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Quilt Block of the Month: December

Have you ever wanted to make a quilt but couldn't find just what you had in mind? The editors of Quilter's World magazine have compiled some block patterns, from the thousands of traditional blocks available, that you can download for free. With a few basic skills and a variety of block patterns, you can create countless designs in no time.

A new block download will be available each month along with helpful hints, tips and tricks. We will also give you ideas for block combinations and possible quilt settings from time to time to help you create fabulous quilted projects. We hope these blocks will inspire you to experiment with quilt design and create your own layouts. So get a binder and some page protectors to fill with block patterns and samples to fuel your creative juices.

Eight Hands

Finished Block Size
8" x 8"
Eight Hands

Cutting

From Light Fabric:

  • Cut 1 (5 1/4") square. Subcut on both diagonals to make 4 A triangles.

    Eight Hands

  • Cut 1 (3 1/4") square. Subcut on both diagonals to make 4 B triangles.


  • Cut 2 (2 7/8") squares. Subcut each square on 1 diagonal to make 4 C triangles.

    Eight Hands

  • Cut 1 (2 1/2") D square.

    Eight Hands

  • Cut 4 (1 1/2") E squares.

From Dark Fabric:

  • Cut 6 (2 7/8") squares. Subcut each square on 1 diagonal to make 12 F triangles.
  • Cut 4 (1 7/8") squares. Subcut each square on 1 diagonal to make 8 G triangles.

Assembly

  1. Stitch a C and F triangle along the angled edges to make a half square triangle unit (Figure 1); press seam toward F. Repeat to make four C-F units.

    Eight Hands

  2. Stitch F triangles to opposite angled sides of an A triangle to make a large flying geese unit (Figure 2); press seams toward F. Repeat to make 4 large flying geese units.

    Eight Hands

  3. Repeat step 2 with B and G triangles referring to Figure 3 to make 4 small flying geese units.

    Eight Hands

  4. Stitch E squares to opposite sides of a small flying geese unit (Figure 4); press seams toward E. Repeat to make two small row units.

    Eight Hands

  5. Stitch small flying geese units to opposite sides of D referring to Figure 5 to make center unit.

    Eight Hands

  6. Stitch small row units from step 4 to top and bottom of center unit from step 5 to make block center star (Figure 6).

    Eight Hands

  7. Stitch a C-F unit to opposite ends of a large flying geese unit to make a top and bottom large row (Figure 7); press seam to avoid bulk. Repeat to make two.

    Eight Hands

  8. Stitch large flying geese units to opposite sides of block center star referring to Figure 8 to make block center row; press seams to avoid bulk.

    Eight Hands

  9. To complete block, stitch top and bottom large rows to block center row referring to Figure 9. Press seams to avoid bulk.

    Eight Hands

Helpful Hints

  • Choose light and dark fabrics for this block. Use scraps from other projects or purchase fat eighths (9" x 22") or fat quarters (18" x 22") to make one sample block.
  • Cut individual pieces from scraps or cut strips and then individual pieces from strips if using yardage or large pieces of fabric. For example, to cut several 2 1/2" squares, cut a 2 1/2"-wide strip the width of the fabric. Subcut the strip into 2 1/2" squares.
  • Use a 1/4"-wide seam allowance for all seams and stitch right sides together.

Choices

Use one dark fabric for F and another for G to make the large and small stars in this block two different colors.

Are you a traditionalist who uses red and green to decorate for Christmas? Or do you use blue and white? Maybe your family has an heirloom that uses less traditional colors you might want to feature in a quilt using this block!

Even choosing to make the F triangles at the corners of the block a different color will add another dimension to this block by creating a square between the stars when the blocks are stitched together.

Copyright © 2014 Annie's. All rights reserved.

For more detailed help with quilting techniques, view our Quilting Lessons or consult a complete quilting guide. Your local library will probably have several on hand that you can review before purchasing one.

DOWNLOAD
Click here to download the PDF (489.2 KB)

Other quilt blocks in the series:








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