String Block Tutorial

This week I have been busy making string blocks from my scrapbag.

I started by cutting a paper foundation square from an old phone book. My pages turned out to be 

5 3/4 x 5 3/4 inches square. But you can use any size square that you want.

Next I layed two strips of fabric right sides together on the paper so that each strip covered the paper from side to side and stitches them onto the paper with a 1/4 inch seam. ( I used the smallest stitch length setting on my machine. When you take the paper off later it makes it easier to remove if the stitch length is small)

 After I sewed each piece of fabric to the paper, I pressed the fabric open, so that it would lay nice and flat.

Keep adding more strips or scraps of fabric until the square of paper is covered.

You can see on the back side of the block how the pieces of fabric are hanging over.

I lined my ruler up to the edge of the paper foundation on the back and trimmed the blocks using my rotary cutter.

While sewing the strips to the blocks, I chain pieced 5-6 blocks at a time. That way I didn't have to get up and press the fabric open with each block. I could press several at a time. 

The next step is tearing the paper off of the back, press the block once more, and wha-la!

You have your string blocks...ready for whatever project you choose to use them in.

They can be used in a table topper, potholders, mug rugs, put several of them together and make a quilt.

I framed some that I had made several years ago and made a quilt for my son. My grandkids call it a rainbow quilt!

And all this time I thought it was a string quilt, or a scrap quilt...Who knew!

Linking with: 

Quilting is more fun than Housework

Sew Many Ways 

Confessions of a Fabric Addict