April Block of the Month: Cross-Cut Block

It’s my month to create a block for the Boston Modern Quilt Guild’s block of the month. I’d signed up to try and get myself more involved with the group and actually made it to a meeting this month: yay me! It sounds small but it’s a big change from sewing quietly, by myself from my sewing room with the company of the Internet.

Note: For once I was actually early with a commitment (I was scheduled for May) but we decided to swap my block into April since the April block was delayed cause: life happens!

I don’t know if this is a block that exists but in playing with my fabric I sketched this out and decided to make it for the 2015 Guild Block of the Month.  It’s an 8″ finished (8.5″ unfinished) block.  It would look really neat in a sampler or as a repeat in a quilt! I call it a Cross-Cut block. This fun block involves creating the beginning of a court house step block then cutting it to add the contrasting x through the middle

All steps use a scant 1/4″ seam allowance. I press my seams open because it makes my piecing more accurate.

Step 1.
Cut pieces in the following sizes:

• 1 – 4″ square in red
• 2 – 2.5″ x 4″ in blue
• 2 – 2.5″ x 8″ in blue
• 2 – 1.75″ x 7″ white
• 1 – 1.75″ x 14″ white

Step 2.
Sew the 2.5″ x 4″ blue strips to opposite sides of the 4″ red square

Step 3.
Sew the 2.5″ x 8″ blue strips to the top and bottom of the unit

Step 4.
Cut that unit corner to corner, yielding 4 triangles

Step 5.
Sew two of the triangle units to opposite edges of the 1.75″ x 7″ white strip.
Match the cut edge to keep the unit aligned
Repeat with other triangles & white strip

Step 6.
Sew the two units to the 1.75″ x 14″ strip
Match the centers to keep the two sides aligned

Step 7.

Trim block to 8.5″ square

And there you have it, the 8″ finished Cross-Cut block!  I have added this to my ever growing list of things I want to try again. This would make a really fun block to repeat and create interesting patterns & color combinations with!