Nordik Tutorial number one and two!

If you read yesterday's post here you will know I am wanting to make a Nordik Winter quilt with help from my bee.   I have already made some blocks but want to allow them a choice in selecting a block within a Nordik theme!

In case they really are up against it I am writing tutorials to show how I made my blocks but it also help me remember too!

This first one is so easy that you are bound to know how to make this already!

I am making another of these little blocks

Cut six strips of fabric 1.5" wide and stitch together in a pleasing arrangement.   You do want to ensure you have different colours on each end!

Now you carefully stitch each strip with a quarter inch seam in a straight line till all six strips are joined together as above

Press seams to the dark side! Cut strips across the seams in straight lines at 1.5" intervals.  

Next you alternate the strips - now you know why the end strips need to be different colours!

Now stitch up the new strips matching your nesting seams and your block is complete!  See photo at the top!  

Best to press at each stage and not be lazy like me who unearthed my crumpled strip set from under a heap of fabric and thought it was too hot to get the iron out!


The second tutorial is to make this block - 

It looks complicated but uses the same techniques of building up a strip block as above.

This time the strips are 1.5" and 0.75" wide .   

Make two strip sets one with white print 1.5" strips and red solid 0.75" strips 

and the other with red print 1.5" strips and white 0.75".
  

Once the strip sets are complete carefully press to the dark side again.

Now comes the big difference.  Instead of cutting across your strip set at right angles as before you now use the 45 degree angle on your ruler to cut diagonally across the first strip set.

You will have a bit of wastage with this technique - making the first angle cut to get your 45 degrees line. Thereafter you line up your ruler as shown.

As I'm re-using my strip sets I cannot show you the triangle I cut off when I first made a 45 degree cut but that is what you do!

See below the ruler markings I am lining up to the edges of my fabric - I turned the photo around so you might see better but it is the same photo and you don't need to do this!

And cut!

Next you cut the second set in the opposite direction - this is the bit that does my head in!  I've learnt my lesson - check twice by putting your first strip on your second strip set and cut once!

Oops just showing the 45 degree angle in this photo - you still need to cut at 1.5"

Stitch the different coloured strips in pairs making chevrons and matching seams.  There is a bit of bias stretch in these strips which can work to your advantage to match those seams.  

Now stitch the pairs until you have the desired length of block.  You will need to trim it square.

In case you are interested this is called Seminole patchwork and was used by the Seminole people who often made very elaborate patterns in this way.  

This is just one possibility prompted by a Scandinavian knitting pattern - a very simple way to make something look quite complicated!  I love it!