cut: before cutting, remove the wedge template carefully from the ruler. Turn it over and stick it back to the underside of the ruler. This reverses the template for the remaining two cuts (Fig 14). Now use the template on the ruler to cut the blocks as shown in Fig 15.
Fig 14
Fig 15
18 Pin and stitch a length of sashing to the smaller sections of the block as before. Place these back with their partners in the pile, keeping the blocks in order with piece 1 at the top and piece 9 at the bottom.
19 Move the large pieces marked 1–4 to the bottom of the pile, leaving piece 5 on the top and piece 4 at the bottom. Do not alter the smaller pieces.
20 join the two cut sections of each block with the sashing to make squares as before (Fig 16).
Fig 16
Match the sashing crossroads as carefully as possible (see advice panel Crazy and Figs 12a, 12b and 13 on previous page). Press the seams towards the sashing and then trim the ends of the sashing strips level with the edges of the block. Now pile up the blocks as usual with the marked piece 1 on the top and piece 9 on the bottom.
21 4th cut: use the wedge template on the ruler to make the last cut (Fig 17).
Fig 17
22 Pin and stitch a sashing strip to the smaller section of each block. Press towards the sashing. Reassemble the blocks in order with the marked piece 1 on the top and piece 9 on the bottom.
23 Move the large pieces marked 1–3 to the bottom of the pile, leaving piece 4 on the top and piece 3 on the bottom. Do not alter the smaller pieces.
24 Join the two parts of each block together with sashing as before. This time there will be two crossroads of sashing to be aligned, so match them carefully before stitching. Press from the front as usual and trim the ends of the sashing strips level with the sides of the block (Fig 18).
Fig 18
25 Trim the finished blocks to measure 11in × 11in (27.9cm × 27.9cm).
MAKING SET B BLOCKS
1 Here only eight blocks need to be made and the fabrics are reversed, so the sashing fabric from Set A is used for the pile of eight squares and some or all of the main fabrics from Set A become the sashing strips in Set B. From the fabric used as the sashing in the A blocks cut eight squares, each measuring 11½in × 11½in (29.2cm × 29.2cm) as before. These do not have to be numbered as they are all from the same fabric. For the sashing cut thirtytwo strips from any or all of the nine fabrics used for the starting squares for the A blocks, each strip 1in × 12¼in (2.5cm × 31.1cm).
2 Remove the wedge template from the ruler, turn it over and stick it back to the underside of the ruler. This is the starting position it was in for cutting the blocks in Set A (see Fig 3).
3 Pile up the eight cut squares, matching the edges carefully. Now follow the instructions given in steps 6–25 for making the Set A blocks.
MAKING SET C BLOCKS
From the chosen fabric cut eight squares each measuring 11in × 11in (27.9cm × 27.9cm) to match the trimmed blocks from Sets A and B. Use the wedge template as a guide to mark quilting lines in the same design as the pieced blocks (Fig 19).
Fig 19
The C blocks can be turned to link up the narrow sashing in adjacent blocks.
JOINING ALL THE BLOCKS
1 Arrange the twenty-five blocks to make your chosen design, five rows of five blocks (see Fig 1).
2 From the fabric chosen to act as sashing between the completed blocks cut twenty strips each 1in × 11in (2.5cm × 27.9cm). Pin and stitch a sashing strip between the blocks in each row (Fig 20). Press the seams towards the sashing, ironing from the front.
Fig 20
When you are arranging all of your blocks, remember that the individual blocks can be rotated in any direction to create different effects, so experiment before deciding on the final layout.
3 From the sashing fabric cut four strips each measuring 1in × 53in (2.5cm × 134.6cm). Pin and stitch these strips between the five rows of blocks (Fig 21). Press the seams towards the sashing.
ADDING THE BORDER
1 From the sashing fabric used between the blocks cut the following: two strips 1in × 53in (2.5cm × 134.6cm); two strips 1in × 61in (2.5cm × 154.9cm) and two strips 1in × 4in (2.5cm × 10.2cm). From the border fabric cut four strips each 4in × 53in (10.2cm × 134.6cm) and four cornerstone squares 4in × 4in (10.2cm × 10.2cm).
2 Join a cornerstone square of border fabric to either end of two of the long border strips with the 4in (10.2cm) lengths of sashing as in Fig 22. Press the seams into the sashing.
Fig 22
