Pink RSC Blocks - the Spinning Goose

 And a little tutorial!!!

I am still not quite organized - but you know - sometimes you just need to bite the bullet and get back to things. So - while I am not 100% happy with my fabric choices for this month - I am happy I got my block done, and probably - with all of them together - I won't remember this isn't my favorite....

Here is January and February Together....

Now - Quite a few of you asked about my block - about the sizes and how I made it. I love that - but it also panicked me, I didn't know - I just put it together.... so now!! I know!!

Here is what I Pulled - I needed 

4 Colored 5 inch squares

4 Background 5 inch squares

2 1/2 inch strips of Background and 

2 1/2 inch strips of the color

On the Background - I used my EZ Angle to cut the wings

( You need 16 pairs)

and on the Colors - I used the Companion Angle to cut the geese

(You Need 16 Geese)

Colors:  16 Geese

4   5 inch squares

Bacgkround 16 pairs of Wings

4   - 5 inch squares

Construct your 16 Flying Geese - and then sew then into pairs - Each goose should be 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches - each pair of geese should be 4 1/2 inches square

Use your 5 inch squares to make 8 half squares - trim them to 4 1/2 inches

Lay them out like sew - and start stitching the rows together

And Ta da!!! You have a spinning Goose Block!!!

The end ;-)

Linking to: Midweek Makers

Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Patchwork Party

Find me at all these places:

    

Etsy           Instagram           Facebook

My Rainbow Scrap Challenge block how to

 You may have noticed that for 2022 I chose a specific block and have been making whole quilts with that block. 

The block is based on my pattern called Zig Zag Rails. I taught zig zag rails to a million 5th graders ( okay maybe 100 - but it felt like a million) as they were participating in making Quilts of Valor.  We also taught it to the College Softball Team - they ROCKED this Block!!

Then Liz showed this block... and I loved it!

This block actually goes together a little faster....Which makes it perfect for my Lack of Patience!!

its a fairly versatile block

but these are mine so far.....

So the Block is 9 1/2 inches Unfinished... You know before it is put into the quilt.

I do it by using Strips - again - super impatient 

But you can also do bricks - make it even scrappier!

Alright - cut your fabrics to 3 1/2 inch wide.

I am doing mine scrappy - so I am not caring how long the strips are - but they have to be at least 6 1/2 inches long. 

Most of mine seem to be about 20 inches.

If you are not going to use strips - 

Cut your Bricks 3 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches

Stitch them together.

Once my strips are sent together - I press the seams - I haven't really paid attention to which direction... sorry...

Then if you are using strips - cut your set to 6 1/2 inchs

You should now have a unit that measures 6 1/2 x 9 1/2

6 1/2 x 9 1/2

then you will cut a 3 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch strip.

As you can see in my red ones - I used white,

In the Teal quilt - I actually used a darker Teal

and in the Yellow one - I used Black

In these pink ones - I am going to use a darker pink 

Stitch that 3 1/2 x 9 1/2 onto the side of your brick set.

Again - since I am doing scrappy - I am not caring which side it is on, as I will be able to play with the arrangement when all the blocks are made.... and this will give me variety.

TA DA!!!

Your finished blocks

Just to prove I did the math right

( more for me than you!!)

It is 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches square

I am pretty sure that none of the Quilts I have made so far have the same amount of blocks.

But - with a 9 1/2 block its pretty easy to do the math to figure out how many you want for the size quilt you want to make ;-)

Just because you all know me....

Plaid!!

There you go!! Have fun!!

How I do Binding

Sue in Scottsdale asked me how I do my binding.... so - I thought I would show you how I do it...

not that how I do it is right.... it's just how I do it....

I start with a 2 1/2 inch strip of fabric and iron it in half, wrong sides together.

Then I apply it using a 3/8 inch seam. 

Why 3/8's?  its the size of my foot on the machine, and I found it was easier to teach my kids to line of the edge of the foot, with the edge of the quilt, and the binding....

I apply it to the back side. So the raw edges of the binding line up with the raw edge of the quilt.

Before the two ends meet, I stop sewing, so that I leave a 10 inch tail on each end,

Then I pull the two edges up, and pin them.

yes, I do know there is a diagonal way to do it, I just don't like it that way, so I pin the two edges together and sew a 3/8 inch seam, 

it looks like this on the back,.....

When I am done sewing the two, I usually press it, seam open..

And then I stitch that down,

Turn the quilt over and pull the binding around.

I use a zig zag stitch and finish up the binding.

I have seen others use decorative stitches, and I like that too...

And Ta - da

I am finished.

This is a faster way of binding for me.

Also - the majority of my quilts are being used by soldiers, kids, or my family - so they get a lot of yanking, pulling and quite possibly washing. I think ( and this is MY opinion only) the binding is stronger this way.

Hope that helps someone - and answers Sue's question?