Y-Not Tumbling Blocks

Y-Not Tumbling Blocks
-5 1/2 yards of very dark solid or tone on tone (Crib size 2 yards of light colored tone on
tone))
-Assorted other coordinating fabrics (40” wide) divided into light and medium tones
(Crib size needs 14 1/8 yard pieces in coordinating dark and medium fabrics. 7 dark
fabrics and 7 medium fabrics, 1/8 yard each)
-Cut 80 strips 2 3/8” wide from the dark fabric (crib-size-20 strips, leaves ½ yard for