Words to Live By BOM | Month 6

Written by: Natalie Crabtree

Hello quilters, and welcome to Month 6 of the Words to Live By BOM! This month features a unique and interesting Star Block (Block 10) that perfectly accents the featured Butterfly Panel. I choose this selection of gold, blue, black and pink low volume prints from the Words to Live By Collection by Stacie Bloomfield to perfectly accent the delicate butterfly. And boy does this block shine and soar!This panel is exquisitely drawn with so many tiny details. You can certainly tell that this butterfly was drawn with love, patience, and attention to detail. The tiny line drawing details on the wings and body give the butterfly so much texture. The thin twirly antennas are dainty and sweet. I really enjoyed my time ironing, trimming, and preparing this panel. It’s a beauty!So far, Month 6 is the only month that features 1/8” measurements. 1/8” measurements tend to get a bad rap from quilters because sometimes the measurement lines are hard to find easily on the rulers. My advice to you is to take your time cutting, be diligent in squaring the units properly, and double check measurements are correct after trimming. I promise the payoff is worth it!

You all know by now that I’m a fan of the Quilt in a Day Triangle Square Up Ruler. If you’ve purchased one, you can find the 1/8” measurement trim up lines on the whole number side of the ruler. They are represented with short green lines along the sides of the ruler. Simply count 3” lines down from the 2” marker and trim HST units to measure 2 3/8” x 2 3/8” unfinished.

The flying geese units and corner units are striking with the contrasting colors and textures!Month 6 assembly is a bit different in technique than what we’ve done in Months 1-5. Cut triangles (Fabrics I, K and L) are being attached instead of using stitch and flip techniques. The triangles have been oversized slightly to allow a bit of wiggle room and trim room. I’ve listed some tips and tricks below to get the triangles lined up correctly for the best results:

• When aligning the Fabric K triangles with the sides of the K/M flying geese units, align the top of the flying geese unit with the top edge of the Fabric K triangle. Ensure that the longest edge of each Fabric K triangle faces away from the flying geese unit. There should be excess Fabric K triangle fabric at the bottom of the flying geese unit. Sew together and press outward. See examples of this technique below.

  

• When aligning the Fabric L triangles with the bottom of the flying geese units, perfectly center the slightly oversized Fabric L triangle with the flying geese unit and sew together. There will be excess Fabric L at either side of the flying geese unit. Measure to ensure that there is a ¼” seam between the edges of the unit and the bottom flying geese unit points as indicated with red circles in the pattern. Any excess fabric can be trimmed at this time to make a ¼” seam. Sew together and press outward. See examples of this technique below.

  

• When aligning the Fabric I triangles with the sides of the sewn units prepared in Step 5 of the pattern, perfectly align the top corners of the sewn units created in Step 5 with the top corners of the Fabric I triangles. Ensure that the longest edge of the Fabric I triangles will be attached to the sewn unit. There will be excess fabric at the bottom of the unit. Sew together and press outward. See examples of this technique below. Be sure to double check measurements before trimming the completed units. Red circles in the pattern diagrams have been added as a guide to indicate where ¼” seams should be present.

• I also recommend sewing the Fabric I triangles with the sewn units prepared in Step 5 with the Fabric I triangles down. This allows you to place your needle precisely on the intersection of thread on the wrong side of the unit for perfect points! Reference the second picture below.

Once your units are sewn together, final block assembly is a breeze! The Month 6 block is quite enchanting.

Are you wondering what I plan to do with the HST units I created at the end of the Month 5 blog? I plan to create mug rugs! By dividing the HST units in half and combining them with a plain print rectangle of my choosing, I can create two unique mug rugs for a gift, or for my studio! Here are some examples of how you can arrange the HST units to create your own unique mug rug.Next month, we’ll collectively “Take a Deep Breath” with a simple but fun Month 7.

Have a wonderful month, and thank you for following along.

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