Poplun: New Growth {part 4}

Quilt-A-Long, Part 4: Checkers?

Welcome to the New Growth Quilt-A-Long. If you need to catch up on the Quilt-A-Long, you can visit Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3. Be sure to share your progress pictures and fabric selections with the Flickr Group!

Main Color Checkerboard: In Part 3, step 4, you made 16 - 2.5” main color + white block units. You’ll need all 16 units for steps 1-5. Give them a quick press if it’s been awhile since you’ve constructed them, just to make sure you’re working with nice, crisp units.

1. Pin two units right-sides-together so that the colors are alternating, as pictured.

If you pressed your seams towards the colored fabric, your seams should nest together and line up nicely.

2. Sew together and press seam open.

3. Repeat with remaining 14 – 2.5” main color + white block units to create a total of 8 - 2x6 checkerboard units.

{Note}: For speedier assembly, do all your pinning first and then you can chain-piece the blocks at once.

4. Pin two 2x6 checkerboard units together end-to-end (with colors still alternating!!), as pictured. Sew together and press seam open. Repeat with remaining 6 – 2x6 checkerboard units to create a total of 4 – 2x12 checkerboard units.

5. Pin two 2x12 checkerboard units together, end-to-end (with colors still alternating!!). Sew together and press seam open. Repeat with the remaining 2 – 2x12 checkerboard units to create a total of 2 – 2x24 checkerboard units.

More Checkerboards: In Part 2, steps 6 & 7, you made 12 - 2.5” tri-color + white block units in four different color combinations. You’ll need all of those units for the next few steps. Again, give them a quick press, if needed!

6. Pin an A-B-C unit right sides together with a C-D-E unit, as pictured. The white blocks should be alternating.

Sew together and press seam open. Repeat with remaining 11 A-B-C and C-D-E blocks to create a total of 12 – 2x6 checkerboard units in this color combination (We’ll call it Combo #1).

7. Pin a D-E-F unit right sides together with a F-A-B unit, as pictured, with the white blocks alternating.

Sew together and press seam open. Repeat with remaining D-E-F and F-A-B blocks to create a total of 12 – 2x6 checkerboard units in this color combination (Combo #2).

8. Pin a combo #2 block to the bottom of a combo #1 block, as pictured. Sew together and press seam open. Repeat to make a total of 6 – 4x6 checkerboard units.

9. Pin a combo #1 block to the bottom of a combo #2 block (the opposite of what you did in step #8). Sew together and press seam open. Repeat to make a total of 6 – 4x6 checkerboard units.