Decadence Stitch-Along - Month 10 - Houndstooth Border - Block 5 December 15 2019

As we adventure into the Christmas season, how many of you are baking cookies, shopping, decorating the tree, wrapping gifts, and of course, still working on some of your gifts? I still have one gift that I haven't even started.  As a result of this busy time of year, I've chosen a simple and fast block for you to create. It uses 1-1/2" templates, only 31 pieces and the fussy cuts are rather simple. 

TIPS: 

The more I work with fussy cutting, the more my eye adapts to looking at fabrics in a different way. My eye seems to focus on the potential for fussy cuts and what fun when a piece of fabric has numerous sections which can be utilized. I like to scroll through Instagram and study the works of other stitchers giving me more insight to the procedure. Be adventurous and enjoy the process.

As you have been following my instructions for fussy cutting, I hope you are understanding how to select your own fabrics and fussy cuts for future quilts. Listed below are types of designs which quite often fussy cut well. There will always be some exceptions to these suggestions. 

• Symmetrical prints make fussy cutting easy. The fabric does the work for you.
• Thin stripes are excellent. They give movement to the piece.
• Border stripes with interesting designs may give you more than one section to work with.
• Designs that are small enough to completely fill in the template you are using. (This does not mean centering a simple motif in your cut.)
• Designs that have the same design facing in opposite directions.
• One color tone on tone fabric with different and varied designs running throughout.
• Tiny dots that are randomly spaced.

Examples of fabric designs which I generally do not use for fussy cutting include solids, small overall prints, large geometric prints. When shopping, bring along your Magic Mirror and some template viewers. In my early fussy cutting days, I basted a lot of cuts which ultimately did not work. And years later, I still do this, only not as often. 

FABRICS USED IN THIS MONTH'S ROUND ARE:

• Black with Large Floral
• Black with Green Border Stripe
• Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers
• Peacock Feathers
• Black and White Houndstooth
• Background Fabric

FABRIC CHOICES AND FUSSY CUTS:

1) The center is a 1-1/2" Hexagon cut from the Black with Large Floral fabric. Notice how a tiny blue flower is placed in the center.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Black with Large Floral fabric, CUT ONE 1-1/2" hexagon.

2) The first ring around the center Hexagon is comprised of 1-1/2" Hexagons cut from the green area of the Black with Green Border Fabric. These are NOT identical. Cut from an area of the green where there are some pink flowers.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Green area of the Black with Green Border Fabric, CUT SIX 1-1/2" hexagons.

These will be sewn around the center Hexagon. 

3) The second ring around the center is comprised of alternating 1-1/2" Hexagons and 1-1/2" Jewels.  

The 1-1/2" Hexagons are cut from the Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers fabric. These are NOT identical.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers fabric, CUT SIX 1-1/2" Hexagons.

The 1-1/2" Jewels are fussy cut from the Peacock Feathers fabric. Notice how the stem of the feather points into the center of the point of the Jewel. And the plume of the feather, in the wide part of the jewel, leaves a small amount of black space between the feather and the top seam. 

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Peacock Feathers fabric, CUT SIX 1-1/2" Jewels.

The Jewels and the Hexagons will alternate around the Black with Green Border Print Hexagons.

4) The final set of fussy cuts are 1-1/2" Half Hexagons cut from the Black and White Houndstooth fabric. Place a darker black stripe along the outside wide edge. Cut each piece identical so that, when joined they will all match the same.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Black and White Houndstooth fabric, CUT TWELVE 1-1/2" Half Hexagons. Join two together along the shortest side. Make six sets. These will be sewn between the points of the Peacock Feather Jewels.

Lastly, appliqué your completed Round to the center of an 18 inch square of background fabric. The square will later be trimmed to 17-1/2 inches.

NOW, OUR DECEMBER HOUNDSTOOTH BORDER - BLOCK #5 ROUND IS FINISHED. Don't forget to post your progress on Instagram and/or Facebook with #DecadenceSAL. You could win a great prize from Jen. And check out Red Thread Studio for some great Christmas shopping for sewing friends or yourself. As always, feel free to ask questions.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night of sewing!