January – Orange Peel Block

Get your needles ready for the FIRST block lotto of the year! WoooOOOOoooo!!!!

To kick it off, we are combining a skill builder with this block lotto. Last year we made simple quarter circle blocks, and got our curve piecing on. Now, we are going to kick it up a notch with some Orange Peel Blocks.

Also known as Melon Blocks, this is a versatile block with a lot of modern potential. On its own, an orange peel makes a very pretty structured quilt.

Now imagine the quilt you could make in RAINBOW SOLIDS!

Yes, that’s right, we are looking for bright happy solids for these blocks, to help beat back the rainy greys! The background should be WHITE =)

When cutting your pieces, pay close attention to the position of the grain lines. Cutting on grain will help with easing the curved seams. The key with curved piecing is to take your time, and make sure that the ends and centers match. Notches and seam allowances have been included in the templates to make this easy.

We will be using the curved sewing technique shown in this great video tutorial from Fons and Porter. While the block may differ from ours, the technique is the same. Blocks will come back at 7 1/2″.

For the tutorial, or copy and paste the following web address: http://www.fonsandporter.com/articles/quilting_curved_seams_b

Click here to download the Orange Peel Template

Quick tip: When printing your templates, make sure the printer is set to “Actual Size” or “No Scaling” and measure the test square to make sure it printed at 1″.

Make as many blocks as you want, and bring them to the February meeting. Each block earns you one entry into the lotto.I hope you feel inspired to participate in the block lotto, they are always a ton of fun!

Bonus Alert!

Now, you may think hmmm, what a very simple and plain block. What can I do with these blocks if I win?

Well, all it takes is a little slice and dicing, and the winner can create some very interesting block shapes!

There are 16 or more (since I don’t quite remember how to actually do this math) combinations and positions that you can come up with for the block quarters, but it makes for some interesting quilts when they are cut up and rotated. The two layouts below are just a pair of examples using a quartered block. Imagine what you could do cutting the orange peels into Quarter Square Triangles!

SO MUCH FUN!