It’s month two of the Clementine Quilt Along from the Fat Quarter Shop benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This block is called Broken Berries, and it was just as much fun to put together as last month’s block. These blocks come out on the 25th of each month, and they only suggest you make a $5 donation to St. Jude’s for each pattern you download. Here’s my version of the block:
Block 2: Broken Berries
Tips & Tricks
Last month I shared how you can significantly reduce your cutting time. I used that timesaver again this month and also discovered two new tips to pass on this month. That’s right! You get a bonus tip this month!
The first tip helps you save a little fabric when cutting your background fabric – 5 1/2 inches to be exact!
- For pieces A and B, start by cutting the widest strip (5 1/2 inches) and cross cut your 5 1/2-inch squares.
- Then trim that strip down to 3 1/2 inches. Cross cut your 3 1/2-inch squares. Then Trim again to 3 3/8 inches. Cross cut your 3 3/8-inch squares. Cut a second strip 3 3/8 inches wide and finish cutting your 3 3/8-inch squares.
- Trim this strip to 2 3/8 inches and finish cutting your 2 3/8-inch squares. This saves you 3 3/8 inches.
- For your C pieces, cut three 3-inch strips and one 2-inch strip. Cross cut your 3-inch squares.
- With the remainder of the third 3-inch strip, trim it to two inches and use it to cross cut your 2-inch squares.
- Use your 2-inch strip to cut the remaining 2 1/2-inch squares. That saves another two inches, for a total of 5 1/2 inches saved.
While 5 1/2 inches isn’t a lot, it could add up to a yard of fabric over the course of the project! And a yard in the stash is better than scraps in the trash.
Broken Berries cutting instructions
This month’s bonus tip is going to help you match your seams when piecing the four sub-blocks together. The image below shows the direction I pressed my seams. By rotating the top right and bottom left sub-blocks, your seams will now butt up against each other when you pin them together and sew them into the full block.
Press all seams the same way for each sub-block. Rotate the top right and bottom left sub-blocks 90 degrees to make sure your seams will butt up against each other when piecing them into the full block.
Are you quilting along too? Share your finished block in the Facebook group and tag your pictures #clementinequiltalong on Twitter and Instagram. Tag me so I can see your blocks too! I’m @loveofthread on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I can’t wait to see them!