I had a lot of fun making this block. I love the simplicity and I’ve been looking for an excuse to use my Heather Ross Butterflies since they turned up a couple of months ago. If you haven’t guessed by now I’m making my scrappy version of the quilt in a rainbow of colours (everyone loves a rainbow!). It’s been a bit of a challenge, but I’m enjoying how it’s turning out and I can’t wait to see them all come together in the end layout. By now you should be getting a good feel for how your quilt will look and it’s a great time to start thinking about your fabrics, colours and balance.

 

Tutorial: Block #80 “Patricia”General Information

• I pressed my seams open.
• I used a Schmetz 70/10 needle.
• I used 50wt Aurifil #2600 (Dove) thread for piecing.
• I used the From Marti Michell Patchwork Templates Set B.
• I used Flatter by Soak in Yuzu 248ml as my starch.
• Fabrics shown in the tutorial are from the Gnome Angel Farmer’s Wife 1930’s Bundle from Fat Quarter Shop.

If you’d like to know “My Top 10 Beginners Patchworking Tools” you can find them by clicking here.

Measurements for the pieces needed to construct this block will not be provided in this tutorial. It is a pre-requiste of making this block that you have a copy of the book, The Farmer’s Wife 1930s Sampler Quilt: Inspiring Letters from Farm Women of the Great Depression and 99 Quilt Blocks That Honor Them by Laurie Aaron Hird – available from: Amazon | Pink Door Fabrics | Fat Quarter Shop | The Quilting Company | Interweave (Affiliate Links).  Measurements can be found in this book and it’s associated media.

On Point Blocks

Please note I am not doing my blocks on-point. If you are fussy cutting your blocks please be mindful of your fabric placement so that the motif will sit correctly if you decide to put your blocks on-point.

Conversion Chart

You can find the From Marti Michell Patchwork Template Conversion Charts by clicking here.

Helpful Links & Videos

Marti Michell shows you how to cut using your ruler and templates:

For another video on this template set click here.

How to Make the Block

General advice:

• Tolerance Levels: you need to decide what is an acceptable tolerance level for “mistakes”. For example if your blocks are consistently 6¼” instead of 6.5″ are you ok with this. Or if your seams matching are less than an eight of an inch “off” are you ok with this. There’s no hard or fast rule and it’s different for everyone, so remember it’s your quilt so make your decision for you.
• Press your seams at each step. Click here for a great article on how to press your seams for patchwork.
• You can iron and starch your fabric prior to cutting. I also starch when pressing bulky seams.
• When pinning, pin away from you so that you don’t move your pieces when pinning.
• Where possible I chain piece all the pieces I can in one step. If you’re unsure of what chain piecing is, click here for a tutorial on how to do it. However, for the purpose of the tutorials I will step you through all the seams individually.

Please note: Use your rotary cutter and ruler to cut all pieces required for the block as per the instructions in the book. Cutting instructions can be found on the disc that came with the book. Block directions are located on page 239. You can also use the cutting instructions on the conversion chart. I have used the From Marti Michell Patchwork Templates Set B to cut the pieces required to make the block as shown in the book.

1. Place your fabrics right sides together and cut the following: 1 x (2.5″ x 8″) and 1 x (1.5″ x 10.5″). Diagram 1 shows fabrics right sides together and cut into strips.  

2. Stitch down the longest side of the 1.5″ x 10.5″ strip to join. Press seams. (Diagram 2 shows strips joined and pressed.) Once pressed use the From Marti Michell Patchwork Templates Set B12 template to cut 4 squares (as shown in diagram 3).

From the 2.5″ x 8″ strip cut 4 pairs of From Marti Michell Patchwork Templates Set B13 to make pieces 80B. (Diagram 2 shows how to cut your pairs.)

Tip: You can chain piece the Half Square Triangles (HSTs) in this block by not separating them and just stitching your seam alone the longest edge of your triangles. (Diagram 4 shows how they will appear when stitched together.)

3. Layout your pieces as per the block diagram in the book on page 239. (Note, if you’ve stitched your triangles together you will have the layout as per Diagram 4 and can skip step 4.)4. Join one 80B to the opposite 80B to make Half Square Triangles (HSTs). You can chain piece this step.

5. In the rows, join the first square of each row to the second square, as per diagram 5. You can chain piece this step.6. In the rows, join the last square of each row to the first two squares, as per diagram 6. You can chain piece this step.

7. Join the bottom row to the middle row, as per diagram 7.8. Join the top row to the block to complete your very own Patricia!

 

Book Details

The Farmer’s Wife 1930s Sampler Quilt: Inspiring Letters from Farm Women of the Great Depression and 99 Quilt Blocks That Honor Them by Laurie Aaron Hird – available from: Amazon | Pink Door Fabrics | Fat Quarter Shop | The Quilting Company | Interweave (Affiliate Links).

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a very small commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link, in fact in some cases I can offer you a better price via an affiliate link. I will not recommend something that I do not use myself. These commissions help me keep being able to provide you with great content for free. Thank you, in advance for your support!