Road to Llano #11

In the next instructions (#12), I will give a border chart for the non-pieced borders.  For today, we’re going to make the pieced border.  This is the block.

I’ll be out of town all day today so if there’s a question or something doesn’t look right, please hold up til I can get you an answer.  I think this should be pretty easy but . . with my directions, you never know!

NOTE #1:  If you look at the Road to Llano top I finished yesterday (or you might not want to), I made my border blocks mirror images of the ones shown below.  I made the first block, put them away, wrote the pattern, made the second quilt, and when I got back to working on the first one, realized they were different but they work fine and probably no one would have noticed had I not mentioned it.  Be careful how you make  them.  Doesn’t really matter which way you do it . . just so you make them all the same.  Look at the one shown below and make them all like that and don’t pay any attention to the top I showed yesterday, ok?  🙂

NOTE #2:  When sewing this block together, please be careful with your seam allowances.  I tend to veer off a bit towards the end of my seams and no matter how careful I am, or what foot I use, I have to pay very close attention or I always do it.  Do you do that?  This block has two seams and the borders will consist of 20+ blocks.  If you’re off by even 1/16th of an inch on your seam allowance, when you sew two pieces together, (1/16 + 1/16 on each piece of fabric), one seam could throw you off by 1/8″ and with two seams, that could throw each block off by 1/4″.  Twenty blocks for the border x 1/4″ each and you could end up with 5″ inches of error.  My suggestion is to make few blocks, press them and measure.  Make sure they are 3-1/2″ and if not, take whatever measures you need to take so they’re coming out right. You’ll thank me later!

88 blocks are needed.  They will measure 3″ finished/3-1/2″ unfinished.

For all three steps below, use the same method as used in Instructions #2.

Fabric 2:
4 – 1-1/2″ strips

Fabric 4:
4 – 1-1/2″ strips
4– 2-1/2″ strips

Fabric 5:
4 – 1-1/2″ strips
8 – 2-1/2″ strips

1.  Sew the 1-1/2″ strips of Fabric 5 to two of the 2-1/2″ strips of Fabric 4.  Make 4 strip sets.  Press the seam allowance towards Fabric 5.  Cut into 88 – 1-1/2″ segments.

2.  Sew the 1-1/2″ strips of Fabric 4 to two of the 2-1/2″ strip of Fabric 5.  Make 4 strip sets.  Press the seam allowance towards Fabric 5. Cut into 88 – 1-1/2″ segments.

3.  Sew the 1-1/2″ strips of Fabric 2 to the 2-1/2″ strips of Fabric 5.  Make 4 strip sets.  Press the seam allowance towards Fabric 6.  Cut into 88 – 1-1/2″ segments.

Sew those segments into 88 blocks as shown above.