HOW TO MAKE A STRING QUILT BLOCK

In this blog I’ll share with you how to quickly make a strip quilt block using a five-step method and then I’ll show you how to quickly turn your strip quilt blocks into a nifty Happy Halloween Quilted Door Banner.

You’ll only need seven string quilt blocks to make your Halloween String Door Banner. Each String Quilt Block will be unique, but when the blocks are pieced together, they create the unmistakable string quilt look.

A String Quilt contains scrappy pieced blocks that are made from leftover fabric strips. The fabric size varies from small rectangles to long strips. When long and very narrow strips of fabric are used they look like strings. That is how the string quilt block got its name.

A string quilt is made of string quilt block that form a design or can be totally random.

Until recently the popularity of string quilts rose and fell based on the economic hard times. During the Great Depression of the 30’s they were very necessary and popular because of their efficient use of all types of scrap fabrics. Today, quilters still admire string quilts for their stunning visuals and stash-busting capabilities.

The residents of Gee’s Bend, Alabama are famous quilters. The New York Times called their quilts “miraculous”. These talented quilters are African American direct descendants of slaves. Their ancestors stayed on the plantation after emancipation as sharecroppers. They remained in their community opting not to migrate from the South during the Great Migration of 1916 to1970. They kept their homes, land and unique traditions. Among these traditions is their world famous style of quiltmaking. Their quilts are

featured in dozens of famous museums including The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.

The Amish are famous for their quilts as well. The mid-western Amish are famous for their long vertical style of string quilting also known as ‘coins quilts’. But, you’ll never find a printed fabric in an Amish quilt. Their belief is to avoid drawing attention therefore printed fabric is considered too flamboyant.

If you like fast projects then you’ll like this block because the wider the fabric strips, the faster your block will be completed. You control the width of the strings (fabric strips) but the only rule is to avoid stitching matching fabrics together. Select widths based on the fabric widths among your fabric scraps. String Quilt Block fabric strips range in width from narrow selvage edge strips to 2.5 inches binding or store bought jelly rolls.

The finished String Quilt Block will be 6-inches square.

In just five steps your String Quilt Block will be finished and ready to use in your quilt project.

Be prepared for this project. Gather your “Supplies”, “Fabric” and read my personal checklist “Getting Ready To Sew” to make the journey as smooth as possible.

These are the tools and supplies that I used to make a string quilt block.

• A Quarter Inch Presser Foot
• 90/14 Sewing Machine Needle
• Coordinating Cotton Threads
• Rotary Cutter
• 6-inch square ruler
• Heat Erasable Fabric Marking Pens
• Tailor’s Clapper – optional (Use to flatten seams)
• Wool Pressing Mat
• Rotating Cutting Mat
• Sewing Clips
• Pinking Shears - optional (This helps to prevent fabric fraying)

For a finished string quilt block of 6-inches square you’ll need:

• About (four) 2-½ inch wide fabric strips from your stash of varying lengths starting at 6.5-inches. You’ll use these strips to make one block. (With the 2-½ width, you’ll only need four fabric strips to make one string quilt block)
• Cut (one) 6.5-inch square of muslin fabric

Use your favorite way to prep for a new project or try my proven, stress-free method. See “Getting Ready To Quilt-The Ultimate Checklist”.

With these five simple steps, you’ll become a string quilt block expert in no time.

• Step 1: Draw a diagonal center line on the 6.5-inch square of muslin.
• Step 2: Stitch your first pair of fabric strips on the drawn diagonal line.
• Step 3: Press the strips open.
• Step 4: Add and stitch fabric strips until the entire muslin square is covered with fabric.
• Step 5: Trim the string quilt block to 6-inches square using the diagonal center stitching line as a centering guide.

Let me go over them in more detail.

1. Step One: Draw A Diagonal Center Line On The 6.5-inch Square of Muslin

Use a heat erasable pen to draw a diagonal line that will neatly divide your 6.5-inch square of muslin in half.

Tip: The hardest part of making a string quilt block is stitching the first pair of fabric strips to the muslin 6.5-inch square with a ¼-inch seam allowance.

The first line of stitching must be on the diagonal that intersects the center of the square. This firm seam is important because it enables you to sew all the strips in the block’s famous diagonal pattern.

2. Step Two: Stitch Your First Pair of Fabric Strips On The Diagonal Line.

• Select your first pair of fabrics.
• Place the fabrics right sides together.
• Position the pair of fabrics on the muslin so that that ¼-inch stitching line is along the diagonal line.
• Pin the fabric strips to the muslin so that they do not shift as you sew.

3. Step Three: Press The Strips Open

Press the fabric strip seams open so that the fabric strips lay flat. This ensures the strip you just sewed will be positioned and ready for the next fabric strip that you will sew.

4. Step Four: Add And Stitch Fabric Strips Until The Entire Muslin Square Is Covered With FabricStep Three: Press The Strips Open

• Choose your next fabric strip.
• Place the strip you selected right side down and align it with the raw edge of the fabric you just pressed open.
• Sew a ¼-inch seam.
• Press the seam flat and prepare to position the next fabric strip.
  Continue until the muslin square is covered with fabric.

5. Step Five: Trim The String Quilt Block 6-inches Square

• Trim the block 6-inches square. The easiest way to trim this block is with a 6-inch square ruler that has a 45-degree diagonal line down the center.

Tip: If your 6-inch square ruler does not have a diagonal line down the center, then you can make a do-it-yourself (DYI) 45-degree angle with a strip of tape.

• Turn the block so that the sewn fabric strips are facing you right side up.
• Place the 6-inch square ruler so that the center diagonal line aligns with the center seam of the block.
• Trim the block.

Your first string quilt block is now finished. That wasn’t too hard, was it? Make as many blocks as you need and use this free string quilt pattern for different quilt projects. A new block to put on your list to get creative and another way of using your scrap fabrics. Quilting is so versatile and interesting! The possibilities are truly endless.

You can use string quilt blocks in your quilts and other projects. Or let one of these other Madam Sew projects inspire you.

• DIY Pillow Cover With French Seam
• Easy Fabric Pie Carrier
• How To Make Bowl Holders

In my next blog I’ll show you how to make a String Quilt Door Banner that you can use as a Halloween decoration. It is a fun and quick DIY project and it will uplift your home for this fun holiday without breaking the bank!

Happy Quilting!

Ernie Grant
Guest Blogger For Madam Sew

Ernestine “Ernie” Grant is an avid quilter with over 20 years experience and is the owner of the custom baby quilt business www.kalibabyquilts.com. As an African American living in Harlem, New York her view of quilting is shaped by her heritage and the elders who taught her–Quilting is not just thread, fabric and stitches. It is art, it is love, it is community.