Block Party 2020: A Change of Seasons
Celebrate the seasons with our 12-block sampler quilts! This year we will have three seasonal themes: Summer, Fall, & Winter.
Block Party A Change of Seasons ended August 2020. The images continue to be shown here for those who might still want to refer to them as they complete their blocks. Some monthly kits may still be available. Call to inquire.
Summer
The bright batiks in this quilt will welcome warmer days.
Fall
Moda Grunge fabrics blend with newsprints for a rustic feel.
Winter
Red & white fabrics create a traditional and festive quilt for the holiday season.
Here are the Prairie Point Block Party guidelines: You may come in the shop on the second Monday or the second Saturday of each month. The blocks will cost $3.50 for your first block and the following 11 months if you personally bring in your completed block (from the month before) on "Block Party day." If for any reason you cannot come on Block Party day the block kit will cost $5.50.
At the end of the 12-month program, setting kits will be available for purchase. The pictures and descriptions of the finished quilts will be shown a couple months before for your consideration and you may sign up for one at that time.
A mail order option is available for out-of-towners. Call the shop for details: (913) 268-3333.
Each month we will post pictures of the finished block right here in each of the three colorways offered.
Again, to get the special price of $3.50 on kits:
Come to the shop on Block Party Day (the second Saturday or the second Monday)
Come you yourself - not friend, spouse or anyone else
Have the block from the month before completed and with you
Only one kit each month qualifies for the $3.50 price
September — This is the first block of the year! I love the Jacob’s Ladder block; one of my favorites. And how easy is it! Four-patch and half-square triangles. Use your Bloc-Loc or Tucker Trimmer to square up the half-square triangle. Do you have a small ruler at your cutting table? It will help with accuracy in cutting small pieces for a single block at a time. Don’t use a 24” ruler— it is cumbersome and gets in the way. Accuracy in sewing is important in getting these blocks to be the right size. 12-1/2”
October — It’s amazing how color combinations can make a block look so different from another one. For Fall and Summer blocks you will see lots of colors come together in the blocks over the next several months. Winter will change in prints more than in color.
Bloc-Loc, Tucker Trimmer, Wing Clipper, Ultimate Flying Geese . . . any of these will help to perfect your block.
How to square up flying geese units without a special trim tool — This demo is shown for the 3 1/2” x 6 1/2” geese units because that is what is made for this month’s block. The same principle applies for any size.
Be sure your block units come out even on the outer edges. How to do that if they don’t seem to meet up? Use pins. Pin seams at outer edges of block so they meet, then if necessary, ease the seam together as you stitch it. Pin where all seams should meet up if it helps you to be more accurate.
November - What a stunning block! See how the value of the fabric makes a difference in the appearance of a block? Squint your eyes as you look at the pictures and you get a different perspective of each one. Bloc-Loc or Tucker Trimmer are great here.
December — What a nice color addition to your first three blocks. Have fun with this one.
Maybe you’ll find these tips helpful below.
When making this unit, be sure that you have 1/4” seam allowance at triangle points and corner of square. Use accurate 1/4” seam allowance to be sure these all come out close to exact. No squaring up here.
Back up a bit here: when sewing the triangle section to the square, be sure the sewing line is right at the intersection of the two sections. When pressed, this one will line up nicely as in the first picture.
Notice how the seam edges don’t line up here. Not the best thing. You might want to trim it up, but not at the expense of making it too small for the triangle you will sew it to. If it is then your entire unit might be too small.
When sewing the larger triangle unit to the first unit, notice how the corners line up, and the star point at the inside of the square is not cut off. Good idea.
Trim off dog ears. Always, when appropriate. Reduces bulk.
When finished, the block should measure 5-1/2”. No squaring up, but lay your ruler on it anyway. If it extends past the ruler markings for 5-1/2”, trim it. If it is shy, let it go and accommodate for this when sewing to rectangles.
January — Wow! What a good looking family! Pretty simple. Follow cutting instructions and placement of pieces to make units carefully. Look twice, cut once.
February — Can’t get much easier than this. Hope you like the blocks. Let me know what you think at prairiepoint@prairiepoint.com . That’s my email.
March — Just half-square triangles this month.
April — Something different: 4 different prints, they’re all dark. It doesn’t matter where you place them. Arrange them any way you want. And you can position them in any direction you want.
This month, April, we have two different colorways for the Winter quilt. For the first one shown above, there might be one substitution in red fabric for some of you. Others of you will receive prints as shown at the left.
The T Block is such a fun look. It’s all half-square triangles. For the large hst, the pattern instructs you to make it by sewing on the drawn line rather than on each side of it because you only need one for each color. Don’t make the mistake of sewing on each side of the line then cutting or you will have two hst and both will be too small.
May - This is a Bear’s Paw block. Read the pattern cutting instructions carefully to get the the colors right. The colors can be swapped alright, but the fabric allowance won’t allow for it.
June — Be sure to sign up for a Finishing Kit this month. If you are out of town, send me an email prairiepoint@prairiepoint.com or give us a call 913-268-3333.
July — I’ve given you an opportunity to make this Step 2 unit the exact size, a 4-1/2” square! The medium triangle is cut oversized, so after you sew on the pieced triangles section to the medium triangle, press toward the medium. Then, square up this unit to an exact 4-1/2” square. Have the diagonal line on your Tucker Trimmer lined up with the diagonal seam that pieces these two sections together. The pieced triangle section will probably be right on, but the medium triangle is too big. Square up to cut away the excess. If you are not using Tucker Trimmer, use the diagonal line on your ruler.
Be sure to take a look at the finished quilts. The finishing kits are available now!
August — Pretty easy here. Flying geese, half-square triangles, and a nine-patch. Do you have your finishing kit? If you choose not to purchase it, at least you have the finishing pattern in this August kit. If you are participating long distance, be sure and give us a call or email to let us know you want one and we will ship it to you. Look for the new Block Party which begins in September, called Grandma’s Recipe Box.
OOPS! — We didn’t make the corrections on the August pattern — Take note: Step 1 should say: Place a 4” background square on a 4” dark square right sides together.
Step 2 should say: Place 2 of the background 4¼” squares on opposite corners of the 7¾” medium square right sides together.
Then again in Step 2: Place another 4¼” background square on the corner of the large triangle;
Cutting requirements are correct; the instructions did not come out correctly. We are happy to replace any fabric you need if you made wrong cuts, and apologize for the inconvenience.
The quilts finish at 66” x 82”. The Fall quilt, at right, is $66 for the finishing kit. The sashing, inner border, outer border and binding are grunge prints. The cornerstones are Moda newsprint just like the block background fabric.
If you would like to make a larger quilt, we suggest getting four more block kits to make a 16-block quilt, or eight more kits to make a 20-block quilt. Or feel free to add more border to make it just a bit larger.
This Block of the Month program ends in August, but if you are interested in making one of these quilts, call and inquire about the availability of the monthly block kits. They are $5.50 each.
A new Block Party Block of the Month begins in September, 2020. We will unveil the color choices and theme in August!
The Winter kit, at left, is $66 for the finishing kit. The sashing and inner border are Moda Primitive Muslin. The cornerstones are Primitive Muslin Crimson, and the outer border is a Renee Nanneman print from Andover Fabrics.
The Summer quilt, below is $69 for the finishing kit. The sashing and inner border are a light batik. The inner border is a spotted batik, the outer border a swirl with turquoise and some green. Cornerstones are a variety of batik colors. Sashing and borders are from Island Batiks.
