Hive 4 - August Tutorial - FPP 'Static Interference' Block

four of the basic blocks combined create this beauty 

Hello Hive 4 and hello respective fellow queens and bees,

It is August already. Crazy huh? Time waits for no man, so let’s better get to it. This month we are trying our hand at Foundation Paper Piecing and I hope you just said ‘YAY’ with me. Before we start, please note the below important notice on mailing your block to me.

I will be travelling all of September (yay!), which means I am unavailable to accept mail in that time, as I would not be able to pick up your letters from the post office, which in turn means that they would get send back to you. Please complete the block as you normally would, publish the pictures here on Stash Bee and hold on to the block. If you send it at the same time as next month’s September assignment, it should be fine, provided you mail it after 23/09/2017. Thank you. (Incidentally, my September block for you Amanda will be very, very late, most likely as late as the beginning of October =)

Static Interference – Pattern Download:

So what I am asking you to make is the ‘Static Interference’ Block, which you can download from here. It is my own design, which makes me ever so much more excited about sewing it with you. (woohoo!) Four of the basic blocks combined create one gorgeous 16.5 x 16.5 inches block, which in turn creates this gorgeous repeat.  

Sample Repeat 4

If you are proficient in Foundation Paper Piecing, I will not explain your craft to you. If you are new to Foundation Paper Piecing or would like to refresh your memory, I would like to refer you to this ultimate go-to tutorial, which I consider one of the best out there. If you want to see the technique in motion, please try this video (The explanation is good, but my - is she wasting fabric. You do not need an extra inch on each side).

What do I need:

• templates
• glue stick (water soluble) / fine pins
• craft scissors
• fabric scissors
• fabrics
• pen
• colour pencils – optional
• scotch tape – optional in case your template rips and you need to quick-fix it

The Colour Recipe:

The main colour of this quilt top is going to be turquoise, accented with dusky purple, lime green, yellow, black and white. You may use several different turquoise prints for the ‘background’ provided they are similar or same-ish in colour and value. The white is a white solid and the black is a black solid. The yellow, purple and lime green fabrics may have patterns or ornaments. 

Different colour values are fine, as are tiny splashes of other colours but your yellow, turquoise (not aqua), lime green and dusky purple should primarily read as these colours. 

Fabric requirements:

• White Solid - C5, D5, A3, B3
• Black Solid - C3, D3
• Yellow Prints - A4, B4
• Turquoise Prints - D1- D2, C1-C2, A1, B1 
• Lime Green Prints - C6, D6
• Dusky Purple Prints - C4, D4, A2, B2

A word on templates:

Print the templates, pages 7 and 8 for often as you like to make the block, (print once for one block, twice for two, thrice for three..., plus one extra if you intend to fussy cut) Take care to print ‘actual size’, which means you un-tick any ‘fit-to-page’ or ‘scale-to-page’ options.

Let’s have a look at the templates. First off- they are accurate. The doted lines denoting the seam allowance being uneven, is me grappling with the design programme. Ignore that, the templates are just fine. You will see that the block is made up of four template pieces A,B,C and D.

Secondly, if you look at the repeat made up by my four sample blocks, you will notice that some areas do NOT all line up neatly against each other, once you put the individual blocks next to each other. That is intentional. I will show further down, which parts should and should not line up. Also, template A is not a mirror image of template B, nor are C and D exact mirror images. The areas within the respective templates differ in size, which is also intentional. 

Thirdly, I have decided that in this instant the same fabric will be used for the areas D1 and D2 and C1 and C2. Therefore, you can skip a step by combining the areas D1 & D2 and C1 & C2, while making sure that you cut your fabric pieces big enough to cover both designated areas.

Prepare you templates, by either colouring in all areas of the templates with the respective colours designated for the area OR taking a pen and writing the name of the colour in each designated area.

Take your craft scissors and cut out the templates, making sure to leave the seam allowance intact.

Sew your block units:

OK, you are good to go, cut your fabrics and sew away. A word of advice: Protect your ironing board! Depending on how you printed or copied your templates, the black ink might come off a little every time you iron your pieces flat. Therefore protect your board with an old piece of fabric or an unloved FQ prior to ironing. (I recommend ‘radiolab’ or ‘drabblecast’ podcasts to keep you entertained, while you sew   =)

Once you have sewn your templates, join them to a block as indicated in the below pictures. Make sure all parts line up neatly.

Within the same block all lines match up as you can see when you allow your eyes to follow the diagonal sewing line in the above picture.

Upon joining individual blocks to create this repeat, only the triangle points of C3 and D3 at the bottom of the picture and the topmost corner point of each block line up. The other lines do not match because that is where the asymmetry comes in. =)

A word on sewing time, effort and resources

I do realize that the Foundation Paper Piecing skill levels among the bees may vary. Some are very proficient and just whiz away while others need more time. So some will find it easy to whip up the block and others might struggle. I am aware of that so do not stress. I doubt that anyone can complete four sets of templates in only 1.5 hours (although it sure would be awsome =). I am not asking you to either. Just try your hand and enjoy the process and see how you are getting on. Feel free to leave the paper in when you send your blocks.

So take it away and have fun – and thank you! Oh and if you use IG feel free to use #staticinterferencequiltblock

Yours royally

Katrin from Berlin, Germany