LAUREL RIDGE -- MONTH 5

Laurel Ridge is the 2025 Block of the Month quilt designed by Lynn Wilder exclusively for The Quilt Show.  Star Members have FREE access to the patterns starting January 1, 2025. Made in two colorways, the complete patterns are excellent. You will love making this quilt. Lynn supports the pattern instructions with Videos too. 

This month we make Basket Blocks, 20 of them. Many people love basket blocks, as I do, and I am happy to see them in this wonderful sampler quilt.

As usual, the pattern directions are excellent. I made very few cutting adjustments. 

First, before cutting any BACKGROUND fabric, I checked my "leftovers" from the past 5 months to see what I could cut from it. I keep all the "leftovers" in a large ziploc bag, separate from the Kit yardage. Fortunately, I could cut several of the pieces needed for Month 5 from the background leftovers. So check there first before cutting lots of new strips from the yardage.

CUTTING ADJUSTMENTS:

Background  D outside corner triangle--I cut the strip 3" instead of 2 7/8", my personal preference. 

Feet of the Basket  G--I cut the strip 2" instead of 1 7/8". This did mean I had to carefully trim the block before adding the D outside corner to complete the block. See photo below.

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

Making 8 Half Square Triangles at once is a great thing I have learned from this project. I often make 24 at once, or 4, or "some", but Lynn's method for making 8 all the same is very handy in this, and many other quilts.  This month we NEED 20 Half Square Triangles for the middle of the block. The technique makes 24. So, don't panic, you will have 4 HST leftover. 

CONSTRUCTION:

My pieces laid out. Be careful to get the small HSTs going in the correct orientation:

These two speed-sewing units will make 8 HSTs each of the two sizes needed:

Cut apart on the North/South and East/West axis first, then cut on the drawn diagonal lines:

Press toward the darker fabric then "Trim to Perfection" to the correct size:

With small sizes like those used in this quilt, precise piecing really matters. The instructions tell you what size the various units need to be. It pays to take time to check that yours are the right size with each seam. I often find I need to trim small amounts from a unit because I tend to have a narrow seam allowance. I want to find my mistake AS SOON AS I MAKE IT, rather than after the block is complete and is too big:

There is one extra step I needed to take because I cut the G triangles slightly larger than needed. The two BLUE small triangles (from the Spring Kit) need to be 1/4" away from the outside edge where the D white background triangle joins them. 

I simply used a ruler, placing the 1/4" line on the center place where the two BLUE triangles meet, trimming away a slight amount to get that outside seam ready:

What a help it is to now have a 5.5" Quilters Select Square ruler to check my blocks, being sure they are the correct size!  It is such a help:

What a lovely little basket.

Next month we will make the LARGER APPLIQUE blocks. I will show my "optional alternative" pieced blocks. 

Let's quilt.

Barbara