Knot garden for August 2013

In 2011 we made a Garden Maze block that was so popular I was tempted to do nothing but garden blocks forever & ever.  It remains the most accessed quilting post on this blog & when I get requests to use one of the Facebook Quilt Block Swap block pattern chances are 3-to-1 this is the block being asked after (& the next runner up was Floral Sunny Lanes which puzzled me because there are other versions of that one out there, including on Quilters Cache).  Anyhow, it was a good one, but I resisted a repeat of anything even similar...until now.

The August 2013 Facebook Quilt Block Swap block is Knot Garden.  Like the Garden Maze, it is a pretty, mostly simple block that multiplies nicely. 

You will need three (3) different fabrics. fabric A & fabric B can be any color, but fabric A should be a large scale print & fabric B a small scale & both of them should have a garden-type theme (either leaves or birds or flowers or something).  Before you dismiss the idea, keep in mind that large & small scale are relative -the only comparison you need to worry about is your fabrics to each other; your large scale might be someone else's small scale & that is OKay.  Also, you in the event you cannot locate two different scale floral/garden/nature prints, it is OKay to use a solid or read-as-solid for your small scale.  Please cut fabrics A & B into 2" strips or squares & make two (2) four-patches for each Knot Garden block 3.5" x 3.5" square.

Fabric C should be green.  It doesn't have to be solid green or read-as-solid green or even green & nothing but gree, but you should look at each square you cut from it & be able to honesty say "that is a more green than any other color fabric".  For each Knot Garden block you will need two (2) 3.5" squares of fabric C.  You will also need two (2) additional 2" squares of either fabric A or fabric B.  Using a pencil, draw a line from one corner to the other the back of the 2" square; this will be your stitching line not your stitching guide, so please use something that will not bleed through. 

You will need two of each:  two four patches & two corner pieces.  Lay them out & check them twice & then check them again because it is crazy-easy to mess up.  You want to be sure the corners of either fabric A or B (whichever you used for the corner flip) are NOT right next to the same fabric in the four patch.  The completed block should be 6.5" unfinished & ultimately 6" finished.

As always we swap in sets of FIVE (5).  Please send your five (5) blocks to arrive the last Saturday in August, August 31, 2013.  We do have a 6th block volunteer for this one, so please if you are swapping five blocks (& getting five blocks back) think about tossing an extra (6th) block in there for this swap's 6th blocker.

Finally, if you not currently part of the swap group, but you are interested in joining our swap group, you are very very welcome BUT it would make my life A LOT easier if you joined through Facebook.   Log into Facebook, search "quilt block swap" & find the Group.  Ask to join & you should be approved within a day or two.  If you are not on Facebook, but still interested, leave a comment here.