36 - Alice Brooks Butterfly

 Months ago when we were paper piecing, someone sent me a link to this block and asked if it was possible to paper piece it.  No such luck.  In fact when I saw it I thought "there is no way I would EVER make that block" so of course I had to make it as one of the challenge blocks in the sampler.  :)

I had started to hand draft the block, but Marlene was a total hero and drafted it up for us in EQ7.  Thank you!!!

The Alice Brooks Butterfly Block incorporates the skills of using templates and sewing curves and inset seams.  It will certainly put all of the skills we have learned to the test.

Do you have what it takes to make this last block in the 

We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler?  :)
 (scroll down for instructions)

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Edited (4/15):  The Skill Builder Sampler will soon be available for purchase in book form!  It has been renamed "You Can Quilt!  Building Skills for Beginners" but covers the same skills with the easy, medium and challenging blocks and is a million times better than the original quilt along.  It is perfect for the beginning quilter or the experienced quilter who wants to branch out and learn new skills.  Find more information and pre-order a signed copy in my Etsy shop or pre-order on Amazon.  The Skill Builder Sampler tutorials will remain up until the book is released.  After release, some will be removed.

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 Step One:  Download the templates.  Save to your computer and print from the saved file.  Make sure the 1 inch line is really one inch.  Cut out the templates and gather your fabric.

 Step Two:  Cut out the templates.  Cut two of each template except for the wing wedges (template V) - cut six of them.
The two pieces of fabric need to be mirror images of each other (one for each side of the butterfly).  The easiest way to do this is to simply fold the fabric in half (right or wrong sides together), pin and cut out the piece.

 When you take them apart there will be two pieces that are mirror images of each other.  Sweet!

 If your scraps aren't big enough to fold, simply cut out one piece with the front of the template up...

Then flip the template over onto the backside and cut out the second piece.

Either method works equally well.

 Of course, you can always trace the template and cut around the line.  I like to pin my folded piece of fabric together before cutting to be sure that the fabric doesn't shift.
  

 Lay out all of the pieces.  Pay special attention to the background piece in the upper right and bottom left corner (template H).  It is almost, but not quite symmetrical and you don't want to get them mixed up.

 Step 3: Sewing
Sew together the three wing wedges (template V).

 Mark the middle of the quarter circle (template U) and wedges by ironing or marking with a pen.

 Pin the middle mark together.  Pin the ends together.  Ease the fabric in between the pins and pin again.  Carefully sew along the curve making sure to avoid puckers.  Slow and steady wins the race.

 Press.

 Sew the wing tip (template P) to the background piece (template H).

 Pin as shown.

 Sew on template D.

 Then add on template Q, the lower wing point.

 Join the two pieces together.  Line up the wedge seams with the seams between the wing points and background piece.  Pin at the seams.  Ease in the fabric and pin between the seams.  Sew.
  

 Press and give yourself a pat on the back!

 Make a mark a quarter inch from both ends of template N, the butterfly torso.  Sew from mark to mark.

 Sew template E between the torso and bottom wing with inset seams.  Check out this post for a refresher on inset or y-seams.

 Press.

 Next, attach template I to the top of the butterfly.  Again make a mark a quarter inch in from the corner and use inset seams.

 Press.  Beautiful!

 The hard part is over!  Simply sew template J to the top of the butterfly unit.

 Repeat the process for the other half of the block.  Can you tell which half I made first? Eek!!  :)
Sew the halves together and trim to 12.5 inches square if necessary. 

Using a washable fabric marking pen draw on the butterfly antennae.  I followed the seam line for awhile and then curved down.  Use an embroidery or machine stitch to outline the antennae.

I machine stitched mine with the zigzag width at 2 and stitch length at .5.  I back stitched at the beginning and end of the antennae.

And that is it!  The last block in the We Can Do It! Skill Builder Sampler.  I can't believe it!  Not that it is over - we still have to get these blocks turned into a quilt.  We will work at a reasonable pace at that over the next few weeks to put the top put together.  Tune in next Friday for a giveaway and the first step for getting your blocks turned into a quilt.

Paper Piecing the Feathered Star by Marlene

Marlene has been drafting her Skill Builder Blocks in EQ7.  She just wrote up a great post on how she used EQ7 to draft the Feathered Star block, but most impressively, she drafted paper piecing templates and figured out how to piece the block with no inset seams!   I seriously looked and looked for a way to piece this block with no inset seams, but just couldn't visualize it.   Sorry if you have already made the block the hard way like me.  If not, check out Marlene's post and templates for a much easier block experience.
Thanks for sharing Marlene!

22 - Flowering Snowball

Made by Mary at mollyflanders.blogspot.com

This is the beautiful block we will make for our first week of curves.  Mary who blogs at Molly Flanders wrote a mini tutorial for the Flowering Snowballs block in June.  I knew the second I saw it that I wanted to make it.  I actually want to make everything I see on her blog.  Mary has a great sense of color and style.  I love her work.

I am not loving my rendition of her block though.  I was trying to move out of my comfort zone by using orange and blue together...my husband says it looks like a flat basket ball.   I think it will look ok mixed with all the other blocks.

Please go over to Mary's mini tutorial, read the directions and print out the templates.  I clicked on the templates, saved them to my computer and then printed them from my computer.  Come back here and I will give some pinning tips that might help if you are new to curves.

1.  After you print out the templates (on card stock if you have it) cut them out on the outer dotted line.
2. Trace the templates with a pen (4 petals, 4 outer pieces and 1 center piece) onto your fabric and cut them out.
3. Sew an outer piece to either side of the center piece.  Press seams away from the center.

BE SURE TO USE A SCANT 1/4 INCH SEAM

My block ended up small...sigh...

 You are now ready to join the 2 petals to each side of the remaining outer sections.  

First lay the point of the petal at the bottom of the outer section.  Pin in place.

Next, line up the top corner of the petal with the top of the outer section and pin. 

 Curve the two pieces of fabric into a C shape as shown 

and tuck the petal down until the edges are close to matching.

Pin the edges together easing as necessary. 

SEW!  You Can Do It!

Remember your scant seam.

Just work your way slowly along the edge.  

Ease any wrinkles out of the way.  We don't want any puckers. 

Repeat these steps and sew a petal on the other side of the outer section.

Press away from the petals and towards the outer section.

Doesn't that look like the lining of a swimsuit or something?  :)

Lay the petal section you just pieced flat on top of the "bow tie" piece. 

Pin at the central seams - they should but up neatly against each other. 

 Pin the outer corners together.  Shape into a C.

 Ease the edges together and pin.

 Sew.  

You can let the fabric curve around and just gently guide it under the foot.  

Remember slow and steady and Scant 1/4 inch Seams!

 Press towards the petals and repeat for the other side.

You Did It!  Give yourself a pat on the back.

I know I did.  :)