Cyclones Amongst the Lotus Leaves – OBW # 85

I’ve discovered a whole new way to jazz up my One Block Wonders (OBW)!

I pin my orphan blocks to the drop ceiling in my quilt studio. As I was looking up at them I realized that a Cyclone block could be added to a Octagon OBW! You only need the Cyclone Technique Sheet and a Tucker Trimmer I.

You can make this block in 9 sizes from 4″ to 12″. This block is fun and easy. You don’t have to match up seams!

I made my octagons 6″ finished, so I will follow the instructions for 6″ finished Cyclones. I chose 3 colors from my original fabric and cut my strip sizes according to the technique sheet.

Step 1 – Piece your strips together in the order shown on the technique sheet. Pressing the seams open gives you a flatter block in the end. Your strip set should measure the “Unfinished Strip Set Width” in the chart.

Step 2 – Sub-cut your strips sets into squares using the “Unfinished Set Width” from the chart. For 6″ finished block I cut my squares 4″.

Step 3 – Cut. Position your square so that Fabric 1 runs from north east to south west. Cut the square north to south. You will get two opposite triangles, separate them into two piles. Use extreme care when making these diagonal cuts. It will effect the spin of your block.

Step 4 – Trim. Working with one one group at a time, position the triangle as above with the longest strip at the top of the triangle. Line up the edge of your Tucker Trimmer with the right side of the triangle, the the lower point of your triangle positioned at the number corresponding to your sub-cut size, for a 6″ finished block it is 4″. The lower left edge of the triangle should align with the sizing diagonal.

Cut across the top of the tool.

Step 5 – Lay out 8 of the kite shaped pieces that you just trimmed. Make sure that all of your pieces have the same fabric in the outer position.

Step 6 – Stitch two kite pieces together so that you create quadrants. Press seams open.

Step 7 – Trim. True the 90 degree corner using your Tucker Trimmer. Align the common diagonal with the seam and trim. You will only be trimming the dog ears and probably a few “whiskers” of fabric, just enough to ensure a true 90 degree.

Step 8 – Stitch together four like quadrants to create an oversized octagon. Press all seams open.

The cyclones are now the same size as my octagons made from the Lotus Leaves fabric, and you have two different cyclones from the same strip set. This is where we stop following the Cyclone Technique Sheet instructions. We will trim the cyclones when we trim the octagons.

Start to create your design layout, then add the corners to the octagons & cyclones.

You trim the cyclone block the same as the octagons but ONLY trimming the edges that will have corner stitched to them as with the octagon blocks.