Fabri-Quilt New Block Blog Hop {Giveaway}

Welcome to my blog!  But mostly...welcome to the Fabri-Quilt New Blog Block Hop!  This promises to be an amazing show of creativity!  With over 60 participants sharing their blocks over a 4 day period, there will be some ‘hopping” to be had!  

Today, I would like to share my block 'CASUAL LINK', along with a semi-simple tutorial!  

CASUAL LINK
12 1/2" x 12 1/2 Unfinished

This block is all about secondary designs.  While interesting on it's own, it becomes amazing when more and more blocks are added!  (really!)

Watermelon Summer Palette

We were generously supplied 6 - fat eights from Fabri-Quilt, Inc.  The rules for this challenge:  Use at least 3 of the colors, make the block 12 1/2” unfinished (12" finished) and write a tutorial.  Piece of cake!!!    

CUTTING:  

White:

2 - 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" Squares

4 - 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" Squares

6 - 2" x 2" Squares

Teal:

4 - 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 Squares

2 - 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" Squares

2 - 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" Rectangles 

Blue:

1 - 4 1/2" x 4 1/2 Squares

2 - 2" x 2" Squares

2 - 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" Rectangles

Step #1:

Once all your pieces are cut, mark a diagonal line on the 2" and 2 1/2" inch squares. 

I use this method for sewing the corners. 

Step #2:

Follow the diagram below for corner placement. Sew, trim and press corners.

Sew (1) 2” blue square to each 4 1/2” white square 

 Sew (1) 2” and (1) 2 1/2” white square to each of the (4) 4 1/2” teal squares 

Sew (2) 2 1/2” teal squares to the  4 1/2” blue square

Step #3:

Sew (1) blue and (1) teal 2 1/2” x 4 1/2” rectangles together.  Press. 

Step #4:

Sew (1) white 2” square  to the corner of the teal.  Press.

Step #5:

Block Assembly.  Following the layout below, sew each row of blocks.  Press. 

Step #6:

Sew Rows together. 

Alternative Block:  

The only change is the middle top and bottom blocks.  Assemble the rectangles the same as above, except change the placement of the corner.

In the end, there are so many different layouts you can achieve with this block!  

This layout is with one block, rotated throughout the quilt.

Perhaps a two color quilt?

When you combine the original block with the alternative block, you get yet another design! 

...this plus this...

Equals this!

I wasn't sure if this block would work in a quilt, one never knows!  I ended up making a quilt to prove to myself...it would work!  I'll give the quilt it's own 'spotlight' in a later post, for now...enjoy the HOP!

GIVEAWAY!!

  
Wouldn't you love to play with these colors?! You have two chances to win a half yard bundle of the Watermelon Summer Palette!  Check out  Inspired by Fabric , and Quilting Jetgirl  for all the details!

Now you must check out these other blogs to see their block tutorials!  I know they will be amazing!!

Thank you to our wonderful hosts: 

Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl

Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs

Stephanie @Late Night Quilter

Terri Ann @Childlike Fascination

Josi @Avocado Quilts
Stephanie @Quilt’n Party
Cristy @Love You Sew
Sarah @Sarah Goer Quilts
Shelly @The Carpenter’s Daughter Who Quilts
Jayne @Twiggy & Opal
Sharla @Thistle Thicket Studio
Adrian @Making It – Family Food Quilts Crafts
Julie @Pink Doxies
Sarah @123 Quilt
Jane @Jolly and Delilah Quilts
Carrie @The Zen Quilter

LINKING:

Let's Bee Social

Hexie Flower Update

I've been bitten by the EPP bug!  Oh boy!  While these little hexies for the Technicolor Galaxy BOM are pretty basic, I find myself perusing everywhere for inspiration.  I can't get enough, I'm infected!

These are the glue method from start to finish.  Indeed a sticky method for me!  But I love them.  The cute little hexies, the pretty rainbow of colors and the sweet flowers!   

I've picked the low volume background, placed them just right and will finish them up with some quilting after the next block is released.  

What I learned from making these:  Glue is sticky and messy.  You have to be very careful. I don't think I like the stabilizer hexagon templates very much.  They are meant to stay put, stay in the finished hexies.  Which made it harder to sew them together because of the thickness.  

I decided to try my hand at diamond stars one evening.  These were so much easier to stitch together without the stabilizer.  The needle went through only fabric making it glide smoothly.  I didn't have to fight it so much and in the end I feel that the stitches were better and less noticeable.  

These are small diamonds!  Small, small, small!  But big on fun!

    
I'm working on a new quilt!  Big surprise right?!  I've had this fabric, Denyse Schmidt ~ Florence, for far too long.  Longer than I want to tell you!  It sat and sat and sat and sat some more.  I am happy to say that I cut up every last piece of it for my newest design! Could I be turning over a new leaf?  Using my stash?  Maybe just this one time!

On Tuesday I will be sharing a block tutorial for Fabri-quilt New Block Blog Hop Challenge. There are 60+ participants lined up and it promises to be a fun and exciting time!  

After making my block I was concerned it wouldn't make sense at all.  Sometimes it's hard to imagine how one block would look in a quilt.  My block needs to be repeated in order to complete the 'vision'!  The secondary designs are the key, the star! 

Which is why I used that bundle of Denyse Schmidt!  I had to see if that block was worthy of a whole quilt.  Would it come together?  The answer is YES!  I couldn't be happier with the results!  I have 5 more blocks to piece before I can finish the top, but it's cool!  I can't wait to share it!

All the blocks in the New Block Hop will become charity quilts.  At least three will be made and donated!  How cool is that?!

I hope you join me and the rest of the 'cast of characters' for this hop!  It promises to be an epic event!