Thread Head: Block #13

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Block #13

This weeks block is "Monkey Wrench".

It is from the free "Block Fab" App for IPad/IPod.

This free app has 80 different blocks that can be made in any size,

and it can show the blocks in many colourways, and also in combination or paired with another block. It is fun for free, but I was a bit disappointed with the measurements - they weren't very accurate (when I looked online, someone else mentioned this too). The block did work out with a bit of trimming to the little squares.

I chose this block because I wanted something simple this week (after all the triangles last week) and I wanted a block that I could use this large print fabric in (sorry - the colour is off on some of the pictures).

For this one you will need -

Background-

2 - 4½" squares - for the half square triangles (HST) in the corners.
4 - 2+3/8" squares

Print A (mine is the large print)-

2 - 4½" squares - for the half square triangles (HST) in the corners.

Print B (mine is orange dots)-

4 - 2+3/8" squares

Print C (mine is gold)-

1 - 2+3/8" square for the center.

With the larger squares make the four HST (layer two squares, draw a diagonal line, sew ¼" on either side and cut on the line. Press open to the dark fabric). These should be trimmed to 4+1/8".

TIP - I discovered when working with directional fabric, to make the HST with the pattern in the two directions (as shown in the picture).

This keeps all the directional fabric in the same direction when the block is ready for piecing - probably only important to me!

Piece the smaller background squares and print B square as shown.

This is were the problems occurred with the Block Fab measurements. They are too big and need to be trimmed to 4+1/8" in length (I trimmed a bit from both ends to keep it even). Make sure the block will end up being 9½" - I had to trim all the squares by 1/8" because I tend to cut a bit big and sew scant ¼" seams.