Here we are in September already, and have you heard? Pre-orders for the The Quilters Planner 2021 are in full swing! Click the image below to be brought to our Products page to choose yours!
Radiant Rainbow cover design
As for our BOM block this month, we have a pretty little Churn Dash block for you.
And here are our tips to get to best results possible on this block:
A good way to trim HST when you’ve pressed your seams open is to use a square ruler with a 45-degree diagonal line that goes from corner to corner.
Line up your HST seam with the diagonal line on the ruler. Before cutting anything, check the edges of your HST that are under the ruler. They should reach just beyond or AT LEAST to your desired final measurement, in this case 3″.
Trim up two sides of the HST
Turn your HST so the trimmed sides are now under the ruler. Line up those trimmed edges to your desired final measurement, in this case 3″. The diagonal line on your ruler should line up with with the HST seam.
Trim the last two sides
Remember to check before every cut you make that your HST lines up with both the vertical and horizontal measurement lines as well as the diagonal line.
And one more thing about HST trimming to note: Even if you only have the smallest bit of fabric to trim off, please don’t skip this step! Trimming up really does matter if you want an accurate block. Having these HST units perfectly squared will make things much easier when you reach the assembly step.
In this block, we have two 15″ strips to sew together. Sometimes when sewing longer strips, disproportionate pressure from your machine’s presser foot and the feed dogs can make your upper fabric stretch more than the bottom as you sew, causing an inaccurate seam. There are a few ways to prevent this. First, if your machine has a dual feed option, use it. If you don’t have a dual feed, you can instead use a walking foot. Both of these options will push the upper fabric with the same pressure as the lower to help alleviate the problem. If you have neither a dual feed nor a walking foot, pinning is your best choice to maintain accuracy. For a strip this length, we recommend at least 5 pins: one at each end of your strips, one in the middle and one each at about the 3-4′ inch mark and the 11-12″ mark.
When you cut your long strip into rectangles at the end of step 5, use the lines on your ruler to make sure your cuts are perpendicular to the seam line.
A Churn Dash block is perfect for fussy-cutting, so if you’re working with prints for this quilt, you may want to find a fun fabric to feature in the center of this block.
Guidelines to enter your sewn blocks into our quarterly 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 each month, sew up your block and post it to Instagram (please use the #qp2020sewalong hashtag) or to the Facebook group (using the same #qp2020sewalong hashtag).
Rules for entering your sewn blocks to win prizes online
- When you post a photo of your block on Instagram or in our Facebook group by each deadline set for the month (between the 15th and the end of the month), you’ll be entered into a quarterly drawing for some great prizes from our sponsors.
- You must tag @thequiltersplanner on IG and @QuiltersPlanner on Facebook with your entry and use the hashtag #qp2020sewalong hashtag so we can track your entry.
- Each month’s entry must be posted by 11:59pm on the last day of the month Central Time to be eligible. Each month you post will be counted as one entry for that quarter’s drawing.
- If you win the quarterly prize, you will be eligible to win again at 6 months, and 12 months, if you complete and enter each month’s block on time.
- Some prizes may not be available for participants outside the US due to shipping costs. Winners will be contacted via social media and asked to provide email address and shipping address.
- If a prize alternative is required, it will be sent via email.
- If you do not receive your prize within one month, please contact us at [email protected] so we can contact prize sponsors and help coordinate a new shipment.
- These contests are not affiliated with Instagram or Facebook in any way.
