This little tutorial is for the Boston Modern Quilt Guild Block of the Month for March 2015. These instructions are for an 8″ finished version of the block featured in my Scrappy Monochromatic Block post, and I have used the BMQG colors for this block.

Fabric:

For this block you will need scraps of fabric that are each about 3 1/2″ on one side and various sizes on the other that are between 1 1/2″ and 2 1/2″ (a little larger or smaller is fine).  You will need enough so that when sewn together you will have a strip that is at least 26″ long and about 3 1/2″ wide.

You will also need a 2 1/2″ square block for the center and a strip of fabric that is 1 1/2″ wide and about 18″ long for the center square sashing.

Piecing:

Sew the scraps together along the 3 1/2″ edge.  Continue piecing until the strip is at least 26″ long.  Then trim each side so that the finished strip is exactly 2 1/2″ wide.

Next sew the sashing around the center square.  Start along one side sewing the 1 1/2″ strip to the block. Sew, then trim using a square ruler to be certain the trimming is accurate.

Continue by adding the sashing to the adjacent side in a clockwise direction, trimming after each seam is sewn.

The sashed center square will be a 4 1/2″ square.  Next, sew the scrappy border to this block with the same approach used for the sashing.  I started on the same side where I started with the sashing.

 

When the block gets to 8 1/2″ wide you will want to trim with a 12 1/2″ square ruler.

Don’t panic if you don’t have the square rulers. You can line the block up on your cutting mat to trim it!

The block will be 8 1/2″ square when completed.

I am making these blocks in a rainbow of colors!