!

I had to make a few turns to get them right.

And then make and add the flying geese

(I'll have pictures of this next block!)

I used the HST for these as well.

TADA!

Finished block!

WOOHOO!!!

Block #2 is complete!

Here are the other Dies available:

4.5" square:

GO! - #55060

Studio - #50748, #50123, #50015

Sizzix - #657626

4.5" half square triangle (HST)

4" finished:

GO! - #55031

Studio - #50270

Sizzix - #657609

4.5" quarter square triangle (QST)

4" finished:

GO! - #55316

Studio - #50365

Sizzix - didn't find.

(Sizzix has several QST without block measurements, 

so it might be there.)

4.5" x 8.5" rectangle:

GO! - #55160

Studio - didn't find

Sizzix - #658113

(All dies are straight from the brand website)

Keep those blocks coming!

You're each doing an AMAZING job!!!

Sew the pieces of life together!

They make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!

Nina Clotfelter
www.ninaquilts.com