November Online Activity: a Modern Classic

For this month's online activity, let's make this cool houndstooth block. Black and white fabric willl make it classic and modern.

12.5" block (dinished size 12")

Photoshop simulation of nine blocks :-)

There are several online tutorials for this block, but they assume you are going to make an entire quilt, so they give clever shortcuts for making lots of the diagonal stripe blocks at once.  So I'll share the method I used to make this darling baby quilt last year.

For each block, you'll need

• 2 3/4" strip of white (or white with low-volume black or grey print) at least 25" long
• 6 1/2" square of the same white
• 2 3/4" strip of black (or black with small grey or white print) at least 25" long
• 6 1/2" square of the same black

Note: 1/4" seams are used throughout.

1) Stitch the two strips right sides together along the long side; press to the dark side.

2) Place a 45° triangle ruler or the corner of a square ruler at one end of the strip with the point on the long side, perpendicular to the end of the strip. Cut an equal sided triangle.

3) Flip or move the ruler up and over so that the left side of the ruler is on the angle cut, and the point is on the opposite long side.  Cut.

 
4) Continue until you have 4 triangles, two with white tips and two with black tips.

5) Put each black-tipped triangle right sides together with a white-tipped triangle and stitch the long side. Press toward the dark.

6) Assemble the striped and solid blocks. The striped blocks should be kiddie-corner with the black points in the center. The solid black and white squares should be diagonally opposite in the other corners.

That's it! Your block should measure 12  1/2" . Bring your block(s) to the December holiday gathering and you might just win them all! See the rules for submission and winning all the blocks here.