2016 Cloud9 New Block Blog Hop ~Beautyberry Chevron

Welcome to Day 3 of the 2016 Cloud9 New Block Blog Hop.  Participants of the 2016 New Quilt Bloggers Blog Hop [my intro post here] were invited to join in by creating an original (gulp) 12" x 12" finished block.  My design is Beautyberry Chevron.

We were generously given 5 fat quarters of organic yarn dyed Cirrus Solids by Cloud 9 Fabrics.  Our blog hop hosts, Cheryl, Stephanie and Yvonne did an incredible job of curating the beautiful bundle which they named Berry Harvest.

Cloud9 Cirrus Solids in Amazon, Sky, Shadow, Lilac and Iris

The Cirrus Solids colors are Amazon, Sky, Iris, Lilac and Shadow.  The colorful berries of the American Beautyberry bush inspired the name for my quilt block, Beautyberry Chevron.

Beautyberry bush

Beautyberry Chevron quilt block is a variation on the classic chevron and combines the light and dark of both the blue and purple along with the neutral gray as the background.  I tried to create depth with the placement of the lights and darks within the chevrons.

Beautyberry Chevron quilt block detail

Let's get started making Beautyberry Chervron quilt block.

• All seam allowances are 1/4"
• RST = right sides together

FABRIC REQUIREMENTS

Shadow (Gray Background):

(24) 2 ½" squares

(1)  2 ½" x 12 ½" rectangle

(2)  1 ½" x 12 ½" rectangles

Lilac (Light Purple)

(3)  2 ½" x 4 ½" rectangles

Iris (Dark Purple)

(3)  2 ½" x 4 ½" rectangles

Sky (Light Blue)

(3)  2 ½" x 4 ½" rectangles

Amazon (Dark Blue)

(3)  2 ½" x 4 ½" rectangles

FABRIC PREPARATION

On each of the 24 background squares, mark diagonally from corner to corner with a marking pen or, my favorite, a hera marker.  If this were a print fabric, mark on the wrong side of the squares.

Mark each 2 1/2" background square with a diagonal line

STITCH AND FLIP RECTANGLE UNITS

NOTE: Pay careful attention as you are sewing the stitch and flip rectangle units because they are not all sewn in the same direction.  The dark and light units will be mirror images of each other.  All of the dark units are sewn one way and the light ones are sewn in the opposite direction.

Dark Stitch and Flip Rectangles Units

1.  Align a background square at the top of a dark rectangle RST, orienting the drawn line as shown below. 

2. Stitch on on the drawn line from the upper left corner down to the bottom right corner.

Align the background square RST on the each of the dark rectangles as shown

3.  Press triangle toward the corner as shown below.  By pressing the seam first, before trimming, there is less chance for distortion of the bias seam.

4. Fold back triangle and trim seam allowance to 1/4".

5. Press seam open. 

6. Repeat for all dark rectangles to form a total of 3 dark blue and 3 dark purple partial units.  

Making dark partial stitch and flip rectangle units

7.  Using the same 6 dark partial units, repeat steps 1 thru 5 on the opposite end of each rectangle as shown below.

8.  Press seams open.

9.  You should have 3 dark blue and 3 dark purple stitch and flip rectangles.

Making stitch and flip rectangle units

Light Stitch and Flip Rectangles Units

1.  Align a background square at the top of a light rectangle RST, orienting the drawn line as shown below.  Notice this is opposite of the dark rectangles.

2.  Stitch on the drawn line from the upper right corner to the lower left corner.

3.  Repeat steps 3 thru 9 for all six light rectangles, orienting the squares and rectangles for the light rectangles.

Make 6 light stitch and flip rectangles orienting the background squares as shown

BLOCK ASSEMBLY

1.  Sew light purple and dark purple stitch and flip rectangle units together to form pairs as shown below.  I put a pin in each critical point where the seams should match.

2. Form 3 purple pairs, pressing seams open.

Purple stitch and flip units sewn in pairs

3.  Sew light blue and dark blue stitch and flip rectangle units together to form pairs as shown below.

4.  Form 3 blue pairs, pressing seams open.

Blue stitch and flip rectangle units sewn in pairs

5.  Sew the pairs to form rows 2 and 4 as shown below, pressing seams open.

6.  Sew the rows together, pressing all seams away from the chevron rows 2 and 4.

Your Beautyberry Chevron quilt block is complete and should measure 12 ½" x  12 ½" unfinished and will finish 12" x 12" when sewn into a quilt.

Beautyberry Chevron quilt block, a chevron variation

This is what a quilt would look like in a 4 by 4 setting of 16 blocks finishing 48" x 48".

Beautyberry Chevron Quilt 48" x 48"

I was out at Furman University last week and took a couple of pictures by the lake.  That's where I found the Beautyberry bush.  Look at the creative ironwork on the railing.

Beautyberry quilt block at Furman University Amphitheater with the lake in the background

Beautyberry Chevron quilt block with a Beautyberry bush

The host for today, September 14th, is Stephanie @ Late Night Quilter so please visit her along with the other bloggers to see the new blocks they have created with Berry Harvest.

Kathy	@	Kathys Kwilts and More
Paige	@	Quilted Blooms THAT'S ME!
Mary	@	Strip Quilts Pass it On
Allison	@	Woodberry Way
Seven	@	The Concerned Craft
Olusola	@	Alice Samuel’s Quilt Co.
Ann	@	Brown Paws Quilting
Jodie	@	Persimmon + Pear
Vicki	@	Orchid Owl Quilts
Kitty	@	Night Quilter
Francine	@	Mochawildchild
Shelley	@	The Carpenter’s Daughter who Quilts
Jayne	@	Twiggy and Opal
Geraldine	@	Living Water Quilter
Shannon	@	Shannon Fraser Designs
Lisa	@	Sunlight In Winter Quilts
Jessica	@	Quilty Habit
Cassandra	@	The (not so) Dramatic Life
Deanna	@	Stitches Quilting
Denise	@	Craft Traditions

Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl was Monday's host and Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs was yesterday's host. For more Berry Harvest inspiration visit them and the other participating bloggers.

Each host will have a giveaway for a beautiful bundle of Cloud9 fabric, so be sure to stop by and enter.

Linking to Let's Bee Social, Needle and Thread Thursday, Whoop Whoop Friday, Fabric Frenzy Friday and Show It Off Saturday.