November 2021 NZP Block of the Month: Air Castle Quilt Block

November 2021 NZP Block of the Month: Air Castle Quilt Block

Introducing the eleventh of 12 FREE! Quilt Block Tutorials in our NEW! 2021 Nancy Zieman Productions Free! Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series! The “Air Castle” Block. Earlier this year, Team NZP introduced our NEW! 2021 Nancy Zieman Productions Free! Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series. Visit our January 2 Blog Posting to review the Basic Supplies & Tools Listing.

Our NEW! 2021 Nancy Zieman Productions Free! Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series is a great way to finish a quilt in manageable monthly installments. One block at a time is an easy approach to creating a quilt. Whether you’re a beginner quilter or seasoned quilter, Team NZP’s block of the month series is a great opportunity to get stitching in the new year. In 2021, The NZP Team is honored to continue Nancy Zieman’s Block of the Month series with our first Christmas-themed quilt titled, Merry Christmas All Year Round Quilt! We’ll be sharing a quilt block tutorial on the third Saturday of each month, and we’ll be keeping the finished quilt design a mystery until later in December 2021!

All blocks will feature fabrics from the NEW! Merry Little Christmas Fat Quarter Bundle, along with our New! Exclusive No-Hassle Triangles Ruler by Team NZP and Nancy’s No-Hassle Triangles Gauge by Clover. Follow along as we share step-by-step how to create the November, Air Castle quilt block.

November Air Castle Quilt Block

Keep your fabric choices sorted using this handy Fabric Planner diagram. Download the planner, make notes, and/or pin cut block elements to the planner to remind you of the fabric placements.

2021 Block of the Month Merry Christmas All Year Round November: Air Castle.

November Air Castle Quilt Block

This block is 15-1/2″ square; 15″ finished square – when sewn into finished quilt. Finished quilt will include the Merry Little Christmas Fabric Panel and will measure approximately 80″ x 97″ (or 70″ x 87″ – your choice).

This month we’re featuring one block design. Follow along as we demonstrate how to create the November Air Castle Quilt Block!

For the Merry Christmas All Year Round Quilt: November Air Castle Quilt Block, select the following Four fat quarter fabrics from the NEW! Merry Little Christmas Quarter Bundle along with the New! Exclusive No-Hassle Triangles Ruler by Team NZP.

Merry Little Christmas Trees Cream, Merry Little Christmas Berries Black, Merry Little Christmas Plaid Red and Merry Little Christmas Candy Cream.

Prepare your fabrics! Pre-shrink fabrics by steaming and pressing. Then, stabilize fabrics for the sewing process by pressing and starching fabrics with Quilter’s Starch Savvy.

Cut Fabrics October English Wedding Ring Quilt Block

• Cut Two 5-78″ squares from Merry Little Christmas Trees Cream.
• Cut Six 5-78″ squares from Merry Little Christmas Berries Black.

• Cut one 5-1/2″ squares from Merry Little Christmas Red Plaid.

• Cut two 6-1/4″ squares from Merry Little Christmas Red Plaid.
• Cut one 6-1/4″ squares from Merry Little Christmas Candy Cream.

• Using the New! Exclusive No-Hassle Triangles Ruler by Team NZP, cut block squares above.

Construct Block

All seam allowances are scant 1/4″ unless otherwise stated.

Half-Square Triangles (HSTs)

Create Four 1/2-square triangle blocks cut from Merry Little Christmas Trees Cream and Merry Little Christmas Berries Black:

• Align 5-7/8″ squares cut from Merry Little Christmas Trees Cream and Merry Little Christmas Berries Black, right sides together. Pin.

• Mark blocks using a Clover’s No-Hassle Triangles Gauge, and Clover’s White Marking Pen or a Frixion Marking Pen.
• The left side of the Clover’s No-Hassle Triangles Gauge is designated to create 1/2-square triangle quilt blocks. Depress button on sliding portion of the gauge, and move to 3-1/4″ half-square triangle setting.

• With squares right sides together. Place Clover’s No-Hassle Triangles Gauge on block set, corner to corner. Match corner marks of gauge with corner of block sets. Mark fabric through center die cut openings on gauge, with Clover’s White Marking Pen or a Frixion Marking Pen.
• Repeat steps, marking two 5-7/8″ square block sets.

Stitch Blocks

• Insert a new Size 75 Schmetz Quilting Needle and attach 1/4″ Quilting Presser Foot to sewing machine.
• Align 1/4″ Quilting Presser Foot along one side of center mark, stitch.
• “Kiss” the next block set to the stitched block and chain stitch (stitching continually) from one block to the next.

• Rotate blocks 180 degrees, stitch along the other side of center marked lines.

• Clip threads between chain stitched blocks.

• Cut blocks apart along center marked lines with a rotary cutter, ruler, and mat.

• Press seams flat.
• Open blocks and press seams open or press towards darker fabric – using a Tailor’s Clapper to set the seams.

Repeat steps above and create Four 1/2-square triangle blocks cut from Merry Little Christmas Plaid Red and Merry Little Christmas Candies Cream:

Modified Quarter Square Triangles (MQSTs)

• Meet right sides of fabric 1/2-square triangle blocks, with print opposing sides, as you match centers.
• Create Modified 1/4-square triangle blocks from one 1/2-square triangle block (HST) and one 5-7/8″ fabric square.
• Align HST made from Merry Little Christmas Plaid Red and Merry Little Christmas Candy Cream,  and one 5-7/8″ fabric square of  Merry Little Christmas Berries Black right sides together. Pin.
• Mark blocks using a No-Hassle Triangles Gauge, and Clover’s White Marking Pen or a Frixion Marking Pen.
• The right side of the No-Hassle Triangles Gauge is designated to create 1/4-square triangle quilt blocks. Depress button on sliding portion of the gauge, and move to 5-1/2″ quarter-square triangle setting.

• Align 1/4″ Quilting Presser Foot along one side of center marked line, stitch.
• “Kiss” the next block set to the stitched block and chain stitch (stitching continually) from one block to the next.

• Rotate blocks 180 degrees, stitch along the other side of center marked lines.

• Clip threads between chain stitched blocks.

• Cut blocks apart along center marked lines with a rotary cutter, ruler, and mat.

• Press seams flat.
• Open blocks and press seams open – using a Tailor’s Clapper to set the seams.

We are using four of the modified quarter-square triangle blocks in November’s Air Castle Quilt Block.

Construct Block

• Layout half-square, modified quarter-square triangle blocks, and solid 51/2″ block, following diagram. Rotate blocks as necessary.

Join Squares

• Place blocks from Column 1 onto Column 2, right sides together, in pairs. Pin.
• Chain stitch from one block set to the next. Clip threads between.
• Press seams flat, then press open or to one side – using a Tailor’s Clapper to set the seams.

• Place blocks from Column 3 onto Column 2, right sides together, in pairs. Pin.
• Chain stitch from one block set to the next. Clip threads between.
• Press seams flat, then press open or to one side – using a Tailor’s Clapper to set the seams.

• Place Row 1 onto Row 2, right sides together. Pin.
• Stitch.
• Press seam flat, then press open or to one side – using a Tailor’s Clapper to set seam.

• Place Row 3 onto Row 2, right sides together. Pin.
• Stitch.
• Press seam flat, then press open or to one side – using a Tailor’s Clapper to set seam.

Our Merry Christmas All Year Round Quilt: November Air Castle Block is complete!

Blog Bonus!

Four modified quarter-square triangle quilt blocks will remain. You’re the designer! Perhaps make palette coasters for holiday entertaining. Visit our Palette Coaster Sewing Tutorial here at the NZP Blog.

Or create a quilt block to make a pillow or table topper. Coordinating Merry Little Christmas Cotton Quilting Fabric by the yard available in person at The Nancy Zieman Sewing Studio, and online at ShopNZP.com!

Blog Bonus! If you’re following along with our 2021 Merry Little Christmas All Year Round Block of the Month Series, and you’ve purchased the Merry Little Christmas Fat Quarter Pack and Fabric Panel from Team NZP at ShopNZP.com, simply send us an email message at [email protected] titled, “2021 NZP Block of the Month”, and we’ll send you one FREE! Merry Little Christmas Candy Cream Fat Quarter! Please include your name and mailing address within your email message. Merry Christmas in July from Team NZP! Quantities are limited, limit one per customer. 

Watch Stitch it! Sisters No-Hassle Triangles in Quilts Program 118 with Deanna Springer

•  Find all our Limited Edition Holiday Fabric Panels, and Holiday Fabrics by the Yard, in person at The Nancy Zieman Sewing Studio, and online at ShopNZP.com!

• Shop our Annual Home For the Holidays SALE *now through Sunday* at ShopNZP.com

Shop ALL Hanukkah Fabrics on SALE at ShopNZP.com

Shop ALL Christmas Fabrics on SALE at ShopNZP.com

For a chance to be the random winner of a Stitch it! Sisters 5″ Fabric Short Stack with S!S button & sticker, please leave a comment below sharing your thoughts about the NEW! 2021 Nancy Zieman Productions Free! Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series.

Nancy Zieman Productions will give away one Stitch it! Sisters 5″ Fabric Short Stack to one US resident in the 48 contiguous states. Winner must reply within 30 days to the official giveaway announcement email message – sent from Nancy Zieman Productions.

Happy Quilting!

Team Nancy Zieman

Nancy Zieman Productions. LLC.

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