Block Making Instructions for the Fall 2005 TOBE

Simple Birds in the Air Block

After much discussion, the Fall 2005 Treadle On Block Exchange (TOBE) is being structured in two parts. Both will feature Bird in the Air (BITA) blocks. Part I, or the Simple TOBE, will be a four patch BITA blocks, made traditionally. Part II, or the Advanced TOBE, will feature a 9 patch BITA block, made with some short cuts. Each Part has it's own coordinator, but they will share a due date of Nov. 1, 2005. Instructions for submitting your blocks will be posted both here and on the Bulletin Board. I'll be adding these in detail a bit later. My first priority was to get the actual instructions for the blocks posted. This section will cover, in probably much too great detail, the instructions for sewing the Simple BITA as a traditional four-patch.

We first thought that we would be able to sew these blocks in pairs, similar to what we did with the Trail to Treadleonian block. This didn't work out. The fact that the BITA block features points that will have to be joined with other blocks and with internal squares made extremely precise quilting a necissity. Damascus Annie did work out a way to make the pairs, but it was so finicky and featured such a high proportion of rejected blocks, even under the best of conditions, that we gave up and decided that this was a case of the old ways being best.

Our Treadle On Block Exchange (TOBE) Coordinator, Damascus Annie, has made a page providing direct links to the administrative instructions for all active TO block exchanges, including this one. These instructioins cover what to make for the exchange, fabric to use, how to mail, who to mail to, etc. Here is a link to the that page, where you will find administrative instructions for the BITA TOBE, as well as others:

Link to TOBE Administrative Instructions

The Bird in the Air block, which appears in a number of variations, features half-square triangles (HST's) and squares, either uniformly arranged or in a variety of configurations. Within one quilt top, it can include blocks that are simple, large HST's, blocks that are 4 patches, and/or blocks that are 9 patches. These instructions will show how to make a quite complex quilt using only simple HST's and squares of either 3 1/2" or 6 1/2" size. If you are not familiar with making half-square triangles (HST's), please go to The Quilt Shop, Treadle On Block Exchanges page and review the instructions for HST's there. Being able to make these quickly and simply is vital to this block. Here is a direct link to those instructions:

Link to Treadle On HST Block Instructions

 

This exchange will consist of the smallest unit of the BITA pattern, this simple 4 patch, consisting of three HST's and a solid square.

The finished block unit, as shown, is 6 1/2": The four sub-squares are, of course, 3 1/2".

While BITA's are often made in solid colors, or all one color but different shades, we will be using a more complete pallette of fall colors for this exchange. The more variety of fall colors you use, the more interesting the quilts will become. Of course, you will get a wide range of colors simply by virtue of getting your blocks through an exchange. However, you will also be able to add a great deal of tone to your final quilt by how you arrange the blocks, and by the colors you use for what I will be terming "fill in blocks", which you will make yourself after you have your exchange blocks.

 

Colors

Here is the "pallette" of fall colors that I have selected for my own BITA quilt. My usual taste is toward stronger. Many of the participants will select a little softer shades, but they will all mix well. Remember, I am making a whole quilt myself, rather than from the exchange.

 

 

Piecing

Imprecise piecing will, in this unit, result in the points of the top HST, or "bird", being lopped off, or in their missing the edge of the adjoining block. Because our previous TOBE blocks have featured designs that could be made oversized and then trimmed down to exact measurements, I felt some discussion of precise pieciing would be helpful, and this discussion is now a permanent part of The Quilt Shop. Here is a link. I really advise that you study the information and practice the exercises it covers.

Link to Instructions for Perfect Piecing

 

Here are a couple of pictures of Bird in the Air quitls:

 

Each of the quilts above features a master block, or what I am terming an "assembly", of three of the 6 1/2" BITA blocks like those we will be exchanging, plus a solid square in the lower right corner. In essence, the big "assembly" is just a copy of the smaller block. In these two quilts, the maker has used one color for the whole assembly. Because this is an exchange, your three small BITA's in each assembly will be different fabrics and you will to supply the larger solid corner pieces yourselves. This will give a nice scrappy effect. In this exchange we have opted to stick to fall colors.

 

Okay, enough of the cautions, let's get down to some block making. I've taken a lot of pictures, mostly to show possibilities in arranging your blocks once you get them. While the block we are exchanging is simple, the real character of the BITA quilt pattern comes into being when 6 1/2" blocks are arranged into 12 1/2" assemblies. This is where all of the variations can come into play. (While I am busily expressing a lot of enthusiasm for a varied quilt, don't lose sight of the beauty of the traditional all-same-block quilt, either.)

