It's time for Block 6 in our Block of the Month Quilt-Along! We found this one posted by the Boulder Modern Quilt Guild as part of their 2018 Block of the Month series, and we love that it's so graphic and a perfect example of the "modern traditional" characteristic of modern quilting.
According to the Boulder MQG, the Sawtooth Star has been around since the late 1800s and is a very iconic, classic quilt block. The block uses squares, rectangles, single flying geese (FG) and half-square triangle (HST) units. This version uses two colors to create a simple divided variation.
This block is super fun and easy to put together. The instructions from the Boulder MQG can be found here: https://bouldermqg.com/2018/01/27/february-sawtooth-star/. The tutorial includes links for additional instructions on creating the HSTs and flying geese. You can also access a cheatsheet here.
TIPS!
- It's super easy to make 3 blocks this time -- just multiply all the cutting instructions by 3! Make 3 identical blocks, and when they're finished, you can flip one or two of them around for the effect of opposite color placement without doing any extra work.
- The HSTs need to be trimmed down to 3.5-inch squares before you assemble the block. If you have any HST units left from your April Mod Square block, you can use them for this block.
- When sewing flying geese, it helps to sew just alongside the marked line (toward the corner you will cut off). That gives you a scant 1/4" seam allowance and helps ensure your geese aren't too small.
- The Add-a-Quarter ruler is helpful when trimming flying geese.