Signature blocks

My local group is swapping signature blocks, and I thought it might be fun to show how simple they are to make. There are lots of different patterns around, but this is the one we’re using — and it could have been paper pieced, if you’d prefer.

1. For a 4″ finished block, start with a 4.5″ square of a light-colored fabric. (You’ll need a light color so the signature will show!) Also cut two 3.5″ squares of your contrasting fabric.

2. Mark a line diagonally from corner to corner on the wrong side of each of your smaller squares. By this time, looking at my rotary cutter above and the way I have my ruler and marker set up, you may have noticed that I’m left-handed. No problem — if you’re right-handed, simply do it your way!

3. Now line up one of your marked squares on a background square, right sides together, making sure that your drawn line does not point into a corner of a background square. Stitch along your marked line.

4. Now line up the 1/4″ mark of your ruler on the stitched line and trim off the corner triangles.

5. Press the seam toward the new corner …

6. … which gives you this:

 

7. Now repeat the sewing process with the second smaller square, placing it on the background diagonally across from the first one.

 

8. Repeat the cutting …

 

9. … and the pressing.

10. Now you’re ready to sign your block! 🙂