SAL Block #3-- 4" Paddle Wheel

You all have no idea how excited I am to share this next block with you. I have seen a similar block pieced using templates or foundation paper patterns, but never one that is a rotary cut pattern. May I introduce Paddle Wheel, my signature block for this quilt. As always, please read all the instructions prior to cutting.

Cutting Instructions:

From a light background fabric, cut the following:

(2) two 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares, draw a diagonal line on the WSF

(4) four 1" x 2 1/2" rectangles

From a medium fabric, cut (2) two 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares.

From another medium (my cheddar), cut (4) 2" x 2" squares, draw a diagonal line on the WSF.

From a dark fabric, cut (2) two 3" x 3" squares and lightly starch them. Pair the 3 1/2" squares of background with the 3 1/2" squares of medium fabric and make oversized HST units as we have done in previous blocks. Make 4 total and square them to 3" x 3". Don't want to make them oversized, then cut them at 3 3/8" square. Take the 2" squares of cheddar fabric and snowball the medium corners of the 4 HST units you just made.

Cut these new units in half once diagonally to make 8 HSTs. You will only use 4. Look closely at the picture below to know which half to use. Discard the other half or save it. Who knows what we might be able to make with them.

Cut the 3" squares of dark fabric in half once diagonally and pair the HSTs as shown in the picture below. Pay close attention to the placement of the fabrics! RST, sew them together with a scant 1/4" seam.

Press towards the dark fabric and square these new QSTs to 2 1/2" x 2 1/2". If you have not done this before or need a refresher, email me and I will send you an instructional document. I am not computer savvy enough to link it as hard as I tried. The pictures don't arrive!

Lay out the new QST units as shown in the picture on the left. Trim off a 1/2" from the left edge of the unit. This may look scary, but just take your time and make sure you are cutting off the correct edge. Sew a 1" x 2 1/2" rectangle of background to the trimmed edge. Check to make sure you have a 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" square again.

Layout the units according to the block picture below and assemble. I found it imperative to collapse the seams in the center.

I hope you will like this block as much as I do.

To find the word for today's block, I used the first letter of my first born's name (who, by the way, is celebrating his birthday Monday.) In Webster's New World Dicitionary there are only 7 pages devoted to words that start with the letter J. No wonder you get more points for using it in Scrabble. Not many 'big' words either. There is jocund--cheerful and genial. And jujube--fun to say and eat. But I settled on juggernaut--a terrible, irrestible force. That is what designing complex, small scale blocks is for me, a juggernaut.