Block of the Month: Block 7

Designer: Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts

Get fabric requirements for the entire Block of the Month quilt here.

Get patterns for Block 1 here, Block 2 here, Block 3 here, Block 4 here, Block 5 here, and Block 6 here.

• 9×22" piece (fat eighth) each of dark print, light print, and medium print

Finished block: 9" square

Quantities are for 100% cotton fabrics.

Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Cut pieces in the following order.

From dark print, cut:

• 2--3-1⁄2" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 8 triangles total
• 8--1-5⁄8" squares

From light print, cut:

• 1--3-1⁄2" square, cutting it diagonally twice in an X for 4 triangles total
• 4--2-3⁄4" squares
• 8--1-5⁄8 ×2-3⁄4" rectangles
• 8--1-5⁄8" squares

From medium print, cut:

• 1--3-1⁄2" square, cutting it diagonally twice in an X for 4 triangles total
• 1--2-3⁄4" square
• 4--1-5⁄8 ×2-3⁄4" rectangles
• 4--1-5⁄8" squares

1.    Use a pencil or a white dressmaker's pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each each dark print 1-5⁄8" square.

2.    Align a marked dark print 1-5⁄8" square with one end of a light print 1-5⁄8 ×2-3⁄4" rectangle (Diagram 1; note direction of marked line). Sew on marked line. Trim excess fabric, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press open attached triangle, pressing seam toward dark print to make a rectangle unit. The unit should still be 1-5⁄8 ×2-3⁄4" including seam allowances. Repeat to make four rectangle units total.

3.    Repeat Step 2 with marked line of dark print square running in opposite direction to make a reversed rectangle unit (Diagram 2). Repeat to make four reversed rectangle units total.

4.    Referring to Diagram 3, sew together the following pieces in pairs: light print 2-3⁄4" square, rectangle unit, reversed rectangle unit, and medium print 1-5⁄8" square. Press seams toward rectangle units. Join pairs to make a corner unit. Press seam toward top pair. The unit should be 37⁄8" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four corner units total.

1.    Referring to Diagram 4, join one light print triangle, two dark print triangles, and one medium print triangle in pairs. Press seams toward dark print. Join pairs to make an hourglass unit; press seam in one direction. The hourglass unit should be 2-3⁄4" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four hourglass units total.

2.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong sides of light print 1-5⁄8" squares.

3.    Align a marked light print square with one end of a medium print 1-5⁄8 ×2-3⁄4" rectangle (Diagram 5; note direction of marked line). Sew on marked line. Trim excess fabric, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press open attached triangle. In same manner, add a second marked light print square to other end of rectangle to make a Flying Geese unit. Press as before. The unit should be 2-3⁄4 ×1-5⁄8" including seam allowances. Repeat to make four Flying Geese units total.

1.    Referring to Diagram 6, sew a Flying Geese unit to medium print edge of an hourglass unit to make a star point unit. Press seam toward hourglass units. Repeat to make four star point units total.

2.    Referring to Block Assembly Diagram, lay out corner units, star point units, and medium print 2-3⁄4" square in three rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams away from star point units. Join rows to make a block. Press seams in one direction. The block should be 9-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.