Feels Like Fall Blog Hop: Day 6

Welcome back! It's the last day of our Feels Like Fall Blog Hop. We hope you've enjoyed the tutorials! Today, Erin from Why Not Sew is here with a beautiful leaf quilt--she used the entire spectrum of color in the Indian Summer collection, paired with the Burlap solids, to create this simple fall design. Erin chose the same Maple Leaf block as Kelly did on Day 1, yet the scale, layout, and fabric choices create a totally different quilt. We think you'll love them both! Enjoy Erin's tutorial and then scroll down to the bottom to find out how to win a fat quarter bundle of Indian Summer fabrics for yourself!

Hello! I am so happy to share this tutorial with you today. I made a fall themed lap quilt using the traditional Maple Leaf quilt block and fabric from Benartex's Indian Summer (the prints) and Burlap (the solids) lines. I made several blocks with different background colors to add some interest and warm it up a bit. Let's get started!

For each block you need:
 from background fabric,
1 rectangle, 4 7/8" x 9 3/4"
2 squares, 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"
 from printed fabric,
1 rectangle, 4 7/8" x 9 3/4"
1 rectangle, 1 3/4" x 7"
3 squares, 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"

For the quilt with a 4 x 5 block layout you need (20 blocks):
 from background fabric,
20 rectangle, 4 7/8" x 9 3/4"
40 squares, 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"
 from printed fabric,
20 rectangle, 4 7/8" x 9 3/4"
20 rectangle, 1 3/4" x 7"
60 squares, 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"

Start by taking the 4 7/8" x 9 3/4" background and printed fabric and place them right sides together. Draw a line down the center of the rectangle at the 4 7/8" mark. Then mark a diagonal line on each side of the center line like the picture. This will make four half square triangles.

Sew 1/4" from each side of both diagonal lines.

Cut apart on the drawn lines. Set aside.

Cut one of the 4 1/2" background squares on the diagonal. Grab the 1 3/4" x 7" rectangle.

Press the two background triangles in half wrong sides together and press the rectangle in half right sides together.

Lay one of the triangles right sides together with the rectangle, lining up the creases. Sew together.

Open it up and sew the other triangle on to the rectangle, matching the creases.

Press toward the background fabric and square this up to a 4 1/2" square. Square up the half square triangles also.

Layout the squares like this above picture.

Sew the middle column to the first column.

Sew the last column to the middle.

Press the squares in the top and bottom rows away from the center and press the squares in the middle row toward the center.

Sew the rows together and press the seams open.

**For the whole quilt cut your fabric, make the half square triangles for each block, make the stem units for each block, then layout all of the squares arranged like above and stacked on top of each other. Then you can chain piece the blocks. This makes the process so much faster and you'll have a quilt top in no time at all!

Arrange the blocks in a 4 x 5 layout.

Enjoy!!!

Thanks so much to Benartex for asking me to participate in the blog hop! I love this quilt! It's such a simple and quick project I hope you make one too.

Thanks Erin! Head over to Erin's blog to enter to win a fat quarter bundle of Indian Summer fabrics!

This is the sixth of six autumn and/or Halloween themed tutorials coming your way, from Wednesday, October 1 through Wednesday, October 8. Be sure to check out all six and enter for a chance to win a fun fall fabric bundle!

Here's the line-up:
Day 1: Kelly from My Quilt Infatuation featuring the Harvest Song collection
Day 2: Christina from Sometimes Crafter featuring the Spooktacular collection
Day 3: Melissa from My Fabric Relish featuring the Daily Zen collection
Day 4: Benartex blog design team featuring the Fall Festival collection
Day 5: Debby from Debby Kratovil Quilts featuring the Spooktacular collection
Day 6: Erin from Why Not Sew featuring the Indian Summer collection