May 2011

May 2011

Sweet Sixteen Series—Block Three

All of the blocks will finish at 16 inches square, and have the same four patch in the corners.

The four patches are made with 2½ inch squares. Choose colors that have a lot of contrast, a dark with a light. If you made all the two-patches with us at the beginning of the series, you have a head start!

Here's the link to the introduction page.

This block's going to have mostly paper pieced segments. You need to print four of page one, with the triangles that go around the center diamond and the side rectangles, but only print one of the second page, with the center diamond.

http://www.ucquilts.com/portable/Sweet16three.pdf

I chose to paper piece that center diamond even though it is a simple block because it's all weird size squares and triangles.

Remember, make sure before you print, page scaling should be set to

None

so your paper pieces print at the exact size you'll need them for this block.

Paper piece the three rectangle pattern pieces to make the diamond in the center first, where I have light blue, dark green, and pink. Then paper piece the four triangles and sew them to the edges of the center diamond.

Your center should now look like the one to the right, but in your colors, of course . . .

It should measure 8½ inches square, unfinished.

Now paper piece the four large outer rectangles that make the four pointed star shape in the block.

You didn't misplace your corner four-patches, did you? Look at the picture below and pay attention to which color is on the outer corner when you sew them on — it's easy to goof up!

Assemble your block so that it looks like the example at the top of the page.

The block should now measure 16½ inches square.

What does YOUR block look like?

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