Block Detective | Holidays and Beyond Free Quilt Pattern

 I created a video after I wrote this post which you can see below.

This beautiful quilt featuring Laura Berringer's fabric "Winter Botanicals" for Marcus fabrics "Holidays and Beyond Quilt is available for free at Hancock's Free Pattern Download Page.  To download the PDF for this particular quilt, click HERE.

Here are the particulars of this free pattern:

Marcus Fabrics Winter Botanicals Quilt
Finished quilt size: 87 ½” x 87 ½”
Finished block size:10” x 10”
Backing: 96” x 96” (2 3/4y of 108” wide fabric)

This quilt is now the 3rd quilt that I have found that I wish to make using Laura Berringer's fabrics.  In reading the pattern, I wanted to re-engineer some of the techniques to save TIME, FABRIC, and SEAMS while improving accuracy. I want to share these techniques with you.

How do I do this:

• Reduce seams:  Don't use multi blocks when 1 will do.
• Save Time:  
• Use precision cutting with Stripology and Folded Corner Clippers or other methods
• Use rectangle cutting measures for angled cuts to make one unit that when cut is two units, and more when stacked with fabric.
• observe mirrored (WST/RST--) or non-mirrored guidelines (RSU (right corner clipped), WSU (left corner clipped)--address correct angle before you cut by making test cuts/blocks)
  
• Phase Work:  Use glue basting to precision piece and be a chain piecing demon with no shifting at the machine.
  

The quilt is made with alternating "Ribbon Blocks" (Block A)  and Featured Blocks (Block B).

In the above block, there are "ribbon squares" of green/red values that come together in the center to form the pinwheel.   The balance of the blocks (2.5"C/2"F) are squares of fabric. Alternating this block in the pattern with the Featured fabric block creates a charming diamond pattern which I love.   

💡💡  Adding this ribbon block to any block pattern would provide a beautiful counterpoint to your featured blocks.

Here are the changes that I would undertake in making this block construction to reduce cutting, fabric utilization and seams.

• The three cream squares on the right and the left of the block (with dotted rectangle), I would construction not from 2.5" cut squares but rather from  2.5" x 6.5" rectangles for a 2" x 6" F unit.
• The Dark/Light/Dark squares at the top and the bottom, I would sew three strips of dark and light cut at 2.5" WOF, and then subcut with my Stripology ruler to 2.5" units. 
• The ribbon squares are constructed using the folded corner technique using squares 1.5" corner affixed to the substrate fabric; sewn on the diagonal and then trimmed 1/4" away from the seam.  These are not mirrored units, but the same unit rotated.  To reduce waste (for the corner fabric), improve processing speed for cutting (there are 400 of these),   I would do the following:
• Substrate fabric (light cream) cutting
• Use the Stripology ruler to make 2.5" WOF cuts. 
• because these are not mirrored units, I would cut at the fold, and put fabric RSU before subcutting.
  
• Use the Stripology ruler to make the 1.5" subcuts (ensuring that both pieces are RSU).
• Use folded corner clipper to measure 1.5" corner cut (aligning the top of ruler and fabric and the 1.5" mark on the right of the ruler with the right of the unit, and clip the corner of all substrate units. 
•  Corner fabric.  To efficiently cut exact corner pieces, I will calculate the rectangle needed that will produce 2 identical halves when I align my Folded Corner clipper to the right side. Stacked fabric allows for even greater cutting efficiencies.  I employ this method using Split Rectangles as well.  It is remarkably efficient.
  

To make the calculation for Folded Corner Clipper, take your required strip height and add .75" to it. In this case it is 1.5 + .75= 2.25.  Because this measure is not on the 1/2", I will cut the strip 2.25" with my regular ruler, and use the Stripology Ruler to make the 1.5" cuts.  I will mark the ruler with Post It arrows.

 

When you align your ruler on the left hand side of the rectangle, you will make 1 cut to your unit  the right side (having been cut cut as part of the rectangle) is already perfectly sized.  You now have 4 corners (2 layers of fabric--move if you layer more). 

 

If you are cutting from a strip, you have to rotate your ruler.  You will find that the rotation causes the angle to require recutting.  Not so with the rectangle (v. strip) method.

 

• Affixing the corner to the substrate.  You now have perfectly engineered cuts for both pieces.  I would glue baste the corners and stack them by the sewing machine. 
• 💡💡  Sewing with a scant 1/4" seam will ensure that the fold over fills the space needed.  Make a test block and gauge your seam allowance accordingly.  You may have a sliver to cut...sewing on the bias does create small movement.
  

Block B which uses featured fabrics is more straight forward.

HST Construction: Use the Magic 8 Method.  For this method, I would cut 6" squares of the cream and pink for this block.  

 

💡 Use a triangle ruler to trim the HST's (using the seam line) while still folded..  It requires less handling and is very accurate.

Center 9 patch construction: Cut 2.5" strips of fabric in A/B/A and B/A/B configurations, and subcut into 2.5" sections with my Stripology Ruler. 

💡  Make a test block 9 patch to ensure that your seam allowances are correct for your fabric and thread choices.  💣💣Any error gets along the seam body count.