|
The Card Trick Block
The Card Trick Block is not
nearly as complicated as it looks at first glance. Most of the
instructions that you will see for making this block consist of a
long laundry list of shapes to cut.
We could do that here, but you
wouldn't learn anything. This is a teaching site. You are
going to "waste" more fabric cutting, but you can use it for other
blocks.
The first thing I want you to notice is how
this block is a 9-patch. It consists of three different
blocks, which you've already learned how to make
The four outside corners and
Half Square
Triangles, the other four outside blocks are
Split Quarter Square Triangles, and the center block is a
Quarter
Square Triangle.
Do not attempt this block,
until you've learned how to do each of the above blocks!
As you can see from the picture
of the Card Block with the grid lines, as with any 9-patch,
each of the units in this block is the same size. The
real trick is making all the units the same size. Then it is
just a matter of sewing them together.
We are going to make a raw
block, and we are going to make each of the units finish at 3
1/2 inches. We will refer to the picture of the block in
progress below.
Let's begin with the easiest unit-
Half Square
Triangle In review, use two pieces of fabric, draw
a line, sew on both sides and then cut. (You will have an
extra triangle you can use later).
You know that for the
Half Square Triangles to finish at 3 1/2 inches raw you need to add
3/8 of an inch to the square before you begin marking, sewing and
cutting, So cut your squares at 3 7/8 inches.
Do this for each of the colors
in your block, (with a white background piece) and your outside
corners are done. Place them like in the picture.
Next we will do the
Split Quarter Square Triangles. To begin the process of
making a Split Quarter Square Triangle, you know that first you make
a Half Square
Triangle from two colors.
In the picture you can see that
you will be using a white square for each block, as well as one of
each of the colors of the block.
Again, you need to add 3/4 of
an inch to the square in order for the block to come out at 3 1/2
inches raw. So begin with 4 1/4 inch squares.
Make your four half square
triangles with white and each color in the block. After
this first step, your block will measure 3 7/8 inches.
So you need to cut your solid
blocks at 3 7/8 inches to match to the ones you've just completed.
Now you must stop and refer to the photo to see which colors to
use. In this case, it was two red squares, a blue square,
and a green square.
When you pin the two squares
together, before you sew them, open them up to make sure they will
look just like the ones in the picture. When completed, place
these per the picture also.
 There
is only one block left to make -the
Quarter
Square Triangle. This is the most challenging block to
make, because each of the four triangles is made from a different
color, and they must be placed in a certain position.
Begin by cutting out a 4 1/4
inch square in each color. Then cut each square on the
diagonal, from corner to corner.
In order not to get confused,
lay them out in the center of the block. Remember that the
long side of the triangle (the hypotenuse) will be parallel with the
outside edges.
Refer to the above picture.
Once you get them in the correct position, you can start
sewing the block together.
Complete the center block by
sewing together the units. In this case, you might sew the
green to the blue and the red to the yellow, and then sew these two
units together.
Then proceed to finish the
block like any 9-patch.
When you chain piece down a
row, keep the threads together. It is VERY easy to get
confused on this block.
One last note: When you
see the raw block laid out, you may panic, thinking "Where are my
1/4 seams?". When you sew the units together, the seams will
form at the end of the point.
| 
Visit All
Things Frugal
Your Resource for Frugal Living