Classic Blocks: Fresh Fabric for March… the Economy Block

I’ve been counting the days until I could share this month’s Classic Blocks: Fresh Fabrics tutorial and giveaway with you! All because of the fabric Blend sent for us to use this month… the delightful collection ‘The Makers’ from Cori Dantini. It includes several panel prints with lovely ‘Makers’ sewing, knitting, and painting. They are so pretty and cinderella-ish. And the block that I chose for us to make this month – the Economy Block – is perfect for using fussy cut squares from your favorite fabrics.

In case you are catching this blog series for the first time, we’re making gorgeous quilt blocks using the classic patterns and fresh modern fabrics from Anna Griffin and Blend Fabrics! So far we’ve made the Orange Peel Block, Shoofly Block,  Bear Paw block, Yankee Puzzle,  Spinning Spools,  the Rail Fence Block,  the Variable Star, the Sailboat Block, the Dutchman’s Puzzle Block, the Churn Dash Block,  the Friendship Star, and the Snowball and Nine Patch blocks together! You can search for ‘classic blocks fresh fabric‘ in my search box to find them too.

Each post includes an easy to follow tutorial and a fat quarter bundle giveaway that lasts for 2 weeks.

Each month, Blend Fabrics sends me a collection of fabrics to work with and I get to giveaway a sweet bundle too! If you want to play, just make one or more of the current month’s block within two weeks that the tutorial is posted, and share a picture of your block(s) in our facebook group entry album or  in our flickr pool.

The winner this month (chosen at random from all who make a block with us) will receive a bundle that includes 2 panel cuts from The Makers panels plus 8 coordinating fat quarters. Eeek! So pretty.

For each Economy block that you make, you’ll need a center square (fussy cut from your favorite fabric if you like) and four other squares. I cut my center squares 5” because that worked well with my fabric. I cut my other squares (the ‘triangle squares’) a bit larger than needed so I could trim the block down as I went along.

Here’s some simple cutting instructions:

1. Cut your center block first. My center blocks are 5”.
2. Cut 2 squares 1/2” smaller than the center block. These will make the first set of triangles.
3. Cut 2 squares 1/2” larger than the center block. These will make the second set of triangles.

My 5” center blocks yielded 8 3/4” finished blocks.

Cut the ‘triangle squares’ in half diagonally.

Fold the center square in half and crease to find the center of one side. Repeat with a smaller triangle. Center the triangle over the square. Pin if desired.

Stitch the triangle to the center square and sew another triangle to the opposite side.

Press the triangles outward and trim the points away using the remaining edges of the center square as a guide.

Sew triangles to the remaining sides of the center block in the same way. Trim and square up the block so that the corners of the inner square are 1/4” away from the edge.

For my block, this meant cutting it down to a 6 3/4” square.

Sew the last four triangles to the block just like the first set.

Press the block and trim it down again so that the corners of the next-smaller square are 1/4” from the edge. For my block, that meant trimming it down to a 9 1/4” square.

And that’s it! How many Economy Blocks will you make?

You now have until March 16th to make your own block (any fabric, any size) and post a picture into one of the two photo albums mentioned above to enter to win the beautiful FQ bundle from Blend fabrics. I’ll announce the winner in our facebook group in case you are lurking there.

Happy sewing!