So here we are, on Layout Option 3 for the blocks for the Dreamcatcher Round the Year Block of the Month Quilt. You may also like to see Option 1 and Option 2 , which were posted quite some time ago!
This layout, inspired by the Chopsticks Quilt Pattern found on oneworldfabrics.com, is my favourite! I shall probably be using this for my quilt, using two shades of blue for the background, instead of the greys here.
This makes a 100″ x 100″ quilt, with plenty of negative space to showcase each block and to show off your quilting! Bonus – you get to use all of your scraps for the chopsticks!
With this, my work is done. I am yet to join the circles to the squares, I will be stay in touch as I share with you my learnings during the process.
I hope you have been enjoying this whole journey, which now nears its finish line!
Happy quilting and please keep sharing your blocks on my Facebook page!
I have been trying out various options for the Block of the Month Quilt, Round the Year! I will show you one option in each of the next few posts and include patterns for sashings and borders. The next block, Block # 5, will be posted only on 15th October. In the first two weeks of October, you can catch up with pending blocks, set your circles in squares, ready the borders, sashing, binding etc! Or, if you want to `quilt as you go’ the first four blocks, perhaps you can start on that!
I shall be posting these so that you can decide which one you want to do. Of course, each of the 16 blocks will be different, but you get the general idea! In case you want the patterns for the blocks featured in this quilt picture above (or below), they are available for free, right here, on this blog! Just type “Round the Year’ in the searchbox, and the posts will pop up. I am trying to create a page where all the links will be available in one place, as soon as I can figure out how!
This is one option I really like. In this layout, the interplay of dark and light grey in the background brings alive the theme of dusk falling. The blocks are simply joined together and a thin 1.5″ dark grey border and binding frames the blocks, making it up to a comfortable 75″ square size. What would you call this layout? I am undecided between `Shadows’ and `Clouds’!
Here is how the Rainbow Quilt will look, in the same layout… A white and black combination ( instead of blue and grey) for the background would look stunning, but I would prefer that for a wall quilt rather than a bed quilt! I’ll give you a dekko at that in my next post!
If you come up with some options, we’d all love to see those, too! Meanwhile. I’ll get back to my design desk(top) for a few more layouts!
This “SAPPHIRE” is the fourth block in the Block of the Month quilt `Dreamcatcher Round the Year‘. I have made it only in the Rainbow colourway; the other – Dusk colourway – remains pending, as I am on enforced rest with an acute attack of sciatica.
But don’t worry, the templates and instructions files for Dusk are ready and are being published in a separate post. This is a very simple block to piece and I am sure even beginner paper piecers should be able to manage without step by step pictures.
Like the previous three blocks, this is also paper foundation pieced. The fabric requirements and Instructions for paper piecing and assembly for the RAINBOW colourway for this block can be downloaded as .pdf files from the link at the end of this post. Adobe Reader , which is required for .pdf files, is available for free download online. So here we go!
SAPPHIRE RAINBOW
Finished Block size: 18″ square with 15″ inset circle.
Fabric Requirement and Cutting Instructions
REMEMBER – The Master Template is a mirror image and shows the printed side of the paper templates. You can also use it to try out your own colour schemes; use colour pencils!
Take print outs of the Templates .pdf file with printer settings at 100% or actual size in portrait mode. You have the following templates:
8 wedge templates numbered A, D, E, H, I, L,M and P.
8 spoke templates B,C, F,G,J,K, N and O .
2 background templates Q and R for the outside square. Cut 4 of each, the additional fabric margin is kept on the straight long edge.
Add a margin of 1/2″ to 1″ on the straight edge when cutting fabric for the background template.
2. Take a print out of the Instructions file and keep it at hand for reference.
3. Cut the fabric according to the fabric requirement chart, using the colour code as guide. To summarise:
Each of the 8 wedge templates will be pieced with
1 HST 5.5″
1 triangle half of 3″x 6″
1 rectangle 1.5″ x 6.5″
Each of the 8 spoke templates will be pieced with
4 HSTs 3.5″
1 triangle half of 2″ x 3.5″
1 QST 3.5″ ( or 1HST 2″ may be used instead)
4 . Pin the fabric pieces to the respective templates to avoid confusion when sewing.
Piecing Instructions
1. Piece the wedge templates
2. Piece the spoke templates and arrange according to the master template. Trim to template size.
Assembly
Refer to the Master template as a guide when assembling the paper pieced templates. ( It is a mirror image, remember?)
Each of the wedge templates is joined to a spoke template.
So, you join A to B, C to D, E to F, G to H, I to J, K to L , M to N and O to P. There are markers on the templates to help you align the templates correctly.
Be careful you do not join 2 wedges together, or you will have y-seams to contend with! Like this!
I joined two wedges together. Here I am adding a spoke to the wedges.When I started joining the spoke on the other side, I was confronted with a y-seam!
At the end of this, you should have 8 wedges equal to 1/8 of the circle. I have assembled my circle in quarters, don’t let that confuse you.
Final Assembly
The easiest way to join to the background would be as follows:
Join AB to X, CD to Q. EF to R, GH to S, IJ to T, KL to U, MN to V and OP to W.
Join BAX to CDQ …etc to obtain 4 squares.
Assemble the 4 squares; square up the block to 18.5″ . We are done!
You can BUY the paper piecing templates and instructions (including fabric requirement) here.
Templates – For paper piecing Block Four SAPPHIRE RAINBOW of the Round the Year BOM Quilt.
Instructions – For Block Four SAPPHIRE RAINBOW of the Round the Year BOM Quilt.
