Summer Scrap Elimination 2019 Week 4

Good morning Scrappers! Can you believe we're in week 4 already! This summer is just flying by and I am drinking in my time in the studio right along with the ice tea and lemonade. Here in the desert the colors of summer are often somewhat burnt browns with spots of gold until the rains come and we see green again. I had those bleached whites, burnt browns, and gold flowers in mind when I started this project.

I have to tell you that this week's project has pleased me so much more than I expected. It started off as a simple 10" block that I was hoping would use up a large amount of left over ends I had of brown and cream fabrics. I added some golds to the mix to make the project more fun for me (matching those early summer colors) and to help clear out the yellow drawer.

This week we are making a 10 inch finished block. The cut list is as follows:

Cutting for one block.

2 squares 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" - light

2 squares 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" - medium

4 rectangles 1 1/2" 4 1/2" - light

2 rectangles 1 1/2" x 4 1/2" - medium

4 rectangles 1 1/2" x 10 1/2" - light

2 rectangles 1 1/2" x 10 1/2" - medium

This block goes together so easily and you will love how pretty the results are in a small quilt as well as a large one. I got so caught up in this one that I made 72 blocks!

Step 1:

Make the four patch at the center of the block. Press the first two seams towards the darker fabric and then press just like we did with the four patch in week 2.

The results of this pressing technique is a flatter more easily quilted block.

The resulting four patch will measure 4 1/2 x 4 1/2"

Step 2:

With the four patch complete in the center, pull the 1 1/2" x 4 1/2" rectangles.

Arrange the rectangles so that the medium value rectangles are centered between two light value fabrics.

Stitch together these rectangles in groups of three as see in the adjacent image and press toward the darker fabric in all cases.

Stitch together all three of the resulting units to create the center of the block

Step 3:

With the remaining 1 1/2" x 10 1/2" pieces, create the last two units by making a long rail fence unit similar to what we just created in the previous step.

I set up the units to have two lights with a medium fabric in the middle.

Stitch the rectangles together and press toward the darker fabric.

Your resulting units will measure 3 1/2" x 10 1/2".

Step 4:

Stitch the final units to either side of the center of the block and VOILA! You have completed the block!

I really enjoyed what happened when I began to look a how to arrange the resulting blocks. Alternating the block, turning every other block on its side was my favorite choice.

You can see in the image of four blocks put together that the test section looked really good this way. At this point, I counted how many blocks I had and discovered that I had 72 completed blocks, which was perfect for the center of a king size bed quilt.

I bought a border fabric and laid out the quilt center. Putting together the blocks in rows and then stitching all of the row together.

I love how the center looks! It has a woven feel to it.

I added an inner border and an outer border larger enough to create a comfortable amount of drop on all sides of the bed.

I made a pact with myself several years ago to never quilt another king size quilt on my own, so this one went off to the quilter and is due home in August. I can't wait to bind it and put it on my bed with my new gold sheet set!

I hope you've enjoyed this week's blog and that it has given you some good ideas for yourself. To be eligible for this week's giveaway, simply post about the blog and your scrap elimination progress on the Facebook post for this week's blog. This week we'll be giving away two of our newer patterns and a pair of our beautiful free motion quilting gloves! Be sure to keep joining us and see what we have in store for you as we finish this summer scrapping project.