Charity Block 4 for GRMQ (Jan 2024)

Adding another charity block option to our repertoire...

Here we have a riff on 9 patches with one focus square:

Note: This block works best if made as a leader-ender project while sewing other things. It's also nice to have a wide range of scraps for this, so I just cut squares as I'm cutting fabric for other projects and chuck them into my pile. I do the same with the 2.5" checkerboard squares as well. I also use leftover HSTs and QSTs from other projects as focus squares, for example if a project calls for an odd number of HSTs, I'll cut down the remaining HST to a 3.5" square.

Fabrics: any color, any motif (try to stay away from anything alcohol related and anything violent/weapons, etc.)

Cutting Directions:

8x 3.5" squares

For the Focus Square:

HST: 2x 4.5" squares (for the 2-in-1 method, and then cut down to 2x 3.5" squares)

Rectangles: 2x 2"x3.5"

9-Patch: 9x 1.5" squares

4-Patch: 4x 2" squares

QST: 2x 5" squares (will make 2x 3.5" squares)

Instructions:

Put together your focus square and make sure it finishes at 3.5". You can also use just about any other type of block as long as it ends at 3.5" square. For example, an improv block, a star block, whatever it is, have fun with it.

Now sew together the 9-patch, making sure to vary where your focus square ends up. If you make several of these at a time, which I usually do, I will sew some focus squares into the top row, some into the center row, and some into the bottom row, and also vary which column they end up in. Also try not to have the same color family touching in the block (i.e. don't put two dark blues next to each other, or two reds, etc.).

Blocks should finish at 9.5" square. Happy Sewing!