Let's get sewing! Row 1 - Easy Cathedral Window block
Ok, its time to get sewing!
This week I'm showing you how to put together my easy version of the 'Cathedral Window's' Block.
If you'd like to print out the tutorial, just click here to download the printable PDF, or read on for the tutorial and this fortnights video.
Week 1: Easy Cathedral Windows
There’s a few different ways to make the Cathedral Windows block. The traditional way makes a ‘Quilt as you go’ type block, so you don’t need a backing. I wanted to add this block to my quilt, so I needed a different way to do it. I love this technique, its super quick and easy and it’s the perfect technique to showcase your gorgeous fussy cut Tula Pink fabrics.
Finished Size: 6” Square
Unfinished Size: 6 ½” Square
Requirements:
15” x width of fabric Background fabric
10 x 6 ½” squares of various feature fabrics
Cutting Instructions:
40 x 3 ½” background fabric squares
10 x 6 ½” fussy cut coloured squares – Centre your feature fabric for the best results.
Constructing the block:
Start by giving your background fabrics a really good press, I also like to use spray starch when pressing. You’ll get a much neater finish if you spray your fabric with starch before you cut it.
1. Take your 6 ½” coloured square and fold it in half with the wrong sides together, place it on top of one of the 3 ½” background squares, right side facing up. You will be left with a ¼” gap, you want the gap to be on the side that has the fold. It should look like this.
2. Take a second background fabric and place it ‘right side down’, on top creating a ‘sandwich’. Sew them together down the short side using a ¼” seam.
3. Fold back the white squares and repeat on the opposite end using the remaining 2 background fabric 3 ½” squares.
4. This is the tricky part, you now need to open out the background squares and put them right sides together. The next seam will be sewn on the opposite side to the fold. Pin the background squares with the coloured square sandwiched in the middle. If you don’t press your seams allowances until later you can put them where you want them now.
You will find that the fabric will not lay nice and flat because the coloured fabric is all bunched up. You want to pull the coloured fabric out to create points at either end. Pin the coloured fabric between the background, you will have a ¼” gap at each end where you don’t have any coloured fabric. Sew across the edge as shown in the diagram.
5. Open out your block and you will have what looks like a square in a square block.
6. Roll back one of the folds so it curves into the traditional cathedral window shape and either hand stitch using a blind hem stitch or sew it down using your sewing machine.
Finishing your row.
Continue making your cathedral window blocks until you have a total of 10 blocks. Join them into a row and hang it on your design wall to admire until next fortnight.
Here is a video to guide you through the making of this block.
