Double Aster

Hi Quilting Friends,

Welcome back to the “Black & White Delight” Quilt-Along. If you’re just joining us, you may want to have a look at the “Welcome” post to help you catch up.

This week’s block is the “Double Aster”! Just like the flower it is named for, the block has a double layer of petals, represented by triangles.

• Fabric pieces from your Block 8 baggie
• Piecing template; 4 copies of page 33
• Sewing machine (obviously!)
• Iron & ironing board
• Thread
• Scissors for snipping thread
• Pencil
• Rotary cutter & mat
• Ruler(s) I like my little 1″ by 6″ ruler for marking squares
• And my 3.5″ by 12.5″ ruler for cutting
• Beverage & snack(s) for hydration and energy!

Your Block 8 Baggie should contain the four 4-patch squares from Fabrics B and F, and four squares of Fabric A. The rest of the block will be pieced with scraps of Fabrics B, C, D, and E. You may wish to pre-cut these fabrics to make pieces that are at least 1/2 inch larger than the lines on the piecing diagram. My pre-cut pieces looked like this:

Use your copies of the piecing diagram to make four foundation pieced petal units, each made of two sections, sewn together like this:

Now you’ll sew the four double aster block sections to the center square. It is necessary to make partial seams, but that’s not too hard! Here are some pictures that should help:

Next you’ll need to make the corners of the block. Use the 4-patch squares and the Fabric A triangles. If your fabric is directional, like mine, you’ll want to lay out the pieces before sewing to control the direction of your print.

Sew the corner pieces to the double aster block, and you’re all done! It will probably take 1-2 hours to stitch up your Double Aster! If you’d like to purchase this block pattern, it is available individually.

Time to show off your beautiful “Double Aster” block! We’d ALL love to see a picture, so snap a photo and post it on Instagram please.

#bwqal_yourname @mspdesignsusa

Next week we’ll sew our blocks together to make the center of the quilt top! How exciting!!! Until then, may your stitches be straight, your bobbins full, and your seam ripper languishing in the sewing basket.

Happy quilting,

Sharon