Quilt-A-Long Week 1: Creating Your Blocks

Pin It Now! Welcome to the first week of the Double-Slice Layer Cake Quilt-A-Long!

If this is the first you've heard of this, please refer to this post for a list of supplies.

This week I am going to show you how to cut and assemble your blocks.

**Note: If you purchased yardage rather than a layer cake, you will need to cut out 20 squares that measure 10" by 10" before beginning Step 1.**

Step 1: Cut each layer cake square into two pieces, one measuring 6.5"x10" and one measuring 3.5"x10".  Do this to all 20 pieces of fabric.

At your sewing machine, you are going to choose a piece of fabric from the pile of 6.5" rectangles and one from the 3.5" pile.  Don't choose the same pieces of fabric.  With right sides facing together, stitch the pieces together sewing 1/4" from the edge of the fabric.  With an iron, press the seam open.

 Step 2: Cut each block in half, giving you two 5" sections (see photo above).

Step 3: Once again, choose two different pieces of fabric and lay them face up in front of you.  Rotate one rectangle 180 degrees so that one piece has the small rectangle on top and the other has the small rectangle on the bottom.

With right sides facing together, stitch along the long side 1/4" from the edge of the fabric.  Press your seam open.

It is important to make sure your rectangles are always facing the same when before sewing step 3.  I would lay my rectangles out like shown above.  I would flip the right rectangle over and lay it on the left rectangle and then stitch down the right side.  If you forget, that's fine.  I actually have two places on my quilt top where I accidentally sewed on the wrong side.

Repeat Step 3 until you have created 20 blocks.

Congratulations, you've finished the first step!

I would love to see everyone's progress.  E-mail me a photo by Sunday and I will showcase what I receive here on my blog on Monday.  Send them to cheeryhomemaker@gmail.com  (you can also e-mail me if you have any questions about the directions).

Happy quilting!