Hive #3 - May Block for Nancy D.

Hello May!  Wow, this year is flying by...

The Details:

Needed for one block:

*~* 24-  2-1/2” black, gray and white print fabrics

*~* 2-1/4” block plus enough scraps of the colorful fabric to make the rainbow starburst color of your choice (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet or colors in between)

1.  I started with six 5” charms – two gray, two black, two whites and two charms with the color for the starburst (purple is my favorite, so I’m using that as my go-by block).  You can use other scraps for the blocks.  I just ask that you have at least six different patterns/color (for variety) and keep the black, white and gray balanced.  You can use solids sprinkled in as well, I just wouldn’t like them to be all solid or too dominant.  The starburst center color needs to match color wise with the starburst points, but doesn’t necessarily need to be exactly the same fabric.

2.  Chop those babies up into 2-1/2” squares and shuffle!  You’ll need all twenty-four of the black, white and gray blocks  and one of the colored blocks for the base of the block.

3.  Then place them in a five by five pattern.

There are actually three spots you can place the colored starburst 2-1/2” block.  Center, Corner, Side

4.  Now it’s time to make the wonky starburst points.  I’m sure there are some of you that know exactly how to make the wonky points.   But for those who have never made wonky before, I’ll share two different ways with really the only difference being the amount of fabric used to make the point.

        4a.  Option 1 (the frugal fabric saver –> ie have as little waste of fabric as possible = me most the time):

I took one of the 2-1/2” purple blocks that I cut for the middle of the starburst and cut it diagonally so I had two right triangles.  To make them wonky, you want them to be a little off, so lay the first triangle right sides to the square fabric.  Sew ¼” seam along the long side of the triangle (or hypotenuse). {It’s shown roughly as the red dashed line in the picture below} 

Flip it over and iron it flat.  (Sorry, forgot the picture of that step).

Place the second triangle on top of the fabric and repeat, sewing along the long side of triangle and ironing it flat, again, making sure that when it’s flipped over it covers the entire corner. 

After it’s sewn, flip in over and iron flat.  Here is how it turned out:

4b.  Option 2 (a little more waste, but less stress in placement ):

I took one of the other 2-1/2” colored square and laid it on top of the white print.   Sew the ¼” seam (red dashed line), flip it over and press flat: 

Repeat with a second square.   

5.  When both sides are sewn and pressed, flip the block over to the back and trim excess off as shown in the picture with blue dashed lines.  Some people trim the seams at ¼” so there is less bulkiness.  {Kat’s tutorial shows that} I found I like the base square (white print in this case) left intact because it helps me line up the other blocks around it when sewing the rows together.  Either method is fine.

6.  Once all four of the starburst points are sewn, line them up and begin sewing the 2-1/2” blocks together

6a.  Sew the 2-1/2” squares together into the five rows, then pressed the seams.  

6b.  Sew the five rows together to produce the final block.  Press seams.

And voila – the final product!  It should yield a 10-1/2” x 10-1/2” unfinished block.

You can trim the blocks or leave it to me.  Please use black or gray thread.  I’d love any 2-1/2” or bigger scraps of the fabrics you may have left over – especially the colored ones.  I plan on making a scrappy inside border (shown with the purple dashed lines below).  I really would like a variety of colors, so if you can, please check to see what colors people are posting as they complete and post them so there is a variety.  One block from each member is all that’s required, but if you’d like to make more that would be awesome!  Oh, and small signature blocks are welcome, but not a requirement either.  I’ll use them on the back of the quilt.

I really enjoyed making this block and hope you will too!  Please let me know if you have any questions at all! 

Blessings to you all!

Nancy D. :0)