Bee Blessed - Wonky Summer Blocks

Hello, all you lovelies out there!   While Bee Blessed is about to take a wee break from our Saturday gatherings over the summer, we know that many of you good folks like a wee something to work on over the quiet months, and it helps keep us busy when we get back together in September!

Four Wonky Cross Blocks

So, this July and August we would like to ask you to whip us up some lovely, simple wonky crosses blocks.  This time we are making blocks that are 10.5" unfinished and we're asking you to think "man fabric".  Not dark, sludgey colours but nice reds, blues, greys and even a touch of yellow too.  Here's the quilt that inspired our colour pallette if it helps.  This quilt is destined for a male recipient so please no flowers or girlie prints.  You can work in these colours and mix them up any way you like, though just two fabrics per block please.

Are you ready to join our summer wonking?  Here's a quick tutorial -

For a 10.5" unfinished block, you will need:

• a 10.5" square of background fabric
• 2 strips of a contrasting fabric approx 12" long and between 1.5" -2" wide (note that the more angled your cut is, the longer your strip will need to be)

All seams are scant 0.25".

1.  Take your 10.5" square of fabric and, using a rotary cutter and ruler, cut an angled line from top to bottom, dividing your fabric into two pieces.  (It can be good to have a variety of angles in a wonky crosses quilt so please feel free to cut your angles in a different direction to that pictured here.)

2.  Now stitch one of the contrasting strips to the left hand piece of your background fabric.  Press seams open.

3.  Remembering to offset a little to account for the angled seam, stitch the right hand piece of background fabric to the other side of your contrasting strip.  Press seams open.

4.  Now turn your block through 90 degrees and make another angled cut, just as before to divide the block into two pieces.

5.  Stitch the remaining contrasting strip to the left hand piece of the block in the same way as the first strip. Press the seams open.

6.  When stitching the right hand piece of the block to the contrasting strip carefully offset your fabric so that your bisected strips will line up when they are stitched together.  Press your final seam open.

7.  Take your block back to the cutting mat and carefully trim it to 10.5" square.  Eh voila!  One wonky cross block.  And now, you want to make another one, don't you?

Hope that you will find these blocks fun to make and not too taxing for the lazy summer days!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the support you give to Bee Blessed across all the months of our year.  Without all the fabulous blocks you contribute we would not be able to make as many quilts as we do to pass on to folks who need a little thoughtfulness and kindness.  As always, thank you for the enormous part you play in that, and we hope you will stick with us as Bee Blessed enters its third year from September!

Happy summer stitching!