2016 Cloud9 New Block Blog Hop

     Good morning everyone and welcome to my stop on the 2016 Cloud9 New Block Blog Hop.  I am super excited to be a part of this hop organized by Yvonne of Quilting Jet Girl, Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs and today's host Stephanie of Late Night Quilter.  

     I've had a lot of fun trying out different block patterns over the last couple of weeks.   It seems I can dream them up and I can draw them, but I can't always make them or explain them, so in the end I settled on this simple but pretty block.

     I call this block Lucite Beads because the colours and shapes reminded me of  Lucite beads you see in vintage jewellery.

     Here's the block repeated in a quilt top. I played around on Quiltography to get an idea of what the block would look like in a quilt.  I like all the negative space incorporated in this design and I find the repeated blocks remind me of strands of beads in a necklace.

    

     Lucite Beads uses four of the fabrics included in the Cirrus Solids bundle Amazon (medium blue), Sky (light blue) Shadow (grey) and Lilac.

Cutting Instructions:

From the Shadow fabric cut:

                                             two 4" squares

                                             two 3" squares

                                             two 3 1/2 X 6 1/2" rectangles

                                             two 2 1/2 X 5 12" rectangles

                                             two 4 1/2 " squares

From the Amazon cut :

                                    one 4" square

                                    one 3"  square

From the Sky cut:

                            one 4 " square

From the Lilac cut:

                             one 3" square

                             one 2 1/2" square.


 Block Construction:

1. Pair one 4" square of Shadow  with the 4" square of Amazon and the other 4" square of Shadow with the 4" square of Sky.  With a non permanant fabric marker draw a diagonal line across the Shadow fabric going from one corner to its' opposite corner.  Sew 1/4" on either side of the line. 
Do this for both pairs.

2.  Cut on the diagonal line.  You will have 4 half square triangle blocks. Press the seams open and use a squaring up ruler to trim the blocks to 3 1/2".  Repeat for all four half square triangle  blocks.

     


3.  Pair one 3" square of Shadow with the 3" square of Amazon and the other 3" square of Shadow with the 3"square of Lilac. Repeat steps 1 and 2 above to make 4 half square triangle blocks, trimming the blocks to 2 1/2".  

4.  Line the half square triangle blocks up in rows like this:

5.  Sew the blocks together in rows, chain piecing as you go.  

6.  Sew rows one and two together and rows 3 and 4 together matching the centre seams.  This will make two blocks: a 6 1/2" square block with Amazon and Sky and a 
4 1/2"  square block with Amazon and Lilac.

7.   Arrange the blocks as in the photo below.  For row one place the two 3 1/2 by 6 1/2"  rectangles of Shadow on either side of the 6 1/2" block.  
For row two place the 2 1/2" by 5 1/2" rectangles of Shadow on either side of the 2 1/2" Lilac square. 
For row three place the 4 1/2" squares of Shadow on either side of the 4 1/2" block.

     

8.  Sew the block components into rows and then the rows together to make the Lucite Beads block.

     The Cirrus Solids are great fabrics to work with.  They have a nice subtleness to the colours and are soft to the touch.  They are a pleasure to work with and I'm sure I will use them again.

   Thank you for stopping by today I hope that you  check out the other bloggers who are participating in todays hop.  Here are the links to their blogs:

Kathy @Kathys Kwilts and More
Paige @Quilted Blooms
Mary @Strip Quilts Pass it On
Allison @Woodberry Way
Seven @The Concerned Craft
Olusola @Alice Samuel’s Quilt Co.
Ann @Brown Paws Quilting
Jodie @Persimmon + Pear
Vicki @Orchid Owl Quilts
Kitty @Night Quilter
Francine @Mochawildchild
Shelley @The Carpenter’s Daughter who Quilts
Jayne @Twiggy and Opal
Geraldine @Living Water Quilter
Shannon @Shannon Fraser Designs
Jessica @Quilty Habit
Cassandra @The (not so) Dramatic Life
Deanna @Stitches Quilting

Denise @Craft Traditions

   
     Here's to making dreams a reality.