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Quilt Block of the Month: July

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.

Chisholm Trail

Finished Block Size
8" x 8"
Chisholm Trail

Chisholm Trail
8" x 8" Finished Block

Cutting

From Light Fabric:

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

    Chisholm Trail

  • Cut 3 (2 7/8") squares. Subcut on 1 diagonal to make 6 B triangles..

    Chisholm Trail

From Medium 1 Fabric:

  • Cut 7 (2 7/8") squares. Subcut each square on 1 diagonal to make 14 C triangles.

From Dark Fabric:

  • Cut 2 (2 1/2") D squares.

    Chisholm Trail

Assembly

  1. Stitch a B triangle to a C triangle (Figure 1); press seams toward C. Repeat to make six C-B units.

    Chisholm Trail

  2. Stitch C triangles to the angled sides of A to make a flying geese unit (Figure 2); press seams toward C. Repeat to make four flying geese units.

    Chisholm Trail

  3. Stitch C-B units to either end of a flying geese unit (Figure 3); press seams toward C-B. Repeat to make two rows; set aside.

    Chisholm Trail

  4. Stitch together a C-B unit and a D square referring to Figure 4 for orientation; press seam toward D. Repeat to make two D-C-B rows.

    Chisholm Trail

  5. Stitch the D-C-B rows together referring to Figure 5 for orientation to make a center unit; press seam open. Stitch a flying geese unit to either side of the center unit referring again to Figure 5 to make center row; press seams toward center unit or open.

    Chisholm Trail

  6. To complete the block, stitch rows made in step 3 to top and bottom of center row; press seams in one direction or open.

    Chisholm Trail

Helpful Hints

  • Choose light, medium 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

To make this block a scrap eater, choose several different mediumvalue fabrics for C.

To audition color choices for blocks, trace the block diagram. Color in the block pieces with color choices that mimic the fabrics you are considering. Enlarging the block diagram can make this easier.

A simple way to see if you have enough variety between the light, medium and dark fabrics is to copy them in black and white. The copier "sees" only the tonal variations.

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 (399.6 KB)

Other quilt blocks in the series:








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