This week Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic introduced Block 4 Roman Cross for the Moda Block Heads 2 quilt along. The completed block measures 12.5″ and is made up of 41 little pieces. But don’t let that and the biased edges intimidate you! My block came together easily and every piece aligned beautifully. I’ll share my tip below. All to say I couldn’t be happier with my newest block for my Sweet Summertime quilt.

These are the two 12.5″ blocks so far: Stellar Star and Roman Cross.

And these are the 6.5″ blocks: Pennsylvania and Buckeye Beauty

Quilt Block Pressing Tip

When I made my Pineapple Punch quilt earlier this month, I prepared all my fat quarters for cutting by ironing them with Best Press. As I cut and pieced the quilt, I was amazed by how much more accurate my blocks seemed to be. I credited it with the Simple Folded Corners ruler. That definitely made a difference, but now I’m convinced that ironing my fabric with Best Press contributed to the accuracy more than I realized.

For my Sweet Summertime (Block Heads 2) quilt, I’m using charm squares and leftover yardage from other projects. So I decided to use Best Press on all those small pieces to minimize stretching as I cut and sewed. However, I ran out of Best Press. Uh oh! So I pulled out my old bottles of spray starch and Magic Sizing. I started with the starch and quickly emptied that bottle as well, so I picked up the Magic Sizing while working on Roman Cross. Whoa, it was hands down the best performer! With a light spray and press with a dry iron, my fabric had much more body (stiffness), allowing me to cut and stitch the small pieces without any distortion. That’s why all my pieces came together perfectly!

Now I know why professional quilters take the time to starch their fabrics; it makes a huge difference! I’m not ready to soak my fabric in a starch bath and air dry it — I definitely need something less messy and faster — so I will take the easy step of spraying Magic Sizing on fabric and pressing with a dry iron before I cut. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Quilt Along with the Moda Block Heads

I encourage you to quilt along with the Moda designers for Block Heads 2: the block patterns are free and you can use any fabric you wish. I’m using my stash of fat quarters, yardage, leftover pieces, and charm squares from several lines of Fig Tree and Company fabric. My quilt will definitely have a summertime vibe, thus the moniker Sweet Summertime. Plus, I consider it as a usable library of all my favorite fabric lines mixed together like a summer fruit salad.

Joyfully,

Tracie

This week I’m linking up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict (Whoop Whoop Fridays).