Scrap Box Block 3

Today is the last of my quick blocks from your scrap box tutorials.  Remember, these are just simple, fun blocks to help you put your scraps to good use and maybe even for a good cause like Siblings Together.

This block is a little more involved than the others but is essentially constructed from four similar quadrants just in reversed colour ways.  This block is great for making use of your scrappy 3.5" squares and 2" strips.  I mixed mine with some white solid to make my blocks but using scraps of low volume in place of the solid would be fabulous!  Let's get on with this tutorial then.

Scrappy Window Frames Block

Using scant 0.25" seams throughout this block will measure 12.5" square unfinished.

You will need to cut:

from mixed coloured scraps
Cut 2:  3.5" squares
Cut 2:  2" x 3.5"
Cut 2:  2" x 6.5"

from background fabric
Cut 2:  3.5" squares
Cut 2:  2" x 3.5"
Cut 2:  2" x 6.5"

Arrange your fabrics in four quadrants as shown in the photo above.  We are going to stitch each quadrant together in exactly the same way.

A little word of caution:  if you chose a directional print fro the 3.5" squares that are the centre of two of the quadrants, turn the directional print so that it lies horizontally as you construct the quadrant.  I didn't turn mine (the red one) as you can see in the photo above, so when the block construction was complete my print wasn't lying correctly because the white framed quadrants get turned for final assembly.  Oops!  Anyway, hope that makes sense.

So, having the pieces of each quadrant laid out as above, first stitch on the two side pieces to your centre square.

Press seams away from the centre. (Sorry I had to swap quadrant pics because some were blurry.)

Now stitch the top and bottom pieces on, again pressing the seams away from the centre.  Then trim your quadrant to 6.5" square.

Repeat for the other three quadrants.

After that, it's as easy laying out your quadrants in the order you want them to be.  To make the seam alignments easier the white square centred quadrants should have the longest strips to the top and bottom in the block placement while the print square centred quadrants should have the longest strips to the sides.  Look carefully at my photo and hopefully it'll be clear.

Next stitch the two top quadrants together and then the bottom two quadrants together so that you have two rows.  Press your joining seams in opposite directions.

Then pin and stitch the two rows together, carefully nesting your centre seams, and then pressing your final seam open.

If necessary, trim the block to 12.5" square. Stand back and admire your fun scrappy window frames block.

So, now that I've covered all three of my Scrap Box blocks with tutorials, which ones are you going to use to make a funky quilt for children who have been separated from their siblings by the UK care system?  Siblings Together could really use your help to provide quilts for this summer's camps.  Please, please consider helping out.

• Make a quick quilt yourself.  
• Get together with your stitching besties and have a Siblings Together quilting Saturday (or two). 
• Canvas support on IG or on your blog for block donations to help you put a quilt together more quickly.  
• Ask your online Bee mates to make you these blocks for your quilt this year with a view to making and donating it.  

There are all sorts of ways of doing this and I promise you, it will do your heart good to know that kids out there have a little comfort as they remember the precious times they spent with their sibling this summer at camp.  Go on!  Please ...

If this isn't the block for you, check out Block 1 here and Block 2 here.  I hope one of them will grab you and get you motivated.

Although I am promoting my blocks to encourage Siblings Together contributions, I am very happy for anyone to reference these scrap box block tutorials or indeed any of my block tutorials for use in your Charity Bees or even just your ordinary Bee groups.

Have fun stitching and if you do use any of the tutorials, please share pictures of them with me either here or on Instagram #sewmesarah

Scrap Box Block 2

I'm back today with a second tutorial for a block that will help you reduce your scrap boxes and make a funky, colourful quilt for a charity like Siblings Together.

The pic above shows two of the scrappy colour block rail fence blocks that this tutorial makes.  Again, no rocket science involved but it's all here for you if you fancy having a go.  This quilt was the inspiration for these blocks.  You need to have a wee peek just to see.

Anyway, while the inspiration quilt is all nice and regular sized pieces, I really wanted to crack into my store of scrappy strips of all widths and I imagine this would help a lot of you reduce your scrap mountains too!  So, for this block I worked in quadrants of single colour ways and strips of varying widths.  Go get yours and join me (and forgive for the terrible lighting in my tutorial pics).

Scrappy Colour Block Rail Fence Block

This will yield an unfinished block measuring 12.5" x 12.5" and uses scant 0.25" seams throughout.

You will need 6.5" lengths of scrappy strips in four different colour ways.

For each quadrant of your block take a number of 6.5" scraps in one colour and stitch them together along the longest side.  You will need enough strips so that your finished quadrant can be trimmed measure 6.5" square.  Just a tip: don't make the outer strips too narrow or you may lose them in your seam allowances.

Handy hint: This block will come together very quickly if you chain piece your strips in colour pairs.

Once your strips are pieced in each colour block, press the seams all in the same direction.

Then, trim each colour block to 6.5" square.

When you have all four 6.5" colour blocks made.  Lay them out as above, alternating the horizontal and vertical direction of the strips.

Stitch the top two quadrants together and then stitch the bottom two together and press the joining seams in opposite directions.

Pin the top row and bottom row together, nesting the seams that you pressed in opposite directions neatly.  Stitch together and press your centre seam open.

Now that you have all four colour block quadrants together all that remains is to trim the block to 12.5" square before you start on a second one! ;-)

Remember, this little tutorial is just to show you how easy it would be to make a fun quilt from your scraps for a very worthy cause.

My first scrap box block can be found here if you are interested.  As always, I am very happy for anyone to reference these scrap box block tutorials or indeed any of my block tutorials for use in your Charity Bees or even just your ordinary Bee groups.

There will be another block along soon, so keep reading!
Block 3 is now published here.