Using Pieced Blocks In Place of Embroidery T o Make Quick ......Using Pieced Blocks In Place of...

Using Pieced Blocks In Place of Embroidery To Make Quick Projects This content exclusively for The Art of Home Club

JacquelynneSteves.com

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I love doing embroidery, but sometimes I just want a quick project! If you want to make the Club projects, but don’t have time to do the embroidery, just use one of the block patterns below to replace the embroidery block. I’ve given you instructions for several sizes for each block.

For example, if you want to make the Cornerstone Table Topper (found on the Bonus Projects and Patterns page) without embroidery, you could make 4 Pinwheel Blocks to replace the embroidery in the center and make this: http://jacquelynnesteves.com/bonus-projects-and-patterns-for-the-art-of-home-club/

… or make 4 Hourglass blocks and make something like this:

http://jacquelynnesteves.com/bonus-projects-and-patterns-for-the-art-of-home-club/

http://jacquelynnesteves.com/bonus-projects-and-patterns-for-the-art-of-home-club/



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If you need to replace a rectangle shaped embroidery pattern, just use 2 square blocks side-by-side. So, for example, for this block you could replace the 4” x 8” embroidery with (2) 4” Pinwheel Blocks:

… or you could remove those borders from the sides of the embroidery and replace the center with a single square 8” Pinwheel Block:

Have fun and get creative!!! (If the block size you need is not shown on the table, just make a block that is the next size up, and trim it down.)

All seam allowances are 1/4”. Sew with fabrics right sides together.



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4 Patch Blocks

4” finished block 6” finished block 8” finished block 10” finished block Cut 4 squares (2 each of 2 fabrics, or 4 scrappy squares)

2 1/2”

3 1/2”

4 1/2”

5 1/2”

Sew squares together into pairs; press seams toward darker fabric.

Sew pairs together into a block; press seams open.



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Hourglass Blocks

These instructions will yield blocks which are slightly larger than you need, so trim them down to size after sewing.

The instructions below will yield 2 Hourglass Blocks.

4” finished block 6” finished block 8” finished block 10” finished block Cut 2 squares (1 each of 2 fabrics, or 2 scrappy squares)

5 1/2”

7 1/2”

9 1/2”

11 1/2”

Place 2 squares right sides together. Use a ruler and a pencil to draw a line diagonally from corner to corner, on the WRONG side of the fabric of each “square pair”. Then draw a line 1/4” on either side of this line. I like to use a see-through ruler for this step. (You can also just draw the line down the center, and use your 1/4” foot to sew 1/4” away from that center line… but I like the accuracy I get by drawing in all of the lines.) Pin the pairs together, and sew on those “side” lines (not the center line), then cut on the center line:



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Press the seams toward the darker fabric. Now, you have 2 squares (HST’s, or Half Square Triangle units), which look like this:

Place the HST’s right sides together- be sure that the colors are OPPOSITE from each other (in other words, fabric A is facing fabric B.) Make sure that those diagonal seams are lined up (I always pin my squares together, to be sure they don’t shift.)

Once again, draw a diagonal line on the WRONG side of the squares. However, the drawn line is going to be PERPENDICULAR to the seam. Sew and cut like you did for the HST’s. Press the seams open.

Trim the blocks to the desired size- remember to ADD 1/2” seam allowance before trimming. For example, if you need a 4” finished block, trim it to 4 1/2”. For a tutorial on trimming Hourglass Blocks, please go here http://jacquelynnesteves.com/featured/hourglass-blocks/

http://jacquelynnesteves.com/featured/hourglass-blocks/



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Pinwheel Blocks

4” finished block 6” finished block 8” finished block 10” finished block Cut 4 squares (2 each of 2 fabrics)

3 1/8”

4 1/8”

5 1/8”

6 1/8”

Place a fabric A square right sides together with a fabric B square. Repeat with remaining squares.

Use a ruler and a pencil to draw a line diagonally from corner to corner, on the WRONG side of the fabric of each “square pair”. Then draw a line 1/4” on either side of this line. I like to use a see-through ruler for this step. (You can also just draw the line down the center, and use your 1/4” foot to sew 1/4” away from that center line… but I like the accuracy I get by drawing in all of the lines.) Pin the pairs together, and sew on those “side” lines (not the center line), then cut on the center line:



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Press seam allowances toward darker fabric:

Trim the HST’s as follows:

To make: 4” finished block 6” finished block 8” finished block 10” finished block Trim HST’s to:

2 1/2”

3 1/2”

4 1/2”

5 1/2”

Sew the HST’s together into pairs like this; press seam allowances open:

Sew the pairs together to make a Pinwheel Block; press seam allowances open.



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Another Idea!

Another way to make your projects even quicker is to simply substitute a pretty print or fun novelty fabric in place of the embroidery.

Using Pieced Blocks In Place of Embroidery T o Make Quick ......Using Pieced Blocks In Place of...

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