Chickadee Churn Dash - Chickadee Blog Hop

 Hi - Look at this fun block with fabulous fabrics.

Welcome to my stop on the Chickadee Blog Hop introducing the new Island Batik collection designed by Kathy Engle for Heidi Pridemore of Whimsical Workshop. Don't forget to scroll down to the end of this post for links to visit the other stops and get the patterns on the blog hop.

 I love Heidi's collection of fun chicken patterns and patchwork hearts. Plus great dots and other cheery textures including chicken wire.  I was able to use each of the 20 fabrics from the the group for my block.

I really like to recreate pieces of the past and am often inspired by antique quilts in my collection when working on challenges and new patterns. Churn Dash or Shoofly or Monkeywrench is an awesome traditional pattern. I doubled the pattern or added a Dash center for a more modern block. 

Step by Step Pattern for the 12 inch finished (12 1/2" unfinished) Double Dash block using simple pieces and easy half-square triangles.

         CUTTING 
Part I - Churn Dash A - 6 1/2" (6" finished)

#1 - Center square -cut 1 dark - 2 1/2" square

#2  Side strips background dot and - dark floral 
 Cut 
4 light rectangles - 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" 
4 dark rectangles - 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" 

#3 Half Square Triangle Corners - dot and dark floral
Cut 2 sets -used for 4 corners -diagonal seam 1/2 square triangles - see below
   2 light squares - 3"  
   2 dark squares - 3"  
**after sewing trim down to 2 1/2" squares 

Part II -  Churn Dash B - 12 1/2" (12" finished)

(Center is completed Churn Dash A) 

#1 Side strips background dots/florals and - dark floral 
 Cut
4 light rectangles - 2" x 6 1/2" 
4 dark rectangles - 2" x 6 1/2"

#2 Half Square Triangle Corners - lt. dot/floral and dark floral
Cut 2 sets  -used for 4 corners -diagonal seam 1/2 square triangles
2 light squares - 4"  
2 dark squares - 4"
**after sewing trim down to 3 1/2" squares

        PIECING 
#1 - Diagonal seams - Half square triangles using 2 sets of light and dark squares (background and florals fabrics) for corners of each Churn Dash sections. You'll make 2 different sets - small for Churn A and larger for Churn B.

Place a background and floral 3" square right sides together and draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on back of light fabric. Then draw a sewing line 1/4" on both sides of the diagonal. 

You will sew on these lines. Cut on the middle line and press block to the dark. Make 2nd pair of half squares. This makes 4 half square triangles. **Trim Churn A units to 2 1/2". 

Repeat process with 4" squares for Churn Dash B corners and make another 4 half square triangles. **Trim these to 3 1/2".

#2  Rectangle Strip units -
Sew a  light and dark rectangle (1 1/2" x 2 1/2")  together, press to dark, repeat to make 4 units for Churn A.

Sew a  light and dark rectangle (2" x 6 1/2")  together, press to dark, repeat to make 4 units for Churn B.

#3 - Block Construction  **for nesting seams and no dark fabric shadows, I pieced in horizontal rows and pressed to the dark fabrics and toward the rectangle strip sets.

Churn A - 
Row 1 and 3 - join 2 smaller 1/2 square triangles to a smaller rectangle strip,
Row 2 - join 2 rectangle strips to center square  
Add rows 1 and 3 to top/bottom of center row.
Churn A block should measure 6 1/2" 

Churn B
Row 1 and 3 - join 2 larger 1/2 square triangles to a larger rectangle strip,
Row 2 - join 2 rectangle strips to sides of Churn A
Add rows 1 and 3 to top/bottom of center row.
Double Churn Block should measure 12 1/2"

Voila!! 

Here are the links to see more wonderful projects featuring the Chickadee Collection:

Heidi Pridemore (this is her amazing fabric collection!) Heidi's blog

Leanne Parsons Devoted Quilter

Tammy Silvers Tamarinis

Nancy Scott MasterpieceQuilting

Raija Salomaa Quilters Treasure Chest

Katie Mae Quilts  KatieMaeQuilts

Rebecca Lidstrom StudiorQuilts

Tiffany Hayes  Needle In A Hayes Stack

Melissa Marginet 

Laura Piland Slice of Pi Quilts

Kris Driessen Scrap Dash

Jen Frost Faith and Fabric Design