Kaleidoscope quilt blocks | No tear paper piecing magic!

Yesterday, we got our pattern prepared on SEW EASY Freezer Paper for Quilting and Applique. Today we are finally getting to sew the Kaleidoscope Blocks with GÜTERMANN  100% Polyester Thread and gorgeous cheerful fabric, a 5-Piece Bundle from Fabric Creations. In addition, I will show you how the Clover Roll 9612 Roll ‘n Press and Best Press Starch Alternative are very useful notions for the making of these blocks.

Sewing instructions

1. Fold each pattern piece on the lines of the pattern and crease the lines very well with the Clover Roll ‘n Press. It is important that these lines are very pliable and pressed well and the Roll ‘n Press is ideal for this purpose.

Creasing all lines of pattern with the Clover Roll ‘n Press

Creasing all lines of pattern with the Clover Roll ‘n Press

2. Using Best Press Starch Alternative, press and starch the fabric. This gives it more structure and it stretches less when it is ironed frequently as it will be with the 8 triangle units of this Kaleidoscope block 1. Also, the lavender scent is lovely.

FABRIC CREATIONS Cotton is pressed and starched with Best Press Starch Alternative

3. Using the paper templates cut from printer paper, cut out 8 triangles from each piece of fabric leaving about ½” seam allowance all the way around. You will have paper pieces 1-5 and need 8 of each piece as shown.

All fabric pieces are cut out ready for easy paper piecing

4. Press #1 fabric wrong side down to the waxy side of the freezer paper covering section #1. The fabric will stick temporarily to the wax on the paper as shown.

Piece one pressed with iron wrong side down to waxy side of freezer paper

5. Fold the freezer paper back as shown towards the matte side on the line between piece 1 and 2 and trim the ¼” seam allowance as shown.

Folding fabric for piece 1 back on the line between 1 and 2

Piece 1 is trimmed with a ¼” seam allowance beyond the freezer paper

6. With fabric right sides together and fabric 2 lined up with the ¼” seam allowance as shown, take this to the sewing machine and sew with a fine strong thread like GÜTERMANN 100% Polyester Thread. With many seams coming together with the 8 triangles it is important to have strong thread and thread that doesn’t increase the bulk in the seams. Sew with a standard stitch width right next to the freezer paper but not on the freezer paper as shown.

Fabric 2 lined up with the ¼” seam allowance ready for sewing

Sew the seam very close to the fold of the freezer paper but not on the freezer paper

7. Fold the #2 fabric back towards the shiny side of the freezer paper and press it well onto the freezer paper, it will stick temporarily.

Pressing fabric 2 to the shiny side of the freezer paper

8. Turn over and fold the line between fabrics 2 and 3as shown and trim the ¼” seam allowance as was done with fabric piece 1.

Fabric 2 trimmed with ¼” seam allowance

Fabric 2 trimmed with ¼” seam allowance

9. Line up fabric 3 right sides together with piece 2 as shown. Sew very close to the fold of the freezer paper, but not on it. Flip and press as shown.

Fabric 3 placed right side together with fabric 2 on the ¼” seam allowance

Sewing of seam just beside fold of freezer paper

Fabric 3 pressed onto the wax side of the freezer paper

10. Continue sewing, flipping, pressing and trimming fabric as shown in steps 5-9 until you have all 5 fabrics completely sewn as shown.

Trimming the completed triangle unit with the outside lines as a guide

11. Turn the triangle piece over to the freezer paper side and using a rotary cutter and ruler, trim all around it using the outside lines as a guide. This is a 45 degree triangle when completed as shown, which means 7 more are needed to be sewn for a total of 8.

The completed triangle still adhered to the freezer paper

The completed triangle still adhered to the freezer paper

12. This is where the magic happens. Peel away the freezer paper from the back of the triangle gently, if you haven’t sewn on the freezer paper this should be easy. You can now use this freezer paper pattern again and again up to 8-10 times.

Peeling away freezer paper gently

Freezer paper is peeled away

13. Make 7 more of these triangle units until you have a completed the hexagon shapes as shown.

Hexagon made of 8 triangle units; all freezer paper is peeled away

14. Sew in groups of 2, there are no seams to match but pinning is recommended as shown.

Pin 4 groups of 2 together

15. Pin and sew 2 groups of 4 triangle units together as shown.

2 Groups of 4 triangle units sewn together to make the kaleidoscope block

16. Sew final kaleidoscope hexagon together.

Completed kaleidoscope hexagon block

17. For corner squares, cut 2 – 5” x 5” squares of background fabric. I used FABRIC CREATIONS Cotton in white. Sub cut these squares in half on the 45-degree diagonal as shown to form triangles.

Corner triangles cut 4

17. Sew these corner squares to all 4 corners of the kaleidoscope hexi block and square this block to 15” square as shown.

Corner triangles sewn to the hexagon block

Final block squared to 15”

19. Admire your efforts! You don’t have to tear away any paper as the freezer paper did all the work for you, it’s miraculous!

I hope you enjoyed how I use the Sew Easy Freezer Paper for Quilting and Applique, the Clover 9612 Roll ‘n Press and the Best Press Starch Alternative to make these no tear paper pieced blocks. Check back tomorrow when I show you how I made another fun and even easier block.  You will love how different the fabric looks in a new arrangement and you may want to add this to your block repertoire as a fantastic stash buster.

This is part 3 of 5 in this series

Go back to part 2: Kaleidoscope quilt blocks | Freezer paper printing

Go to part 4: Kaleidoscope quilt blocks | Block 2 easy variation

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