Hive 5 February Tutorial -- Pam's Floating Rectangle Block

 

This is my sixth year participating in Stashbee, and I'm glad to be Queen Bee for February 2022.  I created a Floating Rectangle Block that is modern, scrappy, and easy.  The block is 9-1/2" (unfinished), and you can use up small scraps for the rectangle and bigger scraps for the background.  Because the rectangle "floats" it doesn't have to be centered, so I don't give exact measurements for cutting the background fabrics, and it's easiest to make the outer background strips oversized so the block can be trimmed down at the end.  

Fabrics:      Choose light a light solid or a low-volume print for the background, and a bright solid or print for the rectangle.  Modern fabrics look best for this block.  

Cutting:    From the background fabric cut a square or rectangle (a square IS a rectangle, but I aim to be clear) any size from 3" to 5" per side.  From the bright fabric, cut 1-1/2" wide strips long enough to go around all four sides, but you don't have to trim them before sewing. The remaining background fabrics will be cut as you go after the center is pieced.

Sewing:    Start by sewing two of the bright strips to opposite sides of the center rectangle.

Press the strips to the outside and trim the edges even with the center rectangle.

Sew strips to the other two sides in the same way, then press and trim.

Next cut a background strip somewhat longer than one of the sides, and any width you like.  You don't have to be precise because you'll trim down later.  Sew the background strip on one side, then press outward.  No need to trim yet.  

Next cut a second background strip longer than the center rectangle and wide enough that when it's stitched on to the center the width of the piece will be MORE THAN 9-1/2" to give leeway to trim down later.

After the first two background strips are sewn, press and trim even with the raw edges of the center rectangle, then repeat with two other background strips.  You'll end up with a shaggy oversized block.  You can declare your block finished at this point and send it to me as-is, and I'll trim it down.  Otherwise, trim the block down to 9-1/2" square, making sure the edges of the block are parallel to the edges of the rectangle.  A large square ruler works great for this or use the lines on your cutting mat to get the size accurate.

Now you're done! 

Thanks for making the Floating Rectangle Block. 

Happy sewing!

Pam 

Hive 1 January Block for Diana

Hi! I had a great time learning how to make this block. It was a great start to 2022. I wasn’t too happy with my initial fabric choice and made another. Im still learning but I appreciate you all for giving me the space to do so. Looking forward to February :)

Nicole

Hive 1 Block for Diana

 What a fun block!  It turns out I only had one light gray in my stash (who knew) and when I tried to add some darker grays it really threw off the dark blue- silver vibe. So hopefully this works.

-Starla

 

Hive 1 January Block for Diana

 

I loved making this block! I didn't have any light grays so ordered a grab bag of gray fat quarters--probably my favorite way to add to my stash. I love the surprise! This will be on its way to you soon. -Julia C.

Hive 1 Block for Diana

What a great block to start the year with! Thank you for the great tutorial, I can't wait to see your finished quilt! I'm sure your nephew is going to love it. 

Enjoy!

- Julia H.

Hive #1 January Block for Diana

 Hi Diana,

I had a bunch of fun working on this block! I knew I had a bunch of navy and grey/silver in my stash, so this was a great reason to organize my fabrics to locate them! I made a test block and it ended up being really short, so I made it again with better results.

I owe you a big thank you for turning me on to those slotted HST trimmers, they are amazing! I will be making a HST's so much faster now.

I hope your nephew loves his quilt and I can't wait to see it finished! 😀

~Adrienne

Winter Block For Diana

 Spent a bit of my snow day putting this together. I love the blue and silver - I actually had some white on grey charms that I flipped over, showcasing the backs to make the prints a little more subtle and keep the silver more prominent. I hope you and your nephew like it!!

Also, this is the first square I've done with my new slotted hst trimmers. Super excited for more in the future. 

Hive 1 January Block for Diana

 

Hi Diana,

Making this block was super fun, thanks for the tutorial. I hope the colours are what you imagined!
The block very exactly meassures 16.5" so I hope it'll work for you.

Have a great time sewing your quilt,

Kathrin

Hive 1, January Block for Diana

 

Hi Diana,

The blocks are slightly short on the hight, despite my best efforts. I left the solid squares over-sized, that's why they look worse on the pictures, as they are.

Hope they'll be okay for you. 

I will pop them in the post box this evening, so they should start their journey to you on Monday.

Happy sewing,

Rita

Hive 1 Block for Diana

Hi Diana, Thanks for the tutorial, I enjoyed making this block! I however needed more discipline than what I am used to to make ends meet, ha!ha!ha!. Your choice of color and your expert touch will make this a beautiful quilt for your (lucky) nephew. Take care, Marie