As an Island Batik Ambassador the products featured in this post were given to me by Island Batik.

Do you like mini quilts?  Part two of Island Batik’s Ambassador February assignment was to make a mini quilt 24″ square or smaller.  I chose a simple block.

I used Island Batik Neutral Buttermilk & Mini Flower Carnation Pink, plus 2 fat quarters from  the Galentine Day Bundle, one red for the star points and another red for the border.

I decided to make 4 blocks.  Each block has a center square, 4 two color quarter square triangles for the star points and 4 half square triangles.  My block units are 2 1/2″ finished, and the block measures 7 1/2″ finished.  I decided to start with the half square triangles (HST).  For four blocks I would need 16 HST.  With my Tucker Trimmer I,  I can make two at a time.  Deb Tucker has a new Technique Sheet called “Eight at Once”.  This technique sheet has a chart that gives you the fabric requirements for oversized HST in 11 sizes.  For 16 – 2 1/2″ finished HST I would need two 7″ squares of the Mini Flower Carnation Pink and two 7″ squares of Neutral Buttermilk.

 

Using my Magic Wand, draw diagonal lines on the wrong side of the lightest fabric.  I also marked the vertical halfway mark & the horizontal halfway mark.

Stitch on all four diagonal lines only.

First trim  the vertical halfway mark & then the horizontal halfway mark.  Then trim in between the stitched diagonal lines. And, all at once you’ve got 8 HST.

Press toward the pink.  Do you know that “what ever you are pressing toward…goes on top”?  That means lay your units with pink fabric on top.  Set your seams, then push over the pink fabric and press.

Lay your unit on the cutting mat.  We always trim our units to the cut size.  My units are 2 1/2″ finished, that means the cut size is 3″.  Find the whole circle on your Tucker Trimmer, align the 3″ diagonal line on the HST’s diagonal line and center it.  Trim up the right side and across the top.  Rotate the unit, align the just trimmed edge with the 3″ clean up line, again align the 3″ diagonal, trim up the right side and across the top.  If you are left-handed, position your unit to the left and the whole circle on your Tucker Trimmer would be positioned to the left also. You woud trim up the left side and across the top.

Now we will make our Quarter Square Triangles (QST).  I check the chart in my Tucker Trimmer instructions.  For 2 1/2″ finished units, my starter squares should be 4″.  For all four blocks I need Eight Red 4″ squares & Eight Pink 4″ squares.  Using my Magic wand I draw 2 diagonal lines on each pink square.  Layer one pink square with one red square aligning the raw edges.  Stitch on both diagonal lines and cut apart.

We are going to press toward the red , so lay your units red side up and press as before.  Divide your HST’s into two even piles.  Using your Magic Wand draw two diagonal lines as shown above on half of your HST’s.

Position one HST marked with the stitch lines with a HST without the stitching lines, right side together, and opposite colors facing each other.  Align and nest the center seams.

Stitch on the lines and cut apart.  Swirl the center as shown above and press.

Position the Tucker Trimmer over the pieced square.  Carefully align both the common diagonal and the 3″ size diagonal lines over the sewn seam lines.  Trim up the right side and across the top.  Rotate the unit, line up the Tucker trimmer again.  This time be sure to position both the diagonal lines and the outline of the square to the exact measurement of 3″, trim up the right side and across the top.

Cut four 3″ red squares for the block centers.  Lay out the block as shown above.

Stitch the units into rows, press the seam as shown.

Stitch the rows together and press as shown.

Make all four blocks.  I added sashing.  I cut two 1 1/2″ x 8″ strips and joined the two blocks on top row, and then the two blocks on the bottom row.  I cut three strips 1 1/2″ x 16 1/2″.  I joined the top row to the bottom row and added a strip on either side of the square.  Cut two strips 1 1/2″ x 18 1/2″ for the top and bottom of the square.  Note:  Always measure your blocks for accurate sashing measurements.  

From another Galentine Day fat quarter  I cut 3″ outer borders.  I finished it with my Hobbs Cotton Batting.  I stitched in the ditch and bound it with some Island Batik Neutral Buttermilk.  It was pieced & quilted with Aurifil Mako 50 thread.

This is a sweet simple quilt.  Reminds me of Forest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get”, these blocks look like nicely wrapped chocolates.  Happy February!