These striped blocks look great and use up your scraps too!
RAIL FENCE BLOCK
This pretty design gets its name from
the finished blocks’ resemblance to a
humble fence panel. It’s made up of
lots of strips, which are grouped into
square units, then sewn at contrasting
angles into a Four-Patch arrangement.
The instructions below show you how
to make a Rail Fence block from
rectangular strips of fabric, but if you’re
short on time, you can speed up the
process with a spot of strip piecing (see
page 44). To make an 8in square block
(7½in once sewn into your quilt), each
rectangle needs to be cut 4¼in long by
/ in wide. Ensure your measurements are
accurate, or your finished block won’t end
up being 8in. Keep in mind the quilter’s
saying – measure twice, cut once!STEP ONE
Cut four rectangles in colour 1, four
in colour 2, four in colour 3 and four
in colour 4. Each rectangle should
measure 4/in x / in.STEP TWO
Take four contrasting rectangles and sew
the long sides together with /in seams.
Press seams towards the darker colours.
Make three more units like this one.STEP three
Arrange the four units as shown, then
sew the units together in pairs and press
the seams in opposite directions.STEP FOUR
Sew the pairs together to complete the
block. Check your block is the correct
size, trimming if need be.