It is time for BOM Block 9... The Tricolor Block!
September BOM - Block 9
For the September BOM, we chose the Tricolor block to practice strip piecing. Although this is an easy block, we have a couple of helpful tips. Often, sewing strips together can produce a little warp in the final product, especially when sewing many strips together. I did a pattern with five different strips recently and that could have warped by the last strip if I had just sewn them together, top to bottom.
When adding strips, be sure to sew from opposite ends with each strip. For instance, start at the top for strips one and two. Then, when adding strip three, start at the bottom of the strips. Strip four starts at the top again, and so on. If you sew from the same end every time, you will eventually have a small curve toward the bottom. It is just inevitable. Also, when feeding your strips through the feed dogs, let the sewing machine do the work. Do not try to pull or stretch the strips as they are going through. This will also help with warping and give you a more accurate finished strip set. When your strip set is done, lay your ruler at one end to trim off the selvage by lining up a ruler line along a middle seam line to get a good 45-degree cut.
Unusual fact about this block. It is also used in the Spirit of St Louis block in a swastika shape and named after Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh's plane was named Spirit of St Louis when he flew across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. At that time, the swastika was a popular symbol of luck among aviators and appeared on the original propeller spinner of Lindberg's plane.
How do you do your strip piecing? Do you have any additional tips or tricks? Strip piecing is a versatile way to add blocks to your quilt in various patterns.
August Block 8 samples
Our friends continue to make great blocks each month and we love showing them off to you. Thank you to @frecklesontheside, @quiltinginthewoods, @mountainviewquilts, and @cmariequilts!
How the BOM works.
Each month, we will send out a newsletter with that month's block, instructions, tips for designers, and the ability to purchase Adobe Illustrator digital images from our store to add to a pattern you are writing. Be sure to sign up to receive our newsletter to get the free BOM instructions every month.
The newsletter will include the link to download the block so you can sew along with us. It is written with standardized wording that we use here at Quilt Pattern Writers. That way, if you are a pattern designer, you can use the wording in your pattern. If you are a designer looking for a ghostwriter, you can see some of our work as we use this wording throughout the patterns we write. The digital files will include step-out diagrams, diagrams for standard units and assembly, as well as the finished block. Think of all the time you will save when you start adding these to your library! All for a nominal cost that you can write off as a business expense.
Join Us
We hope you will join in the fun every month and make all twelve blocks. It is so fun to see how everyone puts their spin on a BOM quilt. And, we would love you to share your blocks with the tags @quiltpatternwriters, #qpw2024bom, #qpw2024samplerquilt, and #qpw.
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If you are interested in our services, submitting a new release or becoming a guest blogger, please send an email to QuiltPatternWriters@gmail.com.
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