Block 1 - Timeless with a Twist! Woohoo! It is here!

Thank you all for your patience! I know many of you have been wishing for Friday to be here!  Well, it is Friday!  I have the directions for Block 1! 

If you read my Blog post the past Sunday, Why I love Sampler Quilts, I don’t think you will be surprised that I selected the Bear’s Paw Block (aka Hands of Friendship and many more names)!  I felt I needed to deliver the “twist” so, I went with a lesser known version.  I was so excited when I came across this version, published in an 1897’s Ladies Art Company Catalog.

 The Bear’s Paw is made up of half square triangles, of two different sizes; the larger for the main part of the paw and the smaller for the toes of the paw.  Of course, we will be using are Tucker Trimmer 1 (the TT3 will work as well).  The half square triangles are going to be cut to whole number sizes, so make sure you are use the Tucker Trimmer side with the whole circle.  Basic instructions are provided in the download, if you need additional information, refer to the Studio 180 Design’s Tucker Trimmer Tool instructions.

Next, pull out those color wheels when pulling your fabric.    You will find, for my Scrappy Art Gallery version, that I went with a Triadic approach, selecting Orange-Red (20), Spring Green (4) and Blue-Violet (12).  Love it!

However, on my Elizabeth Hartman Terrarium (Cool) Fat Quarter Bundle (version 2), I went with a Split-Complementary approach.  This was tough, to play within the Fat Quarter Bundle, I can see already that I’m going to have to supplement this bundle, maybe with some of the Terrarium Warm collection.  I had to extended the Analogous side of the color wheel, to work with the packaged bundle.  Going with Spring Green (4), Aqua Blue (8) and Purple (15).    Many of you have emailed me about this bundle, I understand it will be available for sale in March, I received an advance bundle.

A few more tips:

When cutting your fabric for this block, go ahead and cut full strips of your fabric, whether it be background or your fat quarters.  Don’t make swiss cheese of your fabric.  Go ahead and cut those 5 ½” strips.  Just save the rest of the strip, I guarantee in an upcoming block, you will use some or all that strip.  When working on a Sampler Quilt I end up with 3 sections of my storage box.  (1) Uncut, still in tack FQ or yardage.  (2) Scrap bag for the rest of any strip I cut.  (3) Remainder Bag for the balance of the Fat Quarters, anything wider than 8” I will stack and keep together in the Remainder Bag.   Down the road, once I pick the fabric I want to use, I go back to the Scrap Bag and Remainder bag, to see if anything already cut will work. 

Cut Strips not Swiss Cheese :)

Remainder Stack that I will place in a bag

Scrap Bag

Get out (or purchase) a seam stick! 

When you are sewing the block together I recommend that you press some of the seams open.  Which is easy, simple as 1,2,3!  (1) Set in the seam with your iron.  (2) Place the sewn unit over the stick and finger press the seam open (I do this while it is slight warm).  (3) Take the unit off the stick, turn it over and press!  Your seams will be so flat, you will be amazed. 

After Setting Seam - place over stick

I happen to love the wooden Seam Sticks, I use an iron with steam and the wooden stick will wick the steam right through providing an awesome press!

Finger Press and then press with Iron on stick

Look how fabulous!  Flat seams!

Be careful!  Once you get your units made and you are creating the “paw”, they go together as partial paws, so make sure you refer to the diagrams. 

I know I should have go with an easy block for the first block, but this block isn’t a hard block, but it does partial seam.  I walk you through it step-by-step in the instructions.  However, my most important tip is to make sure your lay out your block before you start sewing. 

Layout the partial paws

Stitch a partial Seam

Press away from the Center

Then, remember you need to do a partial seam and work counter clockwise.

Ok, I want to see those blocks, therefore I created a Facebook group, that you can request to join, where I want people to post their completed blocks, share their fabric selections, ask questions, etc.   Request to join now! Just clink here.  Note: you must be a Facebook member.

Ok, get stitching! Download the cutting instructions and block construction here, until Thursday, January 11^th at midnight.

Have fun and stay warm,

Michelle