Saturday, June 30, 2018

Tutorial For 10 1/2 Unfinished Economy Block or Square In A Square


Hello sweet friends!
Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying
the summer?

Kim is our Queen Bee in our Sew Sweet
Bee this month and she would like to do
Christmas in July.  What a great idea.

It was hard to find a tutorial for a 10 1/2 inch
unfinished Economy Block or Square In A Square.
Sew I am happy to help. 

Now this is not my idea, this is just how I make
this block.  This block has been around forever,
it is just figuring out the measurements. lol!



You will need
Faultless Premium Starch with GOLD lid.
1 dark 5 1/2 inch square for the center.
2 light 5 1/2 inch squares
2 dark  6 1/4 inch squares.



Before you cut your squares in half spray starch
on them.  This will help prevent them from stretching
so much as you sew them.

Cut each light 5 1/2 inch squares in half.
Sew that you have 4 triangles.
Cut each dark 6 1/4 inch squares in half.
Sew that you have 4 triangles.


For your center 5 1/2 inch square fold it in half
and press it, fold it in half again and press it.
This is sew you can have a center.


Sew your first light triangle on the right side
using the pressed lines to line it up.

If you set your seams with your iron on the
dark side of the fabric it will help press it open towards
the dark side.

After you have pressed it open sew another light 
triangle to the left side of your block and press open.


I like to trim up my sides.


Your block will now look like this.

Your are ready to sew the other 2 light triangles
one on the top and  one on the bottom.


After you have all 4 sides of the light fabric all sewn on.
Place the quarter inch line of your ruler on the point of
the block and trim.
(do all 4 sides)


Your block will measure 7 1/2 inches.


To figure out the center of the dark triangle I press
the triangle in half and line it up with the point 
on the block.

You will do this on all 4 sides just like you did 
the light fabric.


You will trim your sides again so they
look like this.


After all 4 sides are sewn on you will trim them again.
Place the quarter inch line of your ruler on the point of
the block and trim.


Your block will look like this and measure
10 1/2 inches.

Hope you enjoyed making this block.  They really are 
a lot of fun to make.

You should pay Kim a visit on Instagram @kimhouselrice
she would love to hear from you.

Hugs
donna



3 comments:

  1. Hi Donna, I learned something neat many years ago about this block and I'd like to share with you: The 4 triangles that go around each square? Cut them from the SAME SIZE square and the one they go around. So if the inner square is 5", cut two more squares 5", cut those 2 diagonally and they will fit. ONce they are sewn on, measure the new square and that is the size to cut the next 2 squares. It ALWAYS works and makes the math much easier.

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  2. Thanks for the tutorial. And thanks to Mary-Jeanine too. You'll probably have train me again at retreat. LOL
    Hope all is well today with baby girl. Hugs

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  3. That's adorable, thank you for the tutorial!!!

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