Thursday, October 8, 2020

Tips for the Checkerboard block

Hi kids!

Sorry to be absent so long . . . tests and scans for Mr. Snoodles have put me behind a bit - and don't take this wrong, but he IS more important to me! (Grin)

I did have a moment to put together some tips on the next block in the Summer Moon journey, and I wanted to share with all of you! (Click on that link if you'd like to get the book and join us!)

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Our next block is Checkerboard -- totally made up of square-in-a-square block units! 

Ready to put some blocks together?
Great!

The standard procedure for these blocks is to place small squares of fabric on opposite sides of the main fabric, and sew across them on the diagonal. We trim the seam allowance to one quarter inch, and press it to the outside.

The second step is to follow that same procedure on the other two corners. 

Here's a diagram of how it goes:


You'll notice that the second set of seam allowances are to be pressed to the inside. I tried Carrie's way of construction, and I wasn't pleased with how the seam allowances were looking.


Pressing didn't seem to help . . .

So, what to do?
(Pssssst! I went rogue!)
I decided to try pressing them to the outside of the block, just like the first two seam allowances, and it worked out much better!

Look how nice and flat it is, compared to the other one!


This reduced the bulk, too, so that when I put the nine units together into the Checkerboard block, it was lying flat and looking awesome.


Here are the three Checkerboard blocks:


Here's a close up shot! Love those orange prints!


Hope these tips will help you as you sew the Summer Moon sampler quilt!

I'm hoping to get back in my sewing room ASAP, so I will try to post some great stuff soon!

Love,



2 comments:

  1. I’m not making the sampler quilt, but your process for the block makes much more sense than the instructions process. I would have done the same rogue pressing. This is a good share!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for all the great information on your blocks. It will be helpful when I get to those. I am planning to send you pictures of the 6 blocks I have finished as you asked me to. I took the pictures of them but then forgot. They are on my phone and I need to send them to my email. I talked to the lady that started us on the Summer Moon blocks this week and she said she will probably have us start on something new when we can finally get together again, so I am going to go ahead and work on them myself. The one thing I feel about this book is that for a beginning quilter it might be a little difficult as it doesn't give a lot of direction.
    I hope things are going well with your husband.

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