Hive 1 February Knee Bend Block for Rita

 

Here are my Knee Bend blocks for Rita for February.  I'd never made this block before, but they were easy and fun to make.

Hive 4-March Plait block for Tara

 Hey all, I'm Tara. I picked March again, last year we did the Sunflower block, this year I've decided on the Plait block.

 Sixteen years ago when my oldest graduated high school and went into the Marines, I started teaching bag classes at a local quilt store. I hadn't quilted much. I was more crafts and garments. I'd been sewing since I was a small child at my grandmother's knee, but we didn't do any quilting. My lovely friend Jaleena said, we'll turn you into a quilter. 

The store were gathering orphan blocks for a lady who had cancer to make her a quilt. I decided I wanted to do one, so I looked up free quilt blocks on the internet and found the plait block. I did the block and was very humbled. I took it up there to the store to turn it in and the owner was very sweet and added it to the quilt although it was an absolute mess. I'd picked the seams out so many times, had no idea about a quarter inch seam, most of the patterns I used were 1/2 or 5/8 inch seams, it wasn't square, so many things wrong. This memory popped into my head the other day for some odd reason and I decided I should do it.

 I asked in our group chat about partial seams and the responses were so positive. There are other patterns that work around the partial seam, but it requires a lot more cutting and I really like the look of the block with the partial seam method. 

https://fabric406.com/blogs/fabric406-blog/plaited-quilt-block-tutorial-a-modern-wedding-rings-design?_pos=1&_sid=b724a0288&_ss=r

 This blog is the 406 Fabric blog and is such a good resource. She has a lot of free patterns and blocks, and she's explained everything so well. 

Fabric Requirements: 

This is a three fabric quilt, a dark, medium, and background. For the dark, I'm looking for more medium blues, true blues, no teals, aqua, or pastels. For the medium, I'd like a true yellow, it's ok if it leans lemon or true yellow, but no gold or pastels. I'd like the background to be white. It can be solid or very low volume with a very small print. I used a white with gray or gold to go with the fabrics I pulled.

 I'm fine with prints or solids, I'd just like the prints to be yellow or blues, ie to work with the  palette.

You'll need about a fat quarter for the white, but only a 2.5 inch by wof for the blue and yellow.

 

White:

(4) 4.5 x 8.5

(1) 4.5 x 4.5

(4) 2.5 x 2.5

Blue and Yellow (each):

(2) 2.5 x 6.5

(2) 2.5 x 4.5

(6) 2.5 x 2.5 

 

Corner Units:

 Take two of the yellow 2.5 in squares and match them with a two white 2.5 inch squares. Sew and press towards the yellow fabric. 

 

 Add a 2.5 x 4.5 blue rectangle to the bottom of the the two patch with the yellow on the right, press down towards the blue. You'll have two units.

 You are going to repeat this step with two blue 2.5 and two white 2.5 squares, pressing towards the blue. Add 2.5 x 4.5 rectangle to the bottom with the blue to the right. Press towards the yellow. You'll have two units.

 

Side units:

With the remaining yellow and blue 2.5 squares, and the white 4.5 x 8.5, snowball two corners on each 4.5 x 8.5 rectangle. They should be snowballed on the same side.

 

 

 

 

 

Press and trim.

 

 

 

 

 When finished, you will have two sets of yellow and blue snowballed rectangles.

Center Unit:

You'll need the 4.5 inch white square and the (2) 2.5 x 6.5 yellow and blue rectangles. Lay out as per the following picture:

 First, take the white square and the top yellow rectangle. Place right sides together with the square on top. Sew down seam, but stop an inch from the bottom. This will be your partial seam.

 Finger press towards the yellow strip.

 Next take the blue strip on the right and place it right sides together with the yellow strip at the top.  

Sew and press towards the blue strip.

Rotate to the right and take the yellow strip and place it right sides together along the block with the blue trip at the top.

 Finger press towards the yellow strip and rotate to the right again. Place the blue strip right sides together with the block with the yellow strip at the top and the partial strip at the bottom. Fold the partial strip out of the way and sew the strip to the block.

 Finger press towards the blue. Next, take the partial strip and fold it right sides together with the un-sewn blue at the top. Sew the seam down to match up with the first seam.  Open and press the block. You did it!

 Assemble the block:

Assemble the block and sew together like a nine patch block. Press. The block should measure 16.5 x 16.5. 

I know the top block is reading aqua, but it's not, it's more of a cornflower blue.

I did so much better this time than the first! This is a fun, easy block and a great way to learn a new technique. The blocks go together fairly quickly. I was able to cut all three out, take pictures as the block progressed, and finish in about an hour and fifteen minutes. I had to take a break to watch the USA beat Germany in hockey. 

Blessings to you all!

Tara