October 2008

BOO! for October 2008

It's a 4 patch swap this month! Just what you needed to help you gather a handful of blocks that would be good as either borders or parts of bigger blocks!

Let's make these 4 patches with black fabric for two of the patches, and a different pair of solid or marble fabrics for the other two.

I think they'll all fit together and be more useful if we don't have a huge variety of fabric types.

You can make as many as you want. At the guild meeting, we'll gather around a table to trade squares, and you'll leave with as many as you came with, but in a range of colors.

If you prefer, you can cut a bunch of 2 inch squares, half from black fabric, and half in at least two different colors. Sew them together to make your 4 patches.

The 4 patch will finish at 3 inches, so the ones you bring to swap should measure 3½ inches, including seam allowances.

But the easiest way to make a big collection of 4 patch blocks to swap is to strip piece them.

Start by cutting some 2 inch strips. A couple of strips in your solid black and a couple in your colors to go with the black.

Next, sew your colored 2 inch strips to your black 2 inch strips, right sides together, with a ¼ seam.

Then, subcut the long strip into 2 inch segments. Open them up and press the seams toward the black fabric.

Last, sew together your 2 patches to make 4 patches. Press.

They should now measure 3½ inches square, including seam allowances.

In just an hour, I was able to make this whole pile, PLUS take the pictures for the web page.

All eight of these sampler blocks have 4 patches in them - and the border is made of black-to-bright 4 patches also.

Does it give you any ideas as to what YOU could do with a bunch of 4 patches?

I think they'd make a cute border around a Holiday wall hanging too!

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