 

 

For eah BITA block, you will need three 3 1/2" HST's and one 3 1/2" solid square. You can make the HST's oversize (see TOBE Block Instructions link above) and trim them down to 3 1/2". I recommend you do this. I cut my fabric pieces, background and fall color prints, to 4 1/2", made the HST's and then trimmed them to 3 1/2".

 

Here you see some 4 1/2" squares that will be made into HST's and some 3 1/2" squares that will be solid corners.

 

Here the 4 1/2" backgrounds have been carefully laid over the fall color print squares, and lines have been drawn from corner to corner, NW to SE.

 

After sewng a seam 1/4" to either side of the the drawn line, I have cut the units on the line, creating triangles that need to be pressed open.

 

Triangles have beenpressed open and will now be trimmed to 3 1/2". Again, if you have any question as to what is going on, see the link above to instructions for making HST's.

 

Here three HST's and one solid square have been laid out ready to sew into a block.

 

 

Sew the top two together to form a top row, then the bottom two to form a bottom row. Use a shy, or scant 1/4" seam.

 

Iron the top row seam over to the side that shows with a white corner lower left, as shown here. Iron the bottom row seam over to the solid square. When you turn them over and line them up correctly, the seams will but rather than overlapping.

This also makes a good point for a mid-process measurement. Ironed open, the width of the pieces should be 6 1/2".

 

Align top and bottom rows and sew, making the completed block. It should measure 6 1/2" in both directions. If it doesn't, adjust the width of your seam, or figure out what's wrong and what you need to do to correct it.

 

 

Lay your 6 1/2" square over the completed block to see how you did on size. It took me three to get the feel for exactly how thin a seam to sew, but this one came out really well. Subsequent ones should be the same. Stop periodcially and check, or check them all. Make sure you are staying on track.

 

 

The exchange consists of the basic blocks as shown. Once you have a lot of blocks, they get assembled into 4 block units that should measure 12 1/2". This is where you can introduce a lot of variation into your quilt top. Study the following pictures for different possibilites.

 

 

 

Here is the "basic", or most common arrangement for Bird in the Air. The large unit is a reflection of the small one, with a solid block in the corner.

 

Here, all small blocks have been used, a regular block substituting for the large solid square in the corner.

 

Here, a 6 1/2" HST has been substituted for the corner, creating a larger bird to provide variety with the smaller ones.

 

Here, a small block is used in the SE corner, but two larger HST's are used in the SW and NE corners.

 

And here, the two large HST's are used as in the last picture, but a large solid square is used in the SE corner. By varying your larger "sets", you can have quite a varied quilt. Some will like that, some will prefer the uniform look of the traditional quilt. Don't lose sight of the fact that you can also provide a variation by including one or two large sets using the Advanced or 9 Patch BITA block being made in the other part of this Fall exchange.

 

 

Here is a set made up by Damascus Annie. She has opted for softer shades of fall colors. You'll be getting all kinds of color variation in you squishie packs when the exchange is over.

 

 

Anotehr Damascus Annie set...

 

 

 

And here is a set I made up in a hurry before we settled on mixed autumn colors. I've played a little arragnement trick on you here... I've reversed the block... it's "upside down". Quilts are sometimes made in this arrangement and called "Fish". I think you can see the swimming fish image.

 

Another variation that is seen is this treatment, kind of like a photo negative, where the background and color are reversed. In this one, they have been reversed, and mounted in the upside down orientation. However, I suspect the "bird" image would still prevail in a larger setting, especially if the colors were bold.

 

Sorry about the small size here, but that's the way I got the photo. this is another arrangement variation from Damascus Annie.

 

and here's another one. I have to say that hile this block can be arranged in many ways, like most blocks, only the "traditional" one shown at the top of the page is "Birds in the Air" to me, since it is the only one that gives me the sense of movement, of birds taking off from the lower right corner and flying aways.

 

The sense of movement of this quilt can also be enhanced by color and size arrangement. If you provide a fair amount of size variation, and put the larger "birds" in the lower right, gradually shiftin to the smallest ones in the upper left, there will be an increased sense of birds flying aways. Concentrating the darker birds lower left and lighter ones toward the upper right will have the same effect.

I am going to work on a really varied quilt top, and as soon as I have it done, will add a picture to this page.

 

Well, that's it for now. This should enable you to get up and running making good quality "Simple" BITA blocks. For those who plan to do the Advanced, or 9 patch, BITA blocks, Elaine has made up a set of directions for that block, and I will be posting that in the next day or so.

Thanks for your patience...

Captain Dick