Cloud 9 Blog Hop - Good Points Tutorial
Today is such an exciting day! Why, you might ask? Because it's Day 2 of the Cloud 9 Blog Hop, and I am super excited to present my tutorial for the block I designed, which I'm calling "Good Points."
The fabrics were generously donated by Cloud 9 Fabrics in five really inspiring and beautiful fabrics: Shadow, Iris, Lilac, Amazon and Sky. They are gorgeous, let me say at the beginning. I definitely want more.
The Blog Hop is hosted by three lovely ladies: Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs, Yvonne @Quilting Jet Girl, and Stephanie@Late Night Quilter.
I had a really great time designing this block. It took me a while to get it just the way I wanted, but in the end, I have to say I LOVE to make this block! It's paper pieced, which while quite messy, is very fun. When finished, it measures the required 12 1/2 inches, but it really consists of four 6 inch blocks. So without further ado, here is the tutorial for the block, Good Points.
Step 1: Pattern
Download the block patterns for Good Points here, here . here and here. You will want to make one copy of each block A, B C and D on paper piecing paper. ( I like vellum the best because you can really see the sewing lines through it. If you cannot see the lines through the paper, you will have to use a ruler and trace them as you will be sewing from the back and you will need to be very precise with your seams to keep the points sharp.) I’ve added the colors onto each block template just to make it a little easier. Cut out each block, making sure to add 1/4 inch around all four block edges for sewing the blocks together. Each finished block will measure 6 1/2 inches.
Materials needed:
Fat Quarters of Cloud 9 fabrics in Shadow, Iris, Sky, Amazon and Lilac
Vellum paper or some sort of paper piecing paper
Add-A-Quarter ruler (these are one of my favorite tools! So handy, especially for paper piecing)
Rotary cutter
paper scissors or cutter
Ruler (6 1/2 x 9 or larger)
thread and machine
trash can nearby (paper piecing is super messy!)
Cutting Instructions (These are generous cuts as it’s better to be bigger than necessary than smaller, trust me on this one!)
From Shadow:
Cut 4 - 5 x 71/2 inch rectangles
Cut 4 - 2 1/2 x 8 1/2 inch rectangles
Cut 4 - 2 1/2 x 2 inch rectangles
From Sky:
Cut 4 - 2 1/2 x 4 inch rectangles
Cut 2 - 2 x 6 1/2 inch rectangles
From Amazon:
Cut 2 - 2 1/2 x 4 inch rectangles
Cut 2 - 2 x 61/2 inch rectangles
From Lilac:2 1/
Cut 2 - 2 x 7 inch rectangles
Cut 2 - 4 x 5 1/2 inch rectangles
From Iris:
Cut 2 - 2 x 7 inch rectangles
Cut 2 - 2 x 4 inch rectangles
Cut 2 - 4 x 5 1/2 inch rectangles
Assembling the Blocks:
Pictures show piecing for Block A, but really, once you get the hang of it, it is pretty simple and fun. Make sure to set your stitch size quite a bit smaller than the normal stitch size. This is so that the paper is perforated and tears away pretty easily. It also allows you to get more perfect points as the stitches are smaller. (On my Bernina, the normal stitch is 2.50, and I put it at around 1.80 or so. ) There is a lot of flipping from front to back in paper piecing. You always sew on the paper or back side and press on the front or fabric side, just to be clear. Another thing to remember is to sew right on the line, and don’t go past the points because you will have to do a fair amount of folding and if you’ve sewn too far, it won’t work.
And picking out those tiny stitches isn’t too fun.
Take a 2 x 7 inch IRIS rectangle. Place it right side up, completely covering A2. Keeping the fabric in place, turn the block over to the back side. Fold along line A1/A2. Again making sure that the fabric completely covers A2, take your +1/4 inch ruler and lay it against the fold line, cut, and pin in place to the paper. Turn block back to front.
2. Take a 2 1/2 x 4 inch SKY rectangle and lay it along the cut edge of the A2 iris fabric, face down. Make sure that the fabric is centered so that there is fabric hanging over the outside edges of the vellum paper as shown. Pin in place.
3. Turn block to the back again. Sew along line A1/A2 line on the back, (paper side up) making sure to stop at the end of the point. You will have to pull out the pins as you sew as the stitches are so small you can’t sew over the pins. Do NOT continue on over the edge of the square as you will need to fold later and this will make it difficult. Turn block fabric side up.
4. Flip the sky rectangle over and press. Your block will look something like this:
5. Turn the block to paper side and fold along the A2/A3 line. Lay +1/4 ruler along the line and cut.
6. Turn block back to the front, lay the 5 x 7 SHADOW rectangle face down against the edge, again making sure that it is centered and will completely cover all edges of the A3 area when flipped over. Pin in place.
7. Turn block over to paper side and sew along A2/A3 line to the point. Turn block to fabric side, flip the shadow piece over and press.
