Welcome to May!

We are nearly halfway through our sew-along. Can you believe it?! Time flies when you’re having fun. If you’re sewing along with us and want to enter to win prizes each month, post your finished blocks to Instagram or in our Facebook group (between May 15th and April 31st) with the #QP2019sewalong hashtag.

We hope these posts are helping each month to make your blocks the very best they can be. As always, feel free to drop us a note if you have specific questions about the block. To keep up with the Tips and Tricks or to see the schedule for the entire year, visit our 2019 Block of the Month Landing Page.  You might want to make it one of your Favorites on your computer so it’s easy to find.  You can also find it on QuiltersPlanner.com under the Patterns and BOMs tab.

Which Block Should I Sew in May?

The block for May is Middle Ring Block 1. Instructions for this block are on page 18 and 19 of the QP magazine.

Snowflake Layout: Make two.

Pyramid Layout: Make two.

Tips for making Middle Ring Block 1:

Tip #1: We’ve been playing with directional prints the past couple of months, but now might be a fun month to practice some fussy cutting. The center square of the Middle Ring Block 1 is ideal for a sweet little flower or geometric design. Remember that the outside 1/4″ on all sides of your square will hide unseen in your seam allowance, so an ideal fussy cut motif would be 2″ or smaller.

Tip #2: In February, we shared one way to square up your HST units. Today, we’d like to share another option.

Sew and cut apart your HST units as instructed. BEFORE PRESSING, place a Triangle Square Up ruler over the unopened HST unit.

Our instructions ask us to trim our HST to 2 1/2″, so we will place the 2 12″ line of the ruler over the SEAM LINE of our HST. Make sure you are measuring from the seam line and not the fabric’s edge.

Trim off the excess fabric, and press open, being very careful not to push too hard and distort your HST unit. Trim off the ‘dog ears’ on your unit.

 

Tip #3:  In step 2, you will sew the 2 7/8” triangles to your HST units.

When placing the pieces together for sewing, line up the 90 degree angle of the triangle with the HST unit. Don’t try to make the other ends match up. There WILL be overhang at the end with the 45 degree angle- that’s what you want.

Tip #4: Be careful to not stretch the bias edge of the Fabric C (red in our sample) triangle. Do not pull on the bias edge at all once the triangle has been cut. To help prevent stretching while sewing this edge, you could do several things.  Use a walking foot, make sure to sew slowly, and don’t pull back on the triangle as it feeds through your machine.

Also while sewing these units together, try to sew with the pieced unit on top so you can make sure you don’t clip off the point of the Fabric B (teal in our sample) triangle. The ideal spot to sew through is just a thread or two outside of where the previous two seams cross.

 

Tip #5:  When assembling all the units you’ve made into your block, double check that you have the correct arrangement! The triangles should be pointing IN towards the center of the block.

 

Guidelines to enter your sewn blocks into our monthly challenge (and win prizes on Instagram and Facebook)

  • Between the 1st and the 7th day of each month, you’ll find the pattern for that month’s block and select your fabrics.
  • Between the 8th and the 14th, you’ll get your fabrics prepped and cut.
  • Between the 15th and the end of the month, sew up your block and post it to Instagram (please use the #qp2019sewalong hashtag) or to the Facebook group (using the same #qp2019sewalong hashtag).

 

As always, feel free to contact us on Instagram or on our Facebook group if you need any help or have questions about the block!