Welcome to my little corner of blogland for my block in the 12 Days of Christmas Sampler Quilt Along! Thanks, Sara, for asking me to contribute! Today, we'll be making a cute present block, which I've called It's All About the Presents. I can remember, as a little kid, obsessing about presents at Christmastime. Despite our often bumpy family finances growing up, my parents always managed to make Christmas memorable. In our house, Christmas meant a lot of things - it meant making Christmas cookies with my mother, attempting to Christmas shop with my father who despised shopping, wrapping presents in a way that would make Martha Stewart proud with my mother, waking my dad up on Christmas morning when I inevitably, as the baby of the family, woke up at 6am. Christmas really isn't all about the presents, it's about family...but it sure is fun to wrap up some pretty presents, especially with fabric!! Let's get to some sewing, shall we?
It's All About the Presents Block Tutorial
Block size: 12.5" unfinished
You'll need:
Block size: 12.5" unfinished
You'll need:
Various red and green printed scraps
Various scraps solid red at least 1.5" wide
Various scraps solid green at least 1.5" wide
1 fat quarter of white/neutral
Note: You will use a 1/4" seam for all piecing in this block tutorial.
Note: You will use a 1/4" seam for all piecing in this block tutorial.
1. Start by ironing your scraps and sorting them by size and color. You'll be making two rectangular log cabins from each color. First, find a rectangular piece you'd like to feature in the center of your log cabin. It should be approximately 2" x 3". Next, find coordinating scraps to go around your rectangle, with various widths for visual interest. My narrowest width in the block below is 1.5", and the widest is 2.5".
2. Seam your log cabin together, taking one log at a time in a clockwise fashion and pressing your seams open as you go, like so...
3. Next, bring your log cabin over to your cutting and mat and trim it down to 4" tall by 5" wide. Find the center point of the width your log cabin, which would be the 2.5" point. Cut down the center, creating two pieces measuring 2.5" wide by 4" tall.
4. Let's add in a strip of ribbon. Take a 1" x 4" strip of a solid holiday color and seam it to one side of your halved log cabin. You can then flip the other side of the log cabin over, to create a different patchwork look to your present before seaming it to the opposite side of your ribbon. Press seams open.
5. To create the ribbon at the top of your presents, take one neutral 1.5" square and pair it with a 1.5" square of your ribbon color. Draw a line down the diagonal center of your neutral square and place right sides together with your ribbon square. Seam a scant 1/4" seam on either side of the line you've drawn, and then cut down the line to create two HSTs. Press seams open and then trim each HST to a 1" square.
Take your two ribbon HSTs and place together as shown below. Seam together.
Next, cut two rectangles from your neutral solid, measuring 1" x 1.75". Seam one on either side of your ribbon to create a strip of ribbon 1" x 5" to go on top of your present.
6. From your neutral solid, cut one 1.25" x 6.5" rectangle (for the top of your present), one 1.75" x 6.5" rectangle (for the bottom of your present), and two 1.25" x 4.5" rectangles (for the sides of your present).
First, add the side neutral rectangles to your present. After you press seams open, add the top and bottom rectangles, making sure to use the skinny one for the top.
Repeat steps 1-6 for the other three quadrants of the block.
Place your four mini-blocks in an order you're happy with, then seam each right/left pair together. Press seams open, and seam each row together, pressing your final seams open, creating a complete 12.5" block.
Ta da!
I hope you enjoyed this little block tutorial, I had a lot of fun making it for you. Don't forget, there are still plenty of days left in the 12 Days of Christmas Sampler Quilt-Along. Here's the schedule for the quilt-along, and I do hope you'll join in!
Oct 25 - Julianna @ Projektownia Jednoiglec
Oct 27 - Sara @ Sew Sweetness
Nov 1 - Kaelin @ The Plaid Scottie
Nov 3 - Jennie @ Clover and Violet
Nov 8 - Elizabeth @ Don't Call Me Betsy
Nov 10 - Riel @ The Q and the U
Nov 15 - Jennifer @ Ellison Lane Quilts
Nov 17 - Lindsay @ Lindsay Sews
Nov 22 - Jessica @ SewCraftyJess
Nov 23 - Sarah @ Fairy Face Designs
Nov 29 - Heather & Megan @ Quilt Story
Dec 1 - Kim @ My Go Go Life
Merry Christmas to you and happy sewing!
I love this tutorial! Thank you very much!
ReplyDeleteHugs from Brasil.
Love this block! I'm so glad it will be a part of my Christmas quilt! :)
ReplyDeleteYou know the best gifts come in small packages :o)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tutorial!
cute! can't wait to get started!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! This block is versatile ..can see it with birthdayish fabrics too :)
ReplyDeleteLove it! Can't wait to get started on this one. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteDarling presents. This block is going to look so cute with all the others we've gotten so far. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIt is SO cute! I love this one Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteIt is very cute, thank you for the lovely tutorial.
ReplyDeleteLiz, awesome tutorial on great block! I love these little gifts and for sure I'll include them in my Christmas quilt!
ReplyDeleteAww, what a fab idea, thanks!
ReplyDeletelove this little guy, great tute!
ReplyDeleteDelightful - thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the tutorial! I love this block!
ReplyDeleteIt's really a great block. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWhat an adorable block! Sweet tutorial too, well done you!
ReplyDeleteSuper cute block, Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteI wish I would have had this tutorial when I made presents with appliqued bows. I love your method so much more!
ReplyDeleteGreat block. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteGreat and lovely Christmas block thanks for the tutorial.
Hugs from Portugal
Ana Lopes
www.lovecraft2012.blogspot.com