The Colorful Fabriholic: Paintbrush Studio New Block Blog Hop: Beary Goosey Block

Welcome to my stop on the Paintbrush Studio New Block Blog Hop! Paintbrush Studio (formerly known as Fabri-Quilt) has generously sponsored this new block design blog hop by providing FQ cuts of the Ocean Sunrise color palette to all participants. Each designer creates a block and writes a tutorial for it, which you can see by visiting all the posts. Then all the blocks will be used in donation quilts. Stephanie @Late Night Quilter, Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs, andYvonne @Quilting Jetgirl are hosting this project.

The Beary Goosey block is for the intermediate level sewist. Some experience with flying geese, HSTs, and bias seams is recommended, although this block would be a great skill-builder for a confident beginner.

My block uses four of the six colors in the palette, Midnight, Bordeaux, Peach, and White. Prewashing the fabrics is recommended to preshrink the fabrics and remove any excess dye.

Instructions are written for one block which will finish at 12" (12-1/2" unfinished). All seams are 1/4".

Cutting and Prep:

- Midnight:

o Cut 1 (one) 6-1/2” square

o Cut 2 (two) 3-7/8” squares and mark each on the diagonal

- Bordeaux:

o Cut 1 (one) 7-1/4” square

o Cut 1 (one) 4” square

o Cut 1 (one) 3-7/8” square and cut on the diagonal for two triangles

- Peach:

o Cut 2 (two) 3-7/8” squares and mark each on the diagonal

o Cut 1 (one) 3-1/2” square and mark on the diagonal

- White:

o Cut 1 (one) 6-7/8” square and cut on the diagonal for two triangles. Set one aside; only one is needed for the block.

o Cut 1 (one) 4” square and mark on the diagonal

The Beary Goosey Block is assembled in quadrants.

1. Midnight Quadrant:

a. Snowball the corner: Place the marked 3-1/2” peach square together with the large Midnight square. Stitch on the marked line. (For a bonus HST which is not used in this block, stitch again ½” away from the first line of stitching.)

b. Cut ¼” outside the sewn line (or between the stitching if making the bonus HST) and press the corner out.

2. Flying Geese Quadrants:

a. Place two 3-7/8” peach squares on large Bordeaux square as shown and stitch ¼” on each side of the marked diagonal line.

b. Cut on the line between the stitching and press the points out.

c. Align a 3-7/8” Midnight square on each unit and stitch ¼” on each side of the marked diagonal.

d. Cut on the diagonal and press the corners out; trim. You now have two mirror-image pairs.

e. Sew matching pairs together to form block quadrants.

3. Geese in the air quadrant:

a. Make HST: Place the 4” white square together with the 4” Bordeaux square. Sew ¼” on each side of the marked diagonal. Cut between the stitching lines. Press one HST open and square up to 3-1/2”. (Set aside one HST, not needed for one block).

b. Sew wings onto HST: Align one Bordeaux triangle as shown, stitch and press the point outward. Then align the other triangle and stitch. Press and trim.

c. Sew large white triangle to Bordeaux triangle assembly, press outward, and trim. If any dark seam allowances show under the white, carefully trim them away.

Final Block Assembly:

1. Lay out block quadrants as shown. Be sure that the Midnight triangles of the flying geese units are next to the Midnight quadrant.

2. Sew quadrants into rows. Press toward the white and Midnight quadrants. Join rows together; press.

Ta-Done!

You can create some really interesting and unique layouts using the Beary Goosey Block. Some secondary surprises happen when you rotate the blocks different ways. In some cases the peach triangles come together to make even more Flying Geese. Here are illustrations of a few layouts.

Left: Paws in the corners; Right: Diagonal set

Left: Straight set; Right: Paws together

Left: Streak of lightning; Right: Spinning

(note the peach pinwheels where four blocks come together)

I hope you enjoy the Beary Goosey Block and what you can do with it! Check out the other designers participating in the Paintbrush Studio blog hop:

Monday March 28: Host: Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl

Tuesday March 29: Host: Cheryl @Meadow Mist Designs

Today: Host: Stephanie @Late Night Quilter

and check out today's bloggers listed below: