December Block of the Month

CORRECTION:  the block will measure 10.5 x 8 once sewn.

Hello December and holiday time! For most of us, this time of the year rhymes with busy busy schedule. So for our December BOM, I’ve chosen a simple, clean block, a bit like a cleansing block.

Here is my recipe for a 20-patch block.

Ingredients:

• White and solid or low volume grey fabric, think cold icy grey;
• Out of each colour, cut:
  • either one 21x3” stripe,
  • or two 10 1/5 x3” stripes,
  • or ten 2x3” rectangles

Method if using stripes:

• Stitch one white stripe with one grey, along the long side, you get two 10 1/2 x 5 1/2” blocks. Press all seams to the dark side.
• If working with 21” stripes, sew them together, press toward grey and cut in half and you now have two blocks 10 1/2” long.

• Sew the 2 sets of stripes together and press seams toward the dark fabric.  You now have a 4-stripe white and grey 10 1/2 x 10 1/2" block.  

• Slice the block into five 2” wide sub-stripes across the block. Align your ruler on the seams for clean perpendicular cuts.
• Reassemble the 2” stripes, flipping every other one in order to obtain a checkerboard block, measuring 10 1/2 x 8”. 

Method if using rectangles:

• Sew 5 rows of 4 rectangles, stitching on the shortest side, alternating white and grey. Press all seams toward the grey fabric.
• Flipping every other row, assemble the 5 rows together, making a checkerboard block measuring 10.5x8”.

Can we all agree that it’s a super easy block? Shall you want to see where my inspiration came from, go and have a look at Film in the Fridge blog, Ashley has made two similar quilt with bright colours (here and here). I love scrappy quilt!