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Block of the Month 2000

August 2000 - 18" Block

 Road to California

Fabric

The Road to California block uses three different fabrics.

 Fabric - A

 Fabric - B

 One background fabric


Cutting the fabric

This block requires:

 four 4" squares of fabric A
 thirty-three 1-1/2" squares of fabric B
 eight 4" x 1-1/2" rectangles of fabric B
 four 4" x 1-1/2" squares of background fabric
 eight 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" rectangles of background fabric
 twenty 1-1/2" squares of background fabric
 four 3-1/2" x 8-1/2" rectangles of background fabric
 eight 1-1/2" x 8" rectangles of background fabric


 Piecing the block

 1) Take two 1-1/2" squares of background fabric and one 1-1/2" square of fabric B and join together as shown. Repeat with six more background and three more fabric B squares. Press the seam allowance toward the background fabric squares.
 2) Take two 1-1/2" squares of fabric B and one 1-1/2" square of background fabric and join together as shown. Repeat with seven more background and fourteen more fabric B squares. Press the seam allowance toward the background fabric squares.
 3) Take one unit from Step 1 and two units from Step 2 and join together as shown to complete a 9-patch square. Repeat three more times with the remaining Step 1 and Step 2 units for a total of four completed 9-patch squares. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 1 unit. The completed 9-patch squares should measure 3-1/2" square.
NOTE: Strip piecing methods, using 1-1/2" strips of fabric B and background fabric, may be used as an alternative method to complete these 9-patch units.
 4) Take one 1/2" square of fabric B and two 1-1/2" x 4" rectangles and join together as shown. Press the seam allowances toward the background fabric rectangles.
 5) Take one of the 1-1/2" x 4" rectangles of background fabric and two 4" squares of fabric A and join together as shown. Repeat with the remaining 1-1/2" background fabric rectangle and two remaining 4" fabric A squares. Press the seam allowances toward the background fabric rectangle.
 6) Join the one unit completed in Step 4 with the two units completed in Step 5 as shown to finish the center of the quilt block. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 4 unit. The completed block center should measure 8-1/2".
 7) Join the center square completed in Step 6 with two of the 3-1/2" x 8-1/2" rectangles as shown. Press the seam allowances toward the background fabric rectangles.
 8) Take two of the 9-patch units completed in Step 3 and one of the remaining 3-1/2" x 8-1/2" background fabric rectangles and piece together as shown. Repeat with the two remaining Step 3 units and the final 3-1/2" x 8-1/2" background fabric rectangles. Press the seam allowances toward the background fabric rectangles.
 9) Take the one unit completed in Step 7 and the two units completed in Step 8 and piece together as shown. Press the seam allowances toward the center of the square. This completed unit should measure 14-1/2" square
 10) Take two of the 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" rectangles of background fabric, two 1-1/2" x 4" fabric B rectangles and one of the 1-1/2" squares of background fabric and piece together as shown. Repeat three more times for a total of four units. Press the seam allowances toward the background fabric square and rectangles.
 11) Take two of the pieced strips from Step 10 and join to opposite sides of the center square as shown. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 10 units.
 12) Take one of the remaining strips pieced in Step 10 and two of the 1-1/2 squares of fabric B and piece together as shown. Repeat with the last Step 10 strip and two more fabric B squares. Press all seam allowances toward the Step 10 units.
 13) Join the two strips completed in Step 12 to the opposite sides of the center Step 11 unit as illustrated. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 12 strips. The completed unit should measure 16-1/2" square.
 14) Take two 1-1/2" x 8" rectangles and one of the 1-1/2" fabric B squares and join together as shown. Repeat with the six remaining background fabric rectangles and three more of the 1-1/2' fabric B squares. Press all the seam allowances toward the background fabric rectangles.
 15) Take two of the strips from Step 14 and join to opposite sides of the center square as shown. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 14 strip.
 16) Take one of the Step 14 strips and two of the remaining 1-1/2" fabric B squares and join together as shown. Repeat with the final Step 14 strip and the last two 1-1/2" fabric B squares. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 14 strips.
 17) Take the two Step 16 strips and join the block center to complete the Road to California block. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 16 strips. The completed block should measure 18-1/2" which includes a 1/4" seam allowance on all sides.
© Susan E Traudt 2000
 World Wide Quilting Page * Block of the Month 2000