Girl Next Door - Month 1 - School House Block June 01 2020 3 Comments

IT IS A PREREQUISITE OF MAKING THIS BLOCK THAT YOU HAVE A COPY OF THE PATTERN GIRL NEXT DOOR BY LOUISE PAPAS FOR THE JEN KINGWELL DESIGN COLLECTIVE.  YOU CAN PURCHASE YOUR PATTERN HERE AND/OR THE FABRIC KITS HERE.

Happy June!  Charlotte (@Kirkenoll) here. Welcome to the first month of our 2020 Quilt-Along!  We are so excited to host this QAL again...it is such a sweet, scrappy medallion quilt. This month, we are going to complete the Center Schoolhouse Block.

Each month, I will share the fabric we used at Red Thread Studio in our original shop sample in 2018 and then layout the cutting checklist.  I have also provided cutting tabs that you can download and print out.  These are useful to keep track of the various pieces used in this scrappy quilt.  At the end, I will also give some useful tips that I encountered when piecing the sample.

Feel free to comment here, on Instagram or in the Girl Next Door Quilt-Along Facebook group with any questions.  Don't forget to share your photos of your work in progress either on Instagram or Facebook! Just use the hashtag #GirlNextDoorQAL.

Choose Your Fabric

Cutting Checklist (T= Template)

Schoolhouse Front Fabric

• 8 x T1 - 1 ½  x  4
• 2 x T2 - 1 ½  x  4 ¼
• 1 x T3 - 1 ¼  x  9 ¾ - cut 1st horizontally
• 1 x T4 - 1      x  9 ¾ - cut 1st horizontally

Schoolhouse Side Fabric

• 4 x T5 - 2 ⅛  x  4
• 1 x T6 - 1 ½  x  5 ½
• 1 x T7 - 1 ¼  x  5 ½
• 1 x T8 - 1 ¾  x  5 ½

Schoolhouse Front Roof Fabric

• 1 x T9 - use template - @5 x 13 (I had to tilt the front roof template to fit which put it on the bias which was a little tricky if using a Fat Sixteenth)

• 1 x T10 - use template - @6 x 6

Assorted Prints - can rotary cut or use template to fussy cut

• 7 x T11 - windows - 2 ¼  x  4
• 1 x T12 - door - 2 ¼  x  5
• 2 x T13 - chimneys - 1 ½  x  1 ¾

Background Fabric

• 1 x T14 - 1 ¼  x  9 ¾
• 1 x T15 - 1 ¼  x  10 ½
• 1 x T16 - use template    \
• 1 x T17 - use template ---- Use 6” square for all 3
• 1 x T18 - use template    /
• 1 x T19 - 1 ½  x  3
• 1 x T20 - 1 ½  x  8 ½
• 1 x T21 - 1 ½  x  2 ½

Schoolhouse Block Borders- wait to cut

Schoolhouse block should measure 20 ½ square so might need to adjust these borders to get that final size.

I like to make the block larger then cut down to exact size.

• 2  - 15 ½  x  3
• 2  - 20 ½  x  3

Schoolhouse Cutting Tabs

If you wish you can cut up tabs and place with your cut fabric pieces.  See attached Cutting Tabs. 

Follow Pattern Assembly instructions to piece Center Schoolhouse block

• Make sure you line up windows vertically during piecing.

• Match chimney edges with edges of roof.

• Schoolhouse block should measure 20 ½ inches square so you might need to adjust final borders to get that final size. I like to make the block larger then cut down to exact size.

When block is completed give it a final press on a fluffy towel using just a little Magic Sizing to flatten all the seams nicely.

Show us your Schoolhouse Blocks!