December Block Drive

1st Sept block drive quilt

Every month I solicit you guys to send in blocks for Covered in Love so we can make group quilts.  These quilts we make every month are used in the hospital to provide comfort to families who have had a family member pass away.  The quilts not only warm a hospital room, they are taken home by the families as transitional items.

2nd Sept block drive quilt

October's string quilts are coming along and November's falling leaves blocks are drifting in.  Now it's time to meet our December blocks: string pinwheels!  Our color scheme is below, choose one color per block.  Plus, you'll need a brown for the outside corners.

Get into your scraps (or stash if you must) and find strings of at least 15" length, although I recommend a bit more, and between 1"-2.5" width.  Sew these together into a block at least 7" wide and 14" long.  Your string block should have about 4 to 6 strings.

Square off the block and trim to 7"x14", then cut into two 7" squares. Also cut two 7" squares from a brown fabric for background.

Mark the two brown squares on the back with a diagonal line corner to corner.  Place these squares right sides together with the strip blocks, be sure that both sets are the same.  With the strings in the same orientation and the lines on the brown fabric running the same way.  Then sew 1/4" on both sides of the line to make 2 half square triangles from each set.

Cut the blocks along the line you marked and press, then trim to 6.5" square.  There will be two sets of matching blocks, the identical ones go on opposite corners to each other, as shown below.

Your finished block should be 12.5" square.  I am always thrilled with the response to these things :)  If you want to participate you can make one block or ten, just comment or drop me an email for the address.

(Edited to Add: View finished quilts here)

Linking to Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework and Design Wall Monday on Patchwork Times.