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| Mystery Quilt Block 5 |
Back to school quilting! We've hit the half way point and are now officially in block 5 of The Mystery Quilt designed by the super talented Monique Dillard at Open Gate Quilts. After four blocks, the design is really getting the momentum going. As you see all those finished blocks piling up, you must be getting excited. Our quilt top gets a bit of crazy geometry in Block 5, while practicing our piecing techniques and inspiring our creativity.
Technical Focus: Managing Bias Edges and Point Precision.
Monique Dillard's designs are a favorite for their use of traditional shapes and Block 5 is a brilliant example of the handling of fine bias edges. This week we're working with units with diagonal seams. Cutting on the bias (the diagonal grain) creates very stretchy and warping fabric. With a little bit of pulling, you can upset your whole block size.
It's more critical than ever to have a strict $1/4"-wide seam allowance with these units. When you join your triangles and squares, accurate seams will mean that the vertices will always be $1/4$” from the raw edge. This ensures your lovely points will not be lost when we put the entire quilt top together!
Information on success tips for Block 5.
For a clear, easy-to-navigate point setup and relaxing sewing time, here are three key habits to implement this week at your sewing station:
- Starch Before You Cut: If you should not have done so already, starch or use an alternative starch on your fabrics before cutting. This ensures that the bias fibers are not stretched and remain stable.
- Handle With Care: When transferring your cut pieces from your cutting mat to your sewing machine, handle gently. Don't pull or tug the bias edges.
- To keep your raw edges from shifting out of alignment under the presser foot, pin the Critical Intersections: Align your raw edges and place a pin exactly where your seams meet.
Final Thoughts
Block 5 is a really nice step up and a beautiful rhythmic piece for our mystery layout. Each completed block steps us one step closer to the unveiling of Monique's great vision!
Full Post: Mystery Quilt Block 5 Free PDF Pattern
