STATE BLOCK CHALLENGE WEEK 4 ARIZONA

I hope that everyone is having fun! I am enjoying the challenge myself! Not only is it a challenge for me to design and chose fabrics for each block but also a challenge to keep up with you! I know you all look forward to Sunday, so I work my hardest to get them done for you. 

I do these along with designing quilts for various fabric companies, making quilts for publication and making samples for other quilters. It keeps me very busy. I remember when raising my kids hearing them say "I'm bored!" I can't say that I have ever been bored. I have been crafting since I was eight and sewing clothes since I was 11 so I have always had something to do in my spare time.

This weeks winners of the Alaska Blocks A and B are:

Beth Caldwell. Congratulations Beth! She won last weeks block A too. Way to go Beth!

 
Block 2B's winner is Mary Steimle. She also won last week's block B! I didn't get a chance to post information about Mary in the last post, so here is what she sent me. 

"My quilting journey began in 2003. In 2011 a quilt called "Mardi Gras" appeared in the "Love of Quilting" magazine as a "challenging" quilt pattern.  I had to make the quilt! Toby Lischko was that pattern's designer. In 2015 the Sandhills Quilting Guild hosted Toby's "Glorified Nine Patch with a Twist" workshop and I had to get into that class.  Toby taught all of us such wonderful techniques. The "State Block Challenge" appeals to me for a couple of reasons.  On my quilting to do list are a state block sampler and a quilt that utilizes her fussy cutting and mirror techniques. The variety of challenging block designs keeps this project fresh and exciting. I think that my quilting is improving because my best efforts are put forth each week to make as perfect of a block as I can - just two blocks - no boring repetition. Toby, thank you so much for this challenge.  We all look forward to new designs each week."

Here is her block.

I am so excited that everyone is really getting into this!

On to Arizona blocks A and B. Both blocks have lots of pieces but block B is a challenge.

Block 4A

I chose a light background, medium light contrast, dark center and the light fabric for fussy cutting.

Here is what you need to cut: (If using the templates pay attention to the grainline arrow.)
Theme fabric: (Template C) Fussy cut (4) 2-1/2" x 4-1/2".
Background: (4) 2-1/2" squares or Template A.
     (10) 3" squares or (20) Template B
Medium Light: (10) 3" squares or (20) Template B.
Dark: (1) 4-1/2" square or Template D.

BLOCK CONSTRUCTION
Making half-square triangles. You can either use Template B and cut them out and sew them together or do the following.
Step 1: Place the 3" background squares and 3" medium light squares right sides together. You can either draw a line on the back of one of the pairs and sew 1/4" on each side, then cut them apart. Or cut each pair in half diagonally and sew them together. Press to medium fabric. I like to trim the corners of the triangles with one of my templates. Make (20) half-square triangle sets. Trim each pair to equal 2-1/2" square.

Step 2: Sew two of the half-square triangles, light sides together as illustrated. Press to the side. Make (4).

Step 3: Layout all of the pieces as illustrated. the sewn pairs are in the center on all sides. Sew patches together across. Then sew rows together. Press in the direction of the arrows.

Block 4B

For this block I chose the dark theme fabric, a light background, and two dark contrast fabrics. This block I had the hardest time figuring out which fabrics to use with the theme fabric! I suggest you use the templates for all of the pieces in this block. Because the triangles are pieced to odd shapes, the triangle templates with the trimmed corners make piecing it so much easier. No guesswork as to where to put the patches when sewing. (All of those little triangles were a little daunting to me!)

Here is what you need to cut: (Pay attention to the grainline placement arrows.)
Theme fabric: Fussy cut (4) Template D and (4) Template C.
Background: (12) Template A, (16) Template B and (8) Template G. (I just realized I only have four showing).
Contrast dark 1 (purple): (1) Template J.
     Place the fabric wrong sides together and cut (4)Template E(H) left and E(H)
     right. You will get a right and left section at the same time. 
Contrast dark 2 (black): (4) Template I and (4) Template F.

BLOCK CONSTRUCTION
This block is sewn in sections and then the sections are sewn together. You need to measure each section when they are done to make sure that they are the correct size. Otherwise they will not fit together accurately.

Center section
Step 1. Make (4) Flying geese sections with (2) Template G triangles and (1) Template I triangle. You can see that the small and large triangles fit together perfectly. Press to smaller triangle.

Step 2. Lay out the (4) Flying geese sections, (4) Template F squares, and (1) Template J square. Sew together across. Press to F and J.

 

Corner units. Make (4)

Step 3. Lay out (2) Template B, (1) Template A and (1) Template C as illustrated.

Step 4. Sew the Template B triangles to each short side of Template C. Press to small triangles.

Step 5. Sew the Template A triangle to the top. Press to triangle.

Flying Geese pieced section. Make (4)
Step 6. Layout (2) Template B triangles, (2) Template A triangles, a left and right Template E(H) and (1) Template D triangle as illustrated.

Step 7. Sew a Template A to the left and right Template E. Press to A.

  

Step 8.  Sew a Template B to the other side of Template E(H). Make (4) left and (4) right sections. Press to E(H).

Step 9. Sew a left and right pieced section from step 8 to both sides of a Template D triangle.

Putting the pieces together.
Step 10. Layout the center section, (4) corner sections and (4) pieced flying geese sections as illustrated.

Step 11. Sew across and press to pieced Flying Geese sections. Sew rows together and press to pieced Flying Geese sections.

Download template sets here: Open the links and click on the download icon. You need to save them (make a folder for your templates) then open with Adobe reader. Please contact me if you have problems opening them. You do not need any special account to do this.

Arizona Template A
Arizona Template B

I know that I am getting this out late. Sorry. I do have to let you all know that I will be a week late on the next blocks. I have 2 deadlines to meet for finishing quilts and I don't think I will have time to work on new blocks. I promise I will post Week 5 on October 9. Maybe this will help some of you who have started late to catch up.

I do have a request. I would love to know where those who are participating, come from and something about yourself. Please post it in the comment section below so others will know too. Thanks!
 

As always; do what you love and love what you do. I will be posting the voting sites for Block 3 on my social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest) so look for those.