Summer Sampler 2017: Midland Star

Block 9 of Summer Sampler 2017! We're moving right along!

This week's block is Midland Star by Katie Blakesley of Swim Bike Quilt. After several paper-pieced blocks in a row, it was refreshing to go back to some "normal" piecing this week.

The most challenging part of this block is the hourglass units. Hourglass units are a little more difficult than half-square triangles, but they're a key piecing concept to be able to pull off!

Bringing me to this week's tips!

Tip #1: Always press to the side when making hourglass units. I usually love to press my seams open, especially on half-square triangles, but you'll get better, more accurate results when you press that first hourglass seam to the side, because then the seams can nest when you sew it the second time.

And Tip #2: Trim carefully! Make sure to use the center point and the diagonal seams to align your ruler as you trim, and expect that you'll have to trim all four sides of the unit rather than just two. Another thing that's helpful is having a square ruler in the size to which you're trimming. I have a lot of square rulers, in practically every size available (3-1/2" square, 4-1/2" square, 6-1/2" square, etc.) As you can see from the photo above, that 4-1/2" square ruler makes this task so much easier, since the center is clearly marked, and I can see exactly where the edges of this unit will end up when trimmed.

Want to make your own Summer Sampler 2017? Click here for all the details! And don't forget to hashtag #summersampler2017 so everyone can enjoy your progress!