Spectrum QAL 2020 Block 11: Blue Stitch collection by Riley Blake Designs

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Spectrum QAL. Can you believe we’re on Block 11? After today, there’s just one more block! Wait – my setting needs 13 blocks, so I’ll have to pick one of the blocks to stitch a second time. I’ll be posting how I choose the 13^th block, so watch for that if you’re doing the on-point setting like I am.

The gorgeous blue and white fabrics are from the Blue Stitch collection by Riley Blake Designs. Such pretty shades of blue… I love them all!

Spectrum QAL 2020 Block 11

Let’s get started with cutting the components of the block.

Please note that my fabrics are labeled by individual blocks, not for the entire quilt. So, if I have labeled something Fabric D, it might not be the same Fabric D as in another block. I’m picking the fabrics individually for each block as I go.

Fabric A Background (white with blue squares)

• Cut twenty (20) squares at 2″ x 2″ (16 used for flying geese units)
• Cut four (4) rectangles at 2″ x 3½” (flying geese units)

Fabric B Light blue

• Cut eight (8) rectangles at 2″ x 3½” (flying geese units)

Fabric C Medium blue with white flowers

• Cut four (4) squares at 3½” x 3½”

Fabric D Dark blue

• Cut four (4) squares at 2⅝” x 2⅝”
• Cut two (2) squares at 2½” x 2½” (half-square triangles)

Fabric E White floral

• Cut eight (8) squares at 2⅜” x 2⅜” (cut in half diagonally once)
• Cut one (1) square at 2½” x 2½” (half-square triangles)

Fabric F Medium blue with dark flower

• Cut one (1) square at 2½” x 2½” (half-square triangles)
• Cut eight (8) squares at 2″ x 2″ (flying geese units)

As I cut the components, I lay them out on my mini-design board to verify the placement and the value contrast.

Spectrum QAL Block 11 components ready to sew

There are many flying geese units for this block, so let’s start with them.

Using the eight (8) rectangles of Fabric B and sixteen (16) squares of Fabric A, make eight (8) flying geese units. The units need to be trimmed to 2″ x 3½”.

Using the four (4) rectangles of Fabric A and eight (8) squares of Fabric F, make four (4) flying geese units. The units need to be trimmed to 2″ x 3½”.

I love the laser on my Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC 2 sewing and embroidery machine! I haven’t drawn a line on my fabrics for making a flying geese unit or a half-square triangle since I got it. More importantly, though, you should be sewing those diagonal seams from the rectangle’s long edge. Do not start at the point as you’ll have trouble starting each seam, and the point may end up going into your bobbin case.

Start the seam along the edge of the rectangle.

Don’t forget to trim the flying geese units to 2″ x 3½”. It doesn’t matter how experienced a sewist you are, sewing and pressing a diagonal seam can be challenging. The most common occurrence is slight bulges along the edges. I’ve found that trimming as I go makes my blocks lie very flat, with no excess fabric to cause issues. A regular 6½” ruler does the trick; make sure to use that diagonal line to help line up the unit.

Use a 6½” regular ruler to trim a flying geese unit.

Next up is to get those half-square triangles sewn and trimmed.

Using one (1) square of Fabric D and one (1) square of Fabric F, make two (2) half-square triangles. Press towards the light (Fabric F).

Using one (1) square of Fabric D and one (1) square of Fabric E, make two (2) half-square triangles. Press towards the dark (Fabric D).

Trim the units to 2″ square.

Use a 6½” regular quilter’s ruler to trim the half-square triangles.

The last unit to make is the square-in-a-square. You’ll need to make four. Find the center of the long side of the triangle (Fabric E) and the center of one side of the square (Fabric D). Sew the triangle to the square, matching up the centers. Sew a triangle to the opposite side in the same manner.

Sew the triangle to the square for the square-in-a-square unit.

Trim off the dog ears and add the last two triangles. TIP If you need a refresher on this unit, check back to the instructions for Block 10.

Now it’s time to trim the unit up to 3½” square. It can be a challenge to get a precise ¼” seam allowance beyond all four points, so center the ruler the best you can.

Trim the square-in-a-square unit to 3½” square.

All the components are stitched, and the block is ready to be sewn together.

The components for Block 11 of the Spectrum QAL

I’m the queen of trying to eliminate bulk when I sew my quilt blocks together. I followed the same process as for Block 10 and sewed the sections together in four-patches. Be consistent with the direction in which you press the seams so you can twirl the intersections. Yes, it looks weird to sew a four-patch when the pieces are not the same size, but it works!

Pressing a four-patch

A couple of bulky intersections around the half-square triangles in the center need to be finger pressed before you press with the iron. You may want to press the seams of the half-square triangle unit open rather than to one side.

Finger press the bulky intersections before you follow up with the iron.

Here’s what the block looks like after the first round of sewing. There are four (4) four-patches and some single units along the right-hand side and the bottom.

The quilt block after the four-patches are sewn together.

I joined the four-patches and then added the single sections along the right-hand side and the bottom. I pressed the single sections’ seams in the direction that allowed them to nest with the seams in the four-patches. Each seam was twirled on the back.

Spectrum QAL 2020 Block 11

Here’s the back of the quilt block, so you can see all the twirled seams. As I mentioned, you may want to press the center section’s seams open to eliminate some of the bulk.

The back of Block 11 of the Spectrum QAL

And that’s a wrap for Block 11. I’ve got all the blocks laid out on my design wall, and they look amazing with the stunning blue and white fabrics from the Blue Stitch collection by Riley Blake Designs. I can’t wait to start sewing the blocks together so I can see the finished quilt top!

Don’t forget to check out Claire‘s and Paul‘s version of Block 11. Three totally different quilts!

Have a super day!

Ciao!!!

Print this page or save as a PDF