What!!! How in the world has three weeks gone by? I have been a little crazy over here finishing up on a couple of projects with deadlines. The first one is this year’s Row by Row. I am so excited about the Row I created for Sew Hip and will be sharing it here with you very soon. Then there is the Halloween quilt I have been making for Riley Blake Designs’s blog tour. It has been my nemesis. So many points. Ahhhh!! This Sew Along has been such a relief to the stress of structure and deadlines. However I have a sneaking suspicion I might get behind this week when making block 3 & 4.

This week we will be putting together the last two blocks of the Modern City Center Quilt, the Shopping Center Block and the Courthouse Steps Block. These are my favorite because they add so much interest to the design of the quilt. I think they really pull the quilt together. I have been struggling with where to place shades of a color in each block . . . Do I want the dark color to fill the block or just be a small accent? So yes, I do second guess, triple think, and remake blocks. I tend to get lost in the possibilities, so sometimes I just jump in and see what happens. You have got to start somewhere, right???

I truly hope you are having a fun time. I’d love to know how the quilt along is going for you. Do you have any questions or want to talk about your blocks? Send me an email (edemoo@brownbirddesigns.com) or leave a comment at the bottom of this blog post. I am so happy that we have a smaller group. Hopefully everyone will get a prize and that makes me smile.

Making Block 3 & 4

Shopping Center Block
Courthouse Steps Block

• Start with the center of the block. 
• Pin and sew each strip of fabric to opposite edges of the square.
• Iron pieces open so you have a nice flat surface to work with. 
• When adding the new piece cover the last seams, this will give you the stair stepped effect, thus the courthouse step name.

How do you piece?? I streamline my process. I love chain piecing and ironing in groups. It saves so much time. For these blocks, start in the center. Pin two pieces to the opposite sides of the square and repeat for as many blocks that you are making. There are three sizes in this pattern, you might be making more or less than someone else in the group. Sew the left side of all your blocks, then flip the chain of blocks around and sew the right side of all your blocks. This will save thread, too. Iron them all open and then trim all the edges straight. As more years go by, I really have come to appreciate trimming. It is time consuming and it can be frustrating, but having a straight edge and taking the guesswork out of where you should line up your next fabric, that makes it worth it.

Last week I mentioned a scant 1/4″. That is because the math adds up, but when I tested the quilt with a generous 1/4″ like normal, my edges didn’t match up as well as normal, leaving more for me to trim off. That is totally okay with me but if you want everything line up, I recommend the scant 1/4″ which is slightly smaller than a 1/4″. These blocks have so many seams that build off of each other so it’s good to keep your seam allowance in check. For me, since these blocks are so big I don’t mind trimming them down.

Enter to win

I love looking at all of your progress photos on Instagram. Share your progress for this week’s topic making block 3 & 4 on Instagram using #modcitycenterquiltalong and #MCCQAblock3&4 (each week this one will change). The more weeks you participate, the greater your chance of winning. When I reveal the next step, I will announce a new winner here on my blog. The prizes will get larger as the quilt progresses, so stick around.

And the winner for week 4 is
@cassie_quilts. Whoop! Whoop!

Privacy on Instagram

Since I want to make this a fun and interactive experience, I would like to use Instagram. If you don’t have it and need help setting it up, let me know. To participate, please make your Instagram account open to the public. If it is not public, I won’t be able to see your photos and won’t be able to pick you in giveaways. If you have issues with this, I understand. Direct message me and let me know.

Can you still Join?

Of course!! I want this to be a laid back and fun experience. It is ok if you miss steps; life always gets in the way and that is okay. If you would like to learn more about the Mod City Center Quilt Along, click here.