Double Square Tutorial for H2H

Today I am guest hosting over at Confessions of a Fabric Addict with the lovely Sarah for the Hands2Help Challenge.  I wanted to share a very easy block to make that is simple to 'quilt math' and a great scrap buster.

This is the Double Square block that, also, goes by the name Squared Star and Spinning Tulip.  It is simply the 'tulip unit' and how you use it.

  

To make the tulip unit you will need one large and two print squares; and two framing background rectangles.  Here is where you use your quilt math.  Your large square can be your choice of size and your two matching small squares (sewn together) equal the width.  I used a 4.5" large square, 2.5" small squares, making my rectangles 2.5" x 4.5" and 2.5" x 6.5".

Let's start stitching - draw a line corner to corner on your two small squares.  You have to pay attention to placement here.  The shorter rectangle has the square placed on the right - sewing out to the corner; and the longer rectangle has the square placed on the left side - sewing out to the corner.

Trim your flip corner seams (keep the little geese or toss).  Now you can just make the Tulip to use as a block - frame it, toss it in different directions, alternate with a plain block, or use two corner to corner for a butterfly look. With this in mind - your flip corners can be pressed out and your rectangles when added (short one first) can be pressed out.

*unfinished size is 6.5"*

Because I am making the Double Square, I pressed the short flip corner out and the long flip corner in - this will help with putting 'tulips' together for the square.

Two tulips upside down so you can see how I pressed the corners so the 'mesh' at the seam lines.  The short rectangle was pressed into the large square and the long rectangle was pressed out - so ALL seams mesh.

I pressed the unit adjoining seams open for a flatter laying block.

This, also, helps with neater block joinings when putting blocks into rows.

You could press your row seams open or press all one row to the right and the next to the left to help with meshing seams.  I did right-to-left and still got a nice flat seam.  *and here you can see, I used two different white-on-whites using up those scraps - if you make this size and number of blocks; one yard of background is needed*

 This is my quilt top set 3 x 4 blocks together and you can see you get an alternating pattern (the white quadrifoils).  You could sash, piano key the outer border - just play with it.  This will be one of my H2H donations locally with our quilt guild's community work.

A fun block, a quick block, a stash eating block, and an easy 'math' block.

Enjoy playing,

Sewingly Yours,

Sharon