Broken watermelon plates part 1 for August 2012

The next two swaps are separate swaps BUT they can be combined in equal parts to make a larger overall block (you can see the whole completed quilt in a very different colorway here).  The first part of the component block is due the last Saturday of August.  You do not need to participate in both swaps to participate in one, nor do you need to participate equally in both.  You can make multiple sets for this swap & none for the other or whatever.

The colorway is...watermelon.  This is not so limiting as it sounds:  watermelons include green, from dark to light & well over into the yellows, pink from hot pink to palest baby pink, black, brown, etc.  You will also need a white or white-on-white.

You will need four 3.5" squares of different fabrics in the watermelon colorway, one for each corner of the "plate".   By watermelon colors I mean all your fabrics should be limited to colors found in a watermelon.  The fabrics don't have to show the image of a watermelon (it is better if they don't actually).  They don't even have to read-as-solid (although it is better if at least 1/2 of them are).  Watermelons include green, from dark to light & even some of the greenish yellows, pink from hot pink to palest baby pink, black, brown, etc.

Please do not use blues or purples or anything with a lot of white in either the background or the pattern.  Blue & purple are not generally to be found in watermelon, not a good one anyhow, & white is the other color you will be using for this particular block: one 6.5" square for each.  If there is white in the corner pieces, the whole thing gets kinda blurry.

Let's begin:

Cut four (4) fabrics into 3.5" squares.  Ideally you will have a mix of dark, light & medium fabrics.

With a pencil or a disappearing fabric pencil, you can very faintly mark a straight line from one corner to the other on the BACK of each square.  However, as you will be stitching directly on this line (not 1/4" from it) & you want to be sure there is no line to show through, you could instead fold the squares along the bias & press in the line from corner to corner instead of drawing one.  This second method is how I did it.

Match the square you marked with one corner of the larger white or white-on-white square, right sides together & stitch on this line, creating a solid white or white-on-white diamond surrounded by 4 different watermelon-colored corners.  I find the easiest way is to deal with two opposite corners at a time, then press them back & deal with the other two corners.

& you are done.  That is this whole block, but do not put the scraps away just yet.  The post for the other component of the larger block (due the last Saturday in October, October 27th) is right after this one & you can use some of the same scraps in that one.  Let me stress you do not have to do both, just that they can be put together (in equal parts) to make this quilt, as well as a number of other variations.

As always, we swap in sets of FIVE.  Blocks are due IN HOUSE the last Saturday of August, August 25th. You send five blocks & get five back (you are welcome to include a 6th block for a donation quilt; if no one asks to be the 6th block person you will get your own block back).