#ASFDecemberQAL2022
"Falling Snow" Finished Size 34 x 48
Hi Everyone!! It's that time of year for the 3rd annual December QAL. This one I'm calling my "Falling Flakes" quilt. It reminds me of the falling snowflakes from when I was living in Cleveland. Some were huge and some were small but they all made for a fun day. Now don't ask how I felt about snow in April! The idea of the December QAL is to make a small project that is really focused on the quilting side of the project. I liked this design because it leaves a lot of negative space to navigate. With lots of negative space, we can have lots of fun.
During this first week, we are going to focus on the snowflake units. These are made by making what we are calling V-Blocks. They are set in 60 degree triangles.. I will be using the Studio 180 V-Block ruler which I happened to have fallen in love with. I found that this made the process so easy. I do happen to have some AccuQuilt dies that would cut this shape too but I only have one size and we will be making 6 different sizes for our quilt. I find the ruler very easy to use and it has the ability to make 11 different size blocks, so there are many options. You can find Studio 180 rulers at most quilt shops but if you don't want to bother with a shop, you can contact my fellow educator and Studio 180 Certified Instructor Kimberly Flannagan (kimberlysquilts@gmail.com) and if you mention code ASF10, she has offered to extend a 10% discount on them.
One more thing to note, you do not have to purchase the ruler to make the quilt. At the bottom of this page, I will have PDF files that can be downloaded and printed onto papers to paper piece the blocks. I put as many blocks on each page that I could, so it would cut down on paper usage. I do love to paper piece but find it does take a few extra steps. The ruler made everything much faster and because it's a trim down method, all my blocks ended up the same size and were very easy to assemble.
Now for the fun stuff:
Yardage:
2 yards background fabric ( I will be using blue)
1/2 yard focus fabric ( I will be using white)
Fabric requirements are for using the V-Block trimmer. You should have enough if you paper piece your project, but it would depend on how you cut your units.
ALL INSTRUCIONS BELOW ARE FOR THE V-BLOCK TRIMMER!!
If you are planning on paper piecing the blocks, feel free to cut your fabric with your preferred method.
Like I said before, we will be working with our "flake" units. We will be making 6 different sizes. The sizes are (all at ending unit size): 1 inch, 2.5 inch, 3.5 inch, 4 inch, 5 inch, 6 inch. When cutting, we need 4 of each unit to create 1 block.
I really like to get everything I can with the least amount of waste, so following cutting instructions will help get the most out of your cuts.
Let's start with the Accent Fabric, I'm using white. I'm going to start with my largest units first and trim my remaining fabric as I go, to accommodate the smaller width of fabric (WOF) cuts needed for those. We will need one seven inch x WOF strip and one five inch x WOF strip for all of our accent pieces.
From the 7 inch strip, cut 4 triangle units using the markings for "ending at 6 inches".
Trim 1 inch off the long side of the remaining strip.
From this new 6 inch strip, cut 4 triangle units using the marking for "ending at 5 inches".
From the new 5 inch strip, cut 4 triangle units using the marking for "ending at 4 inches."
Trim 1/2 inch off the ong side of the remaining strip.
From this new 4.5 inch strip, cut 4 triangle units using the marking for "ending at 3.5 inches."
Trim 1 inch off the long side of the remaining strip.
From this new 3.5 inch strip, cut 4 triangle units using the marking for "ending at 2.5 inches."
Trim 1.5 inchs off the long side of the remaining strip.
From this new 2 inch strip, cut 4 triangle units using the marking for "ending at 1 inch."
*NOTE If you don't have enough to get the final units for "ending at 1 inch," you can cut a 2 inch strip from the remaining 6 inch strip.
Now we will cut the Background Fabric, I'm using blue. Just like the accent fabric steps, I'm going to start with my largest units first and trim my remaining fabric as I go, to accommodate the smaller width of fabric (WOF) cuts needed for those. We will need one seven inch x WOF strip and one five inch x WOF strip for all of our accent pieces. *NOTE WHEN CUTTING THIS STEP, YOU NEED YOUR FABRICS TO BE EITHER RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER OR WRONG SIDES TOGETHER! We are cutting mirror images, so it's necessary to get both a right and left side unit.
From the 7 inch strip, cut 8 side triangle units using the markings for "ending at 6 inches".
Trim 1 inch off the long side of the remaining strip.
From this new 6 inch strip, cut 8 side triangle units using the marking for "ending at 5 inches".
From the 5 inch strip, cut 8 side triangle units using the marking for "ending at 4 inches."
Trim 1/2 inch off the ong side of the remaining strip.
From this new 4.5 inch strip, cut 8 side triangle units using the marking for "ending at 3.5 inches."
Trim 1 inch off the long side of the remaining strip.
From this new 3.5 inch strip, cut 8 side triangle units using the marking for "ending at 2.5 inches."
Trim 1.5 inchs off the long side of the remaining strip.
From this new 2 inch strip, cut 8 side triangle units using the marking for "ending at 1 inch."
*NOTE If you don't have enough to get the final units for "ending at 1 inch," you can cut a 2 inch strip from the remaining 6 inch strip.
See video for how to trim the strips if you don't understand.
Now that we have all of the block cut, we are ready to start piecing them together. The ruler is mad so all of the corners will match up. I like to lay my blocks out first, so I don't get confused when I start piecing them together. I work with one side at a time and pieces all of them, then move on to the next. Then I go to the pressing table, press, and add the next side. Once you are done with that, it will be time to trim.
This photo shows the steps in the piecing process.
Once the blocks are pieced, it's time to start trimming them down to the correct size. The V-Block Trimmer makes this process super easy with easy to read registration lines and X marks that line up on the blocks.
Our first trim will happen with the point facing us. Turn the block so the point is down and line up the placement lines for that ending block size. In the photo, I am trimming the block for my 5 inch ending block, so the registration X says "5." Once all the lines are lined up with your seams, trim around the right and top of the ruler.
The next step is to flip the block around and trim the other two sides. This step can be a little confusing because you are looking for the lines that are the block size, not the ending size. So in my case, although I am creating a block that finishes at 5 inches, I need to use the lines for 5 1/2 inches because we need to make sure we have the seam allowance included. We still have the bolded registration X to use that helps keep everything up and up. Trim the top and the right sides.
This is what the final block unit will look like.
Now that all you units are pieced and trimmed, it's time to put the units together in blocks. You are free to put them together however you would like, remember it's your quilt. I like to lay mine out in this patter, reading from the top left and around clockwise: pointing up, pointing right, pointing down, pointing left. If you do this, all your blocks will be give the same look, they will just be different sizes.
Here are two completed blocks (these are part of my black and white version).
There you have it, you are done with Part 1 of the Adam Sew Fun December QAL 2022. I hope you are enjoying the process. Next week will be easy. We cut our WOF strips, sub-cut them into the needed sizes and put the top together. Then we are loading it up on the long arm for some fun with that negative space!!!
If you are looking to download the paper piecing files, they are below. Sometimes it makes you click it twice, so message me on Facebook, Instagram, or email me if you are getting an error. I will also make them available for download on my Facebook page @AdamSewFun.
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