Block of the Month
January 1998
Here are the fabric requirements to make this block. Of course you
can use any background colors you choose. Have fun!
fabric
color
requirement cutting
| red | one 3"x 12" strip | four 3" squares |
| red | one 2 1/2" x 12" strip | four 2 1/2" squares |
| lt purple | one 2 12" x 18" strip | six 2 1/2" squares |
| lt purple | one 24" x 3" strip | eight 3" squares |
| drk purple | one 3" x 12" strip | four 3" squares |
| black | one 3" x 3" square | one 3" square |
**** Please refer to the finished block pictured at the top of this page for diagraming and placement of pieces if my instructions are not to clear. I am still quite the novice at this. Thank You ****
This 10 1/2" unfinished block is five x five rows and requires a number of half square triangles. I have added a bit to each of the fabric requirements so that these pieces can be squared up to 2 1/2" squares. The same applies to the beak of the cardnial.
half square triangles:
1. make 7 half square triangles using the 4 light purple 3"
squares and 4 - 3" dark
purple squares.
Place front sides together, and draw
a line on the diagonal from top to bottom. Sew
1/4" on each side of the diagonal pencil
line. Assembly-line sew all 4 sections. Cut
apart on the diagonal pencil line.
Press the pieces with the seam toward the dark
purple. Square up these pieces to 2 1/2"
squares.
2. Using 3 red 3" squares and 3 light purple 3" squares, repeat
the process in step #1.
Make 6 half square triangles. Be
sure to square these pieces up to 2 1/2".
Making the beak sections of the Cardnial
3. Cut one 3" square of red and one 3" square of light purple
and one 3" black
square on the diagonal.
4. Cut the black triangle into two equal triangles by cutting
from the triangles point to
the center at the bottom. Cut
one of the half red and light purple triangles the same
way.
5. sew together the smaller red triangle to one of the black
triangles to create one half
of the section that will be now sewn together
with the larger red triangle to create a
2 1/2" square. Square up this piece.
6. Repeat this same process using the remaining light purple and black triangles.
The completed sections
should look like this:
Block Construction:
7. Following the picture of the finished block at the top of
the page lay out the half square triangles, the beak pieces and the 2 1/2"
squares in five rows across and five rows down.
With out breaking your thread, sew together this block in
rows. First across and then in the oppsit direction.
Press and square up your block. The finished measurement
should be 10 1/2".
If you have any questions about this block or other patterns or information
on New Life Creations please e-mail me at: flair@nwlife.com
or juliasbb@yahoo.com .