Please note that the downloadable patterns and instruction files for the Dreamcatcher Round the Year quilt blocks are being migrated to my store MadsPatch and will not be available for download for free from 15th November 2020 onwards.
The pattern and piecing instructions for the Card Trick , the third of the blocks in my BOM quilt Round the Year were posted by me a few days ago.
Incidentally, there are 26 templates and 14o pieces in this block…just so that you can boast about it!
Assembly
1. First, lay out all the pieced templates using the master template as a guide.
Pieced templates arranged using the master template as a guide
2. Assembling the Inner Circle
– Pin together each triangular ‘card’ to the corresponding wedge . If one makes a mistake and joins wrong pieces together at this stage, the ‘trick’ will not work, so follow the master template strictly!
For accurate piecing, I find the alignment markers and crosses on the printed templates very helpful.
‘Vertical’ pin pushed through marker before securing the templatesAll inner templates ready for pinning together in pairsSecured with pins…
3. Sew to join together, removing pins as you are a stitch or two away.
Fix the thread as you begin…pulling out the pins as you approach themChain piecing saves time and thread!
Remove extraneous paper – from the seams and pieces without alignment markers. When the seams are pressed flat, some paper at the corners will go under the upcoming seam, and will be near impossible to remove later. Take care of that. Tweezers help, as well as the ripper.
Remove paper from seam …Paper torn off from seam corners, leaving alignment markers intact
4. Referring to the master template, join the segments in pairs, aligning on the markers with vertical pins pushed through. When securing with pins, I ensure that the head of the pin is either on my right ( since I am right handed) or towards me as the fabric goes under the needle. This makes it easy for me to pull out the pin slowly , without any fear of getting poked!
Refer to the master template …
5. Join segment AI to CK to form a quarter circle.
6. Join segment EM to GO to form a quarter circle.
This is as good a time as any to flip over to the fabric side to check if you have got everything in order! The little coloured piece on the wedge should be the same colour as the adjoining segment on its left.
7. Join the 2 quarters at edges C and E to make the top half circle.
Top half of circle is ready!
8. Join segment BJ to DL to form a quarter circle, and finally
9. Join FN to HP to form the last of the quarter circles.
10. Join these two quarter circles along edges D and F and the other half of the circle is done!
11. Now to assemble the arcs. There are only 6 arcs, so they will be joined in threes for the top and bottom halves.
QRS makes one half of the ring, and TUV makes the other, moving anti clockwise as you look at the printed side.
Joining the arcs
12. Finally, the final step for assembling the circle! Joining the ring half to the circle half. Do not spare the pins at this stage! I put pins on every seam joint and on some alignment markers too!
Pin copiously!Ready to stitch
13. I find it cumbersome to stitch a curved seam with the paper attached !
It is cumbersome to stitch a curved seam with the paper attached
Knowing my arc is securely pinned and correctly aligned to the circle, I can afford to tear away bits of paper on the seam. I also have a 1/4″ stitch on my Hasina, my HQV machine so I am assured of an accurate seam!
You will notice I do not remove all the paper, as I will need the alignment markers on the outer edge of the arc when I join this to the background.
Paper removed from under the seam area eases sewing
Here is one half of my circle assembled, the other half awaits its turn!
Time to gloat!
14. Once both the half circles are ready, we can move to the background. Using the template W ( made of 2 paper pieces glued together) we had cut 4 fabric pieces a bit larger on the long straight edges . We join these in pairs, W to X and Y to Z.
15. Join one half of the circle to WX and the other to YZ.
16. Join the two block halves together to form the full square block, and trim it down to 1
An alternative method for joining the circle to the background is to join the two halves of the circle and appliqué the circle on to a background square, using your favourite method. If using this method, cut your square about an inch larger and trim to size after appliqueing.
There is also a freezer paper method for joining a circle to a background square, for which several free tutorials are available online.
I hope you will enjoy making this block which comes up so magically! Do share a picture of your completed block on my facebook page, the like button is on the side bar to the right!
I had posted the instructions for piecing the second block of my block of the month quilt, Round the Year, here When I left you, this is where we were, 16 templates pieced and ready for assembly, using the master template as a guide.
Evening at the Pond templates ready to be assembled
Actually, with this picture, gasping in admiration at what you had put together!
Paper piecing done!
So after you’ve finished admiring your templates, head back to the sewing machine. This will come up really fast, and before you know, your block will be ready! The order of piecing will be 1. Template A to template I; B to J; C to K….H to P! Place templates A and I right sides together and push pins to align them. Secure with pins along the seam line and remove the hanging pins.
Pond and flying geese template pinned togetherHanging pins removed
Sew all the pairs, AI, BJ, CK…HP. Remove the paper from the seams and the paper pieces that do not have alignment markers.
Press seam line in alternate directions – as in the corresponding pond template.
And then there were eight!
Join these eight segments in pairs to make quarter circles. AI to BJ, CK to DL, EM to FN and GO to HP. If you want you can remove the paper pieces on the pond templates now.
Align the two adjoining segments with pins. I need to be very careful at this stage, as I always end up joining the pairs along the wrong edges – pinning helps prevent that.
Two segments being aligned together with pins
…the hanging pins on the other side
Secure the two sub blocks together with pins and remove the hanging pins. Ready to sew!
Ready to go under the needle
The quarters are finally ready to be joined to the respective background pieces.
Rainbow against a blue sky!The rainbow against a cloudy sky…
The next block is ready to be revealed on the first of the next month! While you get your second block ready, I’ll get my blogpost ready! Do post pictures of your block on my facebook page Patchwork of My Life!
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