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Make a Card Trick Quilt Block from Charm Squares

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Today we are going to make a Card Trick quilt block from charm squares.

 

 

NANNYNOTE:  If you are following along with me using Charm Squares be warned – today we are going to break the rules!  Ooh – ahh!  So read the instructions carefully.   WE ARE GOING TO BREAK THE 1/4″ RULE – we are going to do our seams only 1/8″

If you are not using Charm Squares you might like to cut 5.5″ squares and be a ‘goodie two shoes’.

WHAT YOU NEED:

LIGHT:  4 x 5″ squares  (Spot)

DARK:  5 x 5″ squares  (zebra)

OTHER:  5 x 5″ squares (black)

 

LET’S SEW!

  1.  Take a LIGHT / OTHER  and a LIGHT / DARK and make HSTs using a 1/8″ seam.  Place to the side till later.

2.  Repeat step 1  – DONT TRIM

 

We will now add an OTHER to each of the LIGHT/DARK  HSTs from 2

3.  Fold the OTHER along the diagonal (I have stitched mine so you can see)

4.  Place the OTHER RST (Right Side Together) with the LIGHT/DARK making sure that the diagonals make an X

5.  Stitch either side of the diagonal using our narrow seam

6.  Cut and press.

7.    We will now repeat that process adding a DARK square to each of the LIGHT/OTHER HSTs

8.  Sew, cut and press

9.  Take the remaining DARK and OTHER Squares and make HSTs using our narrow seam – DONT TRIM

10. Turn these RST so that the OTHER covers the DARK with the diagonals on top of each other

11.  Place a pin Through the seam of the top square and check that it is going through the seam underneath as well.

 

and bring it back through the seam – the pin will lie along the seam.

 

12.  Sew narrow seams either side of the diagonal, cut and press.

13.  Admire your perfect Hourglass squares!

 

14.  Time to trim!

  • Trim the HSTs from 1 to 4.5″
  • Trim the squares from 5 and 6 to 4.5″ just like when we trim HSTs.  Just make sure that the 2.25″ mark is sitting on the join,

 

 

 

  • Trim the hourglass  by

Placing the 45 degree line on your rule (mine is taped) along the seam until the 2.25″ mark is on the centre – trim the right hand side and top

Turn and place the 4.5″ marks along the left hand side and along the bottom. Check the position of the 45 degree line and check the 2.25″ mark is centred.  Trim the right hand side and top.

14.  Organise your squares – if you have a directional fabric like my DARK (zebra) make sure you choose the right combination.  You will have spare squares but dont panic, just put them aside and continue.

 

15.  Sew your 9 patch.  Now that is some Card Trick!!

 

I hope you enjoyed making the Card Trick block.  Of course it can be made using different fabrics for the four cards –

this is one I made for my friend Ineke as part of a Block Swap.

 

I can’t wait to see how they look using your fabric choices!

Until next time

Nanny xx

 

 

 

 

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Catch-Up Week for the 9 Patch Sampler

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I have noticed that the number of photos of finished blocks that I have received has declined and so this week I have decided to give everyone a ‘catch-up’ week.

I know what it is like when you have fallen behind and have that dreaded feeling that you are never going to catch up !

I want you to finish this Sampler and so I am giving you a chance to get back on track  – so lets do it!

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • a plan of attack
  • some time
  • belief in yourself
  • chocolate

WHAT YOU DO:

  1.  Find where you are up to –  all tutorials can be found by clicking on the Block names below.
  2.  Print the tutorial if that helps – you will find a green ‘Print Friendly’ sign at the top left of each tutorial – this will print without all of the ‘other stuff’
  3.  Complete your block and lodge a photo.

To help inspire you, I am going to share some of the completed blocks (with permission).  I love how different they look depending on the fabric choice and I cant wait to see them come together in a few weeks time!

BLOCK 1 – 9 Patch

 

BLOCK 2 –  RAILFENCE VARIATION

BLOCK3 – Half Square Triangles 

 

BLOCK 4- SHOO FLY

 

BLOCK 5 – FRIENDSHIP STAR

BLOCK 6- CONTRARY WIFE

 

BLOCK 7 –  SPOOL

BLOCK 8 – CHURN DASH

BLOCK 9 – FORMAL GARDEN

BLOCK 10 –  GREEK CROSS

BLOCK 11 –  CHEVRON

BLOCK 12 –  BIRDS IN THE AIR

BLOCK 13 – DOUBLE 9 PATCH

 

Thank you for sharing your photos – I hope they help to get you going….

