Perfecting your Half Rectangle units to make rooftops

Construction begins today on the quilted batik night skyline quilt. In yesterday’s post, the fabric requirements and cutting instructions were given. The Broken Glass batik fabrics really help to set the mood of a skyline at night, it’s in stores this month! It’s a fun challenge to use these dark fabrics to make a city scene – join me!

Make Half Rectangle Units for Roofs

Cut one black and one gray 2½″ x 4½″ rectangle in half lengthwise on the diagonal by cutting from the top left corner down to the bottom right.

Keep track of the orientation of the fabrics – you want the grey triangle to slant up to the right; lay the two pieces right sides together with the small points extending beyond on each end by at least a ¼″.

Sew together and press to the black fabric.

Trim to 2½″ x 4½″ by lining up ruler on top of unit and using ruler lines to ensure ¼″ of fabric extends beyond where the fabrics join to keep your points.

Look at my photos to help you-you may need to trim one edge then turn the ruler and trim the next. If you need more help to cut your half rectangle units, check out this Half Rectangle Triangle Tutorial that helped me perfect this shape.

Repeat to make a total of 5 roof units.

Make Houses with HR roofs (5)

For EACH house you will need from the dark blue batik

• 1½″ x 2½″ rectangle
• 2½″ square
• 2½″ x 4½″ rectangle
• one 1½″ x 2½″ gray rectangle

Sew 1½″ x 2½″ dark blue rectangle along right long edge to left long edge of 1½″ x 2½″ gray rectangle. Press the seam to the dark blue.

Sew dark blue 2½″ square to top of unit just made. Press the seam to the top square.

Sew dark blue 2½″ x 4½″ rectangle left long edge to the right side of unit just made with dark blue square on top. Press seam to the dark blue rectangle.

Repeat to make 4 more identical house units.

Sew a half rectangle roof unit to the top edge of each house along the roof long edge. Press the seams to the house on three of the blocks and to the roof on the remaining two blocks.

Each house should measure 6½″ tall x 4½″ wide.

Make 4 houses and sky unit

Sew four of the houses together alternating the roof seams. Press all of the seams to the same side.
Sew the top edge of the house unit to the bottom long edge of the black 9½″ x 16½″ rectangle. Press the seam to the black rectangle.

This row of houses with large sky above make up the left side of the night skyline quilt. The Broken Glass batiks are really starting to shimmer and set the mood. Come back tomorrow as we fill in more of the skyline.