August 2020 NZP Block of the Month: Chainlink Block

Nancy’s Red Elegance

2020 Block of the Month August: Chainlink Block

Introducing the eighth of 12 FREE! Quit Block Tutorials in the NEW! 2020 Nancy Zieman Productions Nancy’s Red Elegance Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series! The Chainlink Block, also known as a Drunkard’s Path Block variation, is quickly made in multiples when cutting our Circle Blocks into quarters!

In January, Team Nancy Zieman introduced the NEW! 2020 Nancy Zieman Productions Nancy’s Red Elegance Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series. Join the NEW! 2020 Nancy Zieman Productions Nancy’s Red Elegance Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series, anytime, by viewing the Basic Supplies and Tools Listing in the January 1, 2020 NZP BoM20 Kick Off Blog Posting.

On the third Saturday of each month, we’ll feature one block design, and we’ll be stitching one or more blocks of the same design each month. The blocks are created using Our NEW! Red Elegance Fabric Collection by Riley Blake and the Carefree Curves Trace ‘n Create Template Set by Nancy Zieman for Clover. Follow along as we show step-by-step how to create the August Chainlink Block.

August Chainlink Block

NOTE: This block is 8-1/2″ square; 8″ finished square – when sewn into finished quilt.

Block Fabrics

For the Nancy’s Red Elegance August Chainlink Block, select the “Circle” Template from the Carefree Curves Template Set, along with the following fat quarter fabrics from the NEW! Red Elegance Fat Quarter Bundle.

This month you’ll begin cutting into your “medium” one-yard fabric cut. Team NZP chose the Red Elegance – Tonal Taupe as our “medium” fabric choice. Or, you may use your “light” one-yard fabric cut for the block background, this month – the choice is yours. 

Red Elegance Stems Brick, Red Elegance Tonal Red, and Red Elegance Tonal Taupe (or other).

Prepare your fabrics! Pre-shrink fabrics by steaming and pressing, and steaming and pressing a second time. Then, stabilize fabrics for the sewing process by pressing and starching fabrics with June Tailor’s Starch Savvy. Press and starch, press and starch.

Carefree Curves Trace ‘n Create Template by Nancy Zieman for Clover

View the complete Basic Supplies and Tools Listing in the January 1, 2020 NZP BoM20 Kick Off Blog Posting, .

Cut Fabrics for the Block

Create super-simple 1/4–Circle Blocks with simple fabric squares and Pellon Sof-Shape squares!

• Cut ten 9″ background squares of Red Elegance – Tonal Taupe/”medium” background fabric

• Cut five 7″ square of Red Elegance Stems Brick – for center circles.

• Cut five 7″ square of Red Elegance Tonal Red – for center circles.

• Cut ten 7″ square Pellon Sof-Shape Fusible Interfacing

For the NEW! 2020 Nancy Zieman Productions Nancy’s Red Elegance Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series, we’re sharing Nancy Zieman’s techniques for creating perfect circles – without ever cutting a circle!

Construct the Blocks

Create Center Circle Appliqués

• Place one 7″ background square of Red Elegance Stems Brick to one 7″ square Pellon Sof-Shape Fusible Interfacing – matching smooth side of fusible interfacing to right side of fabric. Pin.

• Position the Circle Template on the glue-dot side of the interfacing, centering the template on the interfacing square.
• With a fabric marking pen and Circle Template, trace a 6″ circle on the interfacing – tracing along the yellow lines at the die cut openings.

• Using a Size 75 Schmetz Quilting Needle, stitch directly on the marked line – using a slightly shorter stitch length.

It’s always easier to stitch smooth curves with a shorter stitch length – such as a 2.0 mm setting.

• With a 45mm Rotary Cutting and Pinking Blade, trim away excess fabric, leaving about a 1/4″ seam allowance on the outside of stitching line.

• Using a Scissors, carefully cut away the center of the interfacing, leaving about 1″ of interfacing on the inside of stitching line.

Save interfacing scraps for a later project when making, perhaps, smaller circles 😉

• Use Clover’s Point 2 Point Turner, and smooth the curved edge – as the interfacing is turned to the fabric wrong side.

• Press.

• Repeat steps above and create FIVE 6″ Red Elegance Stems Brick Center Circle Appliqués, and FIVE 6″ Red Elegance Tonal Red Center Circle Appliqués.

Topstitch Circle Appliqués to Block Background Fabric Squares

• Fold one Red Elegance Tonal Taupe background square in half, then in quarters – to determine center.
• Use a Roll ‘n Press, and press along folded edges – to quarter-mark square.

• Open.

• Fold one Red Elegance Stems Brick center circle appliqué in half, then in quarters – to determine center. Use a Roll ‘n Press, and press along folded edges.

• Layer wrong side of one circle appliqué onto the right side of one background square, aligning fold lines. Pin.

• Thread sewing machine with monofilament thread in the top thread of your sewing machine, and regular all-purpose sewing thread in the bobbin.
• Set your sewing machine for a narrow blind-hem stitch, blanket stitch, zigzag stitch, or straight stitch to “machine appliqué” the circle to the background. You’ll choose one stitching style 🙂

• Press.

• Repeat steps above and create FIVE Circle Blocks with Red Elegance Stems Brick Center Circle Appliqués on Red Elegance Tonal Taupe Background Squares; and FIVE Red Elegance Tonal Red Center Circle Appliqués on Red Elegance Tonal Taupe Background Squares.

Cut 1/4–Circle Blocks from Circle Blocks

• Using a Rotary Cutter, Ruler, and Mat, cut each Circle Block in four equal square sections – cutting along folded creased lines. Each quarter section will measure 4-1/2″ square.

Assemble Chainlink Blocks

• Arrange quarter-square blocks into TEN Separate Chainlink Blocks as shown below.

To assure blocks sections fit together – when later assembling all monthly blocks into one finished quilt – be sure to stitch the August Chainlink Blocks into block sections, using a scant 1/4″ seam allowance.

Stitch Chainlink Blocks

• Stitch

Sew TEN separate August Chainlink Blocks, as shown. These ten separate blocks are set aside, until later assembled into the finished quilt!

The Nancy’s Red Elegance August Chainlink Blocks are complete!

Watch Stitch it! Sisters Program 112: Carefree Curves in Quilts!

Shop Timesaving Tools & Sewing Supplies at shopnzp.com!

Shop NEW! Exclusive Bundle Boxes and Wildflower Boutique Fabrics 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! 2020 Nancy Zieman Productions Free! Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series and/or The July 1/4-Circle Block.

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.

The randomly selected winner of a  Stitch it! Sisters 5″ Fabric Short Stack with S!S button & sticker, from the August 8, No-Hassle Napkins Sewing Tutorial and NEW! Boutique Wildflower Fabrics is Alice R Watts.

Her comment is: Been making napkins as gifts and for myself. Thank you for the one side sewing. Trying it this week.

Happy Quilting!

Team Nancy Zieman

Nancy Zieman Productions. LLC.

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