Tutorial For Midget Block #20 – Circular Saw

I was surprised how easy this block went together when I broke it down in sections. It took more time than I thought it would but I didn't put it together from start to finish all at one time.

Gather together your three fabrics. I chose all solid colors because I wanted to match the antique quilt block exactly.

Cut out the little arc patterns for foundation paper piecing. I shaded in the areas that were going to be brown on my block so hopefully I wouldn't mix up my colors as I was sewing. I also rotary cut pieces 3/4" x 1 1/4" to use for my piecing.

With right sides together, line up pieces #1 and #2 with a seam allowance extending 1/8" over the seam line. Pin in place keeping your pin away from the seam line. Set your machine to sew a small stitch. On my machine, it's a setting of 1.5 for the stitch length. Sew directly on the line beginning a couple of stitches before the beginning of the line and stopping a couple of stitches after the end of the line. You don't need to backstitch at the beginning or the end.

Trim your seam allowance to 1/8" and press open with a hot dry iron.

Even with the shading on my pattern I managed to mix up my colors. If this happens to you don't despair. Just carefully rip out that seam and put in the correct color. You can do quite a bit of "frog stitching" on paper patterns without destroying them.

Continue adding pieces working your way from one end to the other. It doesn't matter which end you start with. I'm left handed so mine might look backward to you.

Once you have all of the arcs paper pieced we're ready to go on and complete the rest of these little sections.
Don't tear your paper off the back side yet. It will be helpful in stabilizing the pieced section as you applique.
I made freezer paper templates of the applique sections. Being the lazy quilter I am, I traced the shape on one piece of freezer paper, stacked three more pieces under it, pinned them together and cut out all four pieces at once.
Iron them on the right side of your fabric. I marked the applique stitching line on both pieces but did not mark the piecing line. When I cut out around the pieces I added a generous 1/8" seam allowance on the applique edge and 1/2" on the piecing edges just so I'd have a little extra.

I also cut out the applique pieces for my brown center square. Again, I marked the curved applique line and in this case, I used my rotary cutter and ruler to measure an exact 1/4" seam allowance on the straight edge so I could match that up with the edges of my brown square.

Your paper pattern will be very helpful in lining up your applique handle and corner pieces. For both, I inserted a pin at the ends of the applique seam line on my applique piece and inserted it through the pieced arc, exiting through the paper pattern right at the corner on the back side.
For the brown center square; all I had to do was line up the outside edges, pin in place and I could applique the curved edge of each piece.

After I finished the applique on both sides of my arc, I trimmed the seam allowance even with the cutting line on the paper pattern. This give you a 1/4" seam allowance along those curved edges. Don't tear your paper away yet!

Use your rotary cutter and ruler to square up your little pieced sections to measure 2". It's easy to get those first two square sides if you use the printed cutting lines on the paper pattern. Match them up with the edges of your ruler and you're ready to cut.
Now gather together all four of your pieced sections, your brown appliqued center and the four medium pink 2" squares. You're ready to finish the block like it's a simple Nine Patch.

Piece together in rows and press your seam allowances so they'll stagger when you sew the rows together. At this time I remove the paper from the seam allowance of the sections I've stitched together.
Sew your rows together.

Now is the time to remove all that paper! It really does come out easily from those little areas. I started by tearing away the seam allowances on the curved edges and most of the little points came with them. I pulled the rest out by hand. No tweezers, no pin picking, no seam ripper and I had used regular copy paper right off the printer (Shhhh don't tell the Quilt Police)

Press your seam allowances as shown here and there you are - It's done!

Guess what? I'm going to take the block apart and substitute a pink print for the medium pink in my block. I think the seam line where the center block meets the other pieces will be less visible.