Hi and welcome to only the second edition to our Moda BOM blog posts. Firstly let me apologise for not keeping up to the posts as we have posted out the monthly blocks. I aiming to get back on track for you as soon as possible.

In the meantime the lovely Jules (aka @Juleskerry_s) stepped in to give us a run down on the latest block she made with some helpful guidance for us all.

Without further ado over to Jules -

I would like to talk a little about Kona solids before I start. These are beautiful fabrics and they make fabulous quilts. The colours are stunning. The fabrics are a little heavier than what you may be used to. They tend to frey and once they are cut on the bias (diagonally) they stretch very easily. Once I have my pieces cut out, I handle them as little as possible.

I use a quilting needle for my machine, a size 75, as these needles have a sharper point (the universal needles have a more rounded point). These needles go through the fabric much easier.

I use a 1/4 inch foot with guide, flatter when pressing (not ironing-this stretches the material), this really gets those creases out. I press one colour at a time, cut it and put it to one side, then go through all the colours to make the block. I also use Aurifil threads.

I am starting with block 8 as I have photographs to show how I
assembled the blocks. I didn’t take photos of the other blocks but I’m hoping this will show you how to construct them using the pattern.

Cut out all your fabrics using the Block cutting guide at the bottom of the pattern. Where you have a square to cut diagonally, pick those pieces up carefully not to stretch them, and then put them to one side. When you cut a square diagonally twice, place the square on point, cut top to bottom and carefully pick the ruler up and cut right to left. This stops you handling the fabric too much.

When you have all your pieces cut out, place the pieces on your mat to match the picture.

Stand back and check theses are correct. If you are not sewing them straight away put your ruler on top so they can’t be moved. (I use my big 20″ square ruler). Pick pieces up, stitch and put them back down in the same place, this way they won’t get stitched the wrong way.

Making up your flying geese using one B and two C pieces. Match your first side of C with B, the top will be slightly over, this is okay.

Stitch a 1/4″ seam, press seam to set the press over to the dark side and trim.

Line the other C on the opposite side, stitch and repeat.

Do this with the remaining B & C blocks to give you 16 flying geese.

To prepare to attach D piece to your flying geese, fold in half one flying geese unit, pressing with your finger, this will show when opened.

Repeat with D piece.

Lay this on top of the flying geese unit, matching up the creases, sew in place. Set the seam then press open and trim.

Once you have the four flying geese unit together with the D piece on top we need to attach the E piece (orange triangle). See pic for placing.

Stitch, then attach the other triangle E to the other side. Repeat with one other set of four geese & D.

The centre of the block is one centre square A, two lots of four flying geese and two D’s.

Joining the sides to the centre, butt your seams together (see pic) put a pin in to secure. When sewing remove pin, don’t sew over the top it.

And there you have your final block

I’d just like to say thanks again to Jules.

We will be working hard to put up pointers and tips for the remaining blocks and get these posts up to date for you all. We’d love to have a finished quilt top at the end of the year and see yours too.

So here are the other BLOCKS from Jules with posts to follow…

Block 2

Block 3

Block 4

Block 5

Block 6