 

Until next time

Nanny xx

Make a Birds in the Air Quilt Block from Charm Squares

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Today we are going to make a Birds in the Air quilt block using charm squares.  As with any of the blocks, you may choose to use a different combination of LIGHT, DARK and OTHER – there is no right or wrong!

 

 

WHAT YOU NEED:

DARK :  5 x 5″ squares

LIGHT:  4 x 5″ squares

OTHER:  2 x 5″ squares

LET’S SEW!

  1.   Make 2 DARK and 2 LIGHT into  HST’s
  2.   Repeat using 2 LIGHT and 2 OTHER
  3.  Take one of each of these and put aside (you will not need them here)
  4.   Trim the HST’s and the remaining  DARK squares to 4.5″
  5.  Organise your squares:

6.  Sew your 9 patch and press

NANNY NOTE:  You will have 1/4″ seams on the outer edges of your triangles.  A photo mishap meant that this was taken after it was added to the quilt top, hence it appears to finish at the points.

I really like this one!  Of course you can see that if you were using it in a quilt you could save a lot of work by cutting the large triangle formed by the DARK in this case as a single triangle.

Until next time

Nanny xx

Make a Chevron Quilt Block from Charm Squares.

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Today we are going to use our Charm Squares to make a Chevron Quilt Block.  This is a very popular design and you will see, that it  too, is easily made from charm squares and the 9 patch layout.

WHAT YOU NEED:

DARK: 5 x 5″ squares

LIGHT:  5 x 5″ squares

 

LET’S SEW!

  1.   Pair the DARK and LIGHT squares and make into HST’s

NANNY TIP:  use chain piecing

2.  Cut the HST’s

3.   Press

4.  Put one square aside and then trim the other 9 squares to 4.5″

5.  Organise your squares:

6.  Sew your 9 Patch

NANNY TIP: To match your seams and to get nice points, you will need to nest your seams AND sew just to the raw edge side of the seam line.  Take a look at the photo:  The needle  is pointing to the point where the HST seam met the seam joining it to another pair.  I am sewing toward that point but will sew just to the right of that point – about a needle width.  This will mean that when I press the seam, I will retain the nice points!

Before:

After:

 

7.  Press and admire your Chevron Block!

That leaves us five more blocks to go!

Until next time

Nanny xx

 

Make a Greek Cross Quilt Block from Charm Squares

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Today we are going to make a Greek Cross Quilt Block from charm squares.  You will notice how similar it is to a Churn Dash. It is an example of how we can, by varying the fabrics and the direction of each square within the 9 patch,  achieve a totally different block.

 

WHAT YOU NEED:

DARK:  4 x 5″ squares

LIGHT:  4 x 5″ squares

OTHER:  1 x 5″ square trimmed to 4.5″

LET’S SEW!

  1.  Trim the OTHER square to 4.5″
  2.  With 2 x Light and 2 x Dark squares make make HST’s
  • diagonal line
  • scant 1/4″ either side of line
  • cut between the lines

3.   Take the other 2 x Dark and Light squares and

  •   Fold the light squares in half and finger press or draw a line down the centre.
  •   Place the light square and a dark square, right sides together and sew a scant 1/4″ either side of the centre line. (better too scant than not enough)
  •   Cut along the line between the two rows of stitching.

NANNY TIP:  Don’t forget if you are using a Directional fabric, you will need to join one pair of squares in one direction and the other pair in the other direction

4.  Trim all squares to 4.5″ squares

5.  Organise your squares:

6.  Sew your 9 Patch and press.

That leaves us only 6 more blocks to complete for our 9 Patch Sampler.  Have you started to try them out to see how they will look all together? How about sharing a photo of your blocks – I would love to see them!

Until next time

Nanny xx

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All content and images belong to Nannycraft4u unless otherwise indicated. You are welcome to link back to my blog, but you may not copy whole posts, tutorials or photos without my permission. Please give credit for my work and link back to the original post at Nannycraft4u.com If you use one of my ideas, I would love to know about it. Designs and tutorials are for personal use only.