Hive 3 February 2024 Tutorial - Checkerboard block for Joanne

Hello, Hive 3! Happy February. 💜 I've chosen a simple checkerboard block based on the Maggie Pearl pattern from Penelope Handmade, which is a free pattern that can be found here. It is a fun and fast block and I hope you enjoy making it.

You will need two fabrics to make the block - one dark and one light. The dark fabric is a non-directional colorful print and the light fabric is a non-directional low volume print (directional fabrics will either end up upside down in some rows or require different piecing instructions to keep them right side up). You can get an idea of my color palette in the photo below, which shows 12 different blocks stacked on each other. Please lean toward muted, cooler colors (no red, orange, etc.) and no solids or batiks. I've found that using small scale prints and monochromatic prints will provide the necessary contrast to obtain a checkerboard look.

Cutting Instructions:

Dark Fabric - two strips 2.5" x 18"

Light Fabric - two strips 2.5" x 18"

I like to stack my fabrics right sides together and then cut the strips so that they are lined up and ready for sewing.

Sewing Instructions:

Please use a scant quarter inch seam throughout. Shortening your stitch length (I use a 2.0) can help make the sub-cut pieces a bit more durable.

Sew one dark strip and one light strip together along an 18" side and repeat with the remaining pair. Press toward the dark fabric. You will then sew the two strip sets together so the fabrics alternate dark, light, dark, light. Press the final seam toward the dark fabric. 

Once the four strips are sewn together, the unit should measure 8.5" wide x 18" tall.  If the unit is not within 1/8th inch of 8.5" wide, please check your cutting measurements and seam allowance and fix as needed. 

Sub-cut the unit into seven 8.5" wide x 2.5" tall pieces - you will have about a half inch of wiggle room.  Arrange the strips as show below.

Sew the rows together (those nesting seams make it so easy!) and you are done.  The seams can be pressed either toward the top or bottom of the block, but please press all seams in the same direction. The finished block should measure 8.5" wide x 14.5" tall. 

Thank you and please let me know if you have any questions. :)