Kaleidoscope Quilt Blocks

From the sewing room

I’ve started working this week on blocks for a kaleidoscope throw-sized quilt. Thought I’d share a brief tutorial today on making kaleidoscope blocks from squares. They’re really easy to do. Once you get the basic measuring and cutting the strips done, you’ll move quickly through cutting and sewing the blocks. You'll have quite a lot of variety from just one single fabric. 

I suggest that you read through the steps before beginning, to get the overall picture of where you’re headed.

I used some fabric from my stash, and as you think about what fabric to use, choose fabric with medium to large motifs, with minimal solid background. Small motifs won’t give much variety, and a lot of solid background won’t give much of a kaleidoscope effect.

This fabric would give lots and lots of variety and color to the blocks, if you're going for a wow effect.

The fabric below is what I chose to use for my purposes. I'm making this throw to match a bedroom, so I'm looking for a more subdued effect.

(1) To cut the fabric for your blocks, first measure the repeat (like wallpaper) from one motif point in the fabric to the same next motif point. You’ll need a repeat of at least 8 inches. The longer the repeat, the more fabric will be needed. As the picture to the left shows, I measured from the beginning of a flower petal to the beginning of the next same flower petal. This fabric has a 14¾-inch repeat. I rounded up to 15 inches to make the math easier.

(2) I needed 60 (15x4) inches of fabric. I cut a couple of inches extra for some wiggle room, measuring at 62 inches. (My cutting mat starts with "1 inch" on the right, so I measured from the right, cutting on the left edge as the picture below shows.)

(3) Cut all the way vertically across the fabric, from the selvage to the fold.

(4) Then I snipped the fabric at the fold line and tore it in half lengthwise. You can cut down the fold if you choose. Tearing gives the straight of the grain and is faster, but it really doesn’t matter whether you cut or tear for this step.

(5) Iron the fabric.

(6) Cut fabric strips at your repeats from the selvage to the top. My cuts were every 14¾ inches. Yours will be whatever measurement your repeat pattern is. You should now have 4 pieces of fabric strips as wide as your repeats, all the same repeat pattern.

(7) Stack the four strips on top of one another, selvages together. 
  
 





(8) Choose a point about a ½-inch to an inch from the edge and stick it with a pen that will be your guide as you go. 






(9) Stick the pen through all four layers, making sure it enters each fabric layer at the same point on your motif.

 




(10) Choose another point with another guide pin and stick it through all layers. Stand the two pins vertically and smooth the fabric. 

 
(11) Anchor beside those points with additional pins. Slide the pins in at an angle so as not to scoot the fabric as the pin goes in. Flathead pins are a good choice here so your ruler will lie flat as you straighten the edges in the next step. Continue pinning all around the perimeter of your 4-layer fabric strip set.

(12) If the long edges of the fabric set are uneven, trim them so they will be even. I'm cutting from the back side of the fabric in this picture because my shortest piece was on the bottom. When I trimmed the other side, the shortest piece was on the top, so I trimmed from the front side of the fabric.

 

(13) At 3½-inch intervals, cut the fabric into 4 strips, from the selvage edge to the top. You may need to readjust the pins so as not to run over them with your rotary cutter.

 

 (14) Trim the short edge of each strip set. 

(15) Choose one strip set and put the others aside for now. Cut the strip set at 3½-inch intervals, which now will give you 4 layers of identical 3½-inch squares.

  

(16)Take one set of squares and lay them out so that a particular part of a motif is pointing toward the center.

(17) Rotate them a quarter turn to see the change. Do that for 4 (or 3 if you count the first layout) rotations and see which one you like best.  

I chose the first rotation above for my block.

 

 

(18) After choosing the rotation you like, sew the top two squares together with a ¼-inch seam allowance. Press the seam allowance to one side. Then sew the bottom two squares together in the same manner and press. 

 

  
(19) Sew these two units together, being sure to keep all four motifs pointing toward the center. Press the seam. (Click here for some ways to press your seams. I like to press the seams away from each other to reduce bulk in the center.)

You’ve just completed one block!

Continue making as many blocks as you want for your project. I like to lay mine out as I finish them so I can try to get as much variety in new blocks as possible.

Sometimes a block just might not be one you’d want to use, like the one on the left. I think there’s just too much white in the center for a kaleidoscope look. But I’ve got plenty of others to choose from.

Check back next weekend, and I’ll show you what I’m doing with my blocks this coming week. I won't be finished, but you'll see the progress I've made on it. That will encourage me to set aside some time during the week to get back to the sewing room. :-)