"We stitch hoping our lives, our personalities, our struggles, and our joys will find a place of remembrance in the minds and emotions of others." (The Quilt of Life, Mary Tatem)
The more I read that line, the more I knew that is the reason I quilt. It is a deep desire to be remembered long after my journey on earth has passed. It is my truest hope that by giving the gift of a quilt, or even lessons in quilting, that somehow I will have made an impact on the life of another. A footprint on their heart that will long remind them of me and how much I loved them.
What draws you to quilting? Is it that same desire to be remembered? Is it love of creativity? Have you thought about what quilting means to you or what it may come to mean to you? I hope that you have...
Block Four is the Basket Block and arrived just as we were celebrating the Easter holiday. It is a fun block that results in a charming pattern used for centuries in traditional and sampler quilts.
I must confess that before this project, I really had not found a desire to construct the Basket Block. I don't know why really because now that I have made one I find myself designing other projects using the charming pattern and using a variety of fabrics to create different looks.
For this block you will need a minimum of three fabrics. I say a minimum because as you become more experienced or if you have a sense of adventure, you can incorporate additional fabrics into the pattern to enchance the "flowers" or contents of the basket. Imagine substituting a secondary print or soft color amount the floral print I used here...
The materials I used where a soft ivory print for the background (Fabric A), a bright green and pink floral for the "contents or flowers" of the basket (Fabric B) and a woven basket look print for my basket (Fabric C).
To complete (2) 12 1/2" blocks you will need no more than 1/4 yard of each print and you will have some fabric left over. (Tip: keep folded scrap material together in plastic Ziploc storage bags for ease of searching your fabric "stash").
Cutting the Fabric
From Fabric A - Cut the following for each 12 1/2" block
- (4) -- 3 7/8" squares
- (5) -- 3 1/2" squares
- (1) -- additional 3 7/8" square, then cut in half once diagonally to make (2) small triangles
- (3) -- 3 7/8" squares
- (1) -- 3 7/8" square
- (1) -- 6 7/8" square. Cut square once diagonally to make (2) large triangles. You will use (1) and have (1) left over to use for your block buddy's block)
Use a 1/4" seam allowance when making the Basket Block. Place "right" sides of material together for sewing and match the raw edges. If necessary, secure fabric with straight pins to avoid slipping.
Constructing the half square triangles
- Place a 3 7/8" Fabric A square with a 3 7/8" Fabric B square right sides together
- Using a ruler draw a diagonal line from one corner to the next on the wrong side of the fabric
- Stitch a line 1/4" from each side of the diagonal line
- Cut on the diagonal line you drew to separate into two 3 1/2" finished half square triangles
- Repeat until you have completed (6) half square triangles
- Bet you feel like a pro constructing these half square triangles by now! (smile)
- Press the seams of your finished half triangle squares to the darkest side of the fabric
- Repeat using remaining Fabric A 3 7/8" square and Fabric C 3 7/8" square to make (2) half triangle squares
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| Half Square Triangles - with Dog Ears |
Don't forget to trim your "dog ears" off the finished 3 1/2" half square triangles.
Assembling the Basket Block
The Basket Block is assembled by constructing seven units and then joining them together.
Let's get started, shall we?
Unit One
- Arrange (1) -3 1/2" solid Fabric A square with (3) half square triangles made from Fabrics A & B. Join each using a 1/4" seam allowance
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| Components of Unit 1 |
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| Unit 1 |
- Arrange (3) Fabric C - 3 1/2" squares with (1) Fabric A & C half square triangles.
- Join using a 1/4" seam allowance
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| Components of Unit 2 |
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| Unit 2 |
Construct Unit Three:
- Sew (1) Fabric A & Fabric B half square triangle and (2) small Fabric A triangles together using a 1/4" seam allowance.
- Pay close attention to the direction each triangle is sewn to the half square triangle block
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| Components of Unit 3 |
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| Sewing Unit 3 |
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| Completed Unit 3 |
Construct Unit Four:
- Sew Unit Three and (1) large Fabric C triangle together using a 1/4" seam allowance
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| Components of Unit 4 |
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| Completed Unit 4 |
Construct Unit Five:
- Sew (2) Fabric A & B half square triangle blocks together using a 1/4" seam allowance
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| Components of Unit 5 |
Construct Unit Six:
- Sew (1) Fabric A & Fabric C half square triangle block and (1) Fabric A -3 1/2" square together using a 1/4" seam allowance
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| Components of Unit 6 |
Construct Unit Seven:
- Sew Unit 4, 5, and 6 together as shown below using a 1/4" seam
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| Components of Unit Seven |
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| Unit Seven |
Assembling the Block:
- Sew Unit 1, Unit 7, and Unit 2 together as shown below using a 1/4" seam allowance to complete the Basket Block
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| Units 1 & 7 |
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| Joined Units 1 & 7 with Unit 2 |
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| Completed Basket Block |
I truly hope that you are all having fun learning this new skill and that you are finding a love for the art of quilting. Remember, piecing blocks is the first step. Once we have gathered all our blocks we will piece them together with sashing to construct our Friendship Sampler quilt top and add batting and a backing then quilt the top to complete our sampler.
I am excited to continue working through this project with you and hope that you are enjoying the process and that you find the instructions and blog helpful. I would love your feedback and constructive criticism. Don't be afraid to let me know if something isn't working well for you or if you need additional assistance or if you feel the process is too slow or too fast. This blog is for you and your benefit. Please let me know what I can do to make it better.
In Stitches,
Jan
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