Welcome to April!
We are a quarter of the way into our sew along, and we hope you’re enjoying yourselves as much as we are. Seeing the blocks that you are posting to social media brings us so much joy!
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 April 15th and April 30th) with the #QP2019sewalong hashtag.
Each month, we post tips and tricks to help you with your blocks. To keep up with the Tips and Tricks or to see a schedule for the entire year, visit our 2019 Block of the Month Landing Page here. 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 April?
The block for April is Inner Ring Block 3. Instructions for this block are on page 18 of the QP magazine.
Snowflake Layout: Make two.
Pyramid Layout: Make three.
Tips for making Inner Ring Block 3:
Tip #1: When you are cutting your Fabric A 2 7/8″ squares into triangles for your SiaS unit, but sure to hold your ruler steady! You want to cut a straight 45-degree line from one point to the other. And when sewing those triangles on to the center square, keep them centered and keep your seam line straight. Any variation could make your resulting SiaS unit crooked.
In this sample, the triangles were cut and placed correctly. There is some excess to trim off, but the block can be trimmed to square.
In this sample, our triangles were cut carelessly and some were placed off center. No matter how much trimming we do, we will not be able to save this block. Accuracy matters here!
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Tip #3: When marking the ‘sky’ squares for your Flying Geese unit, use a marking tool that shows up really well so you can always see your line. I like a yellow chalk pencil because it shines bright under the LED light on my machine.
Tip #4: As you sew your Flying Geese units, make sure your ‘sky’ fabrics stay in place. If you don’t want to pin or clip them (but I do recommend it), starching and pressing your pieces together in the position you plan to sew them can help them to not slip. But remember that pinning or clipping is always the best practice.
Tip #5: Just like last month, you could have some fun with directional prints. This time, try it in your Flying Geese units! Before sewing your seams, though, lay the ‘sky’ fabric on the ‘geese’ fabric and fold back along the seam lines to make sure the print going the way you intend it to. If you follow our instructions for No-Waste Flying Geese, you should get two units with the print going horizontally and two units with it going vertically.
Tip #6: When you are laying out your block for assembly, double check that your Fabric C is opposite from Fabric C and your Fabric D is opposite Fabric D (pinks and reds in our sample). For complicated blocks, it can help to lay your whole block out and sew seam by seam to make sure it’s right.
Tip #7: There are several ways you can help your block to lay flat.
Pressing your seams open (as shown here) is a great option to spread out the bulk of the fabric.
Also, a tailor’s clapper works wonders for getting a nice, flat seam. Not only does it pull the moisture from the fabric while giving you a few extra seconds of heat, the weight of the clapper also keeps the seam allowance laying nice and flat as it cools. Even if you don’t have a tailor’s clapper, we suggest leaving your block alone for about ten seconds after pressing to let the fabric cool in place, as moving it can make those pesky seam allowances pop back up.
We can’t wait to see what you sew with this month!
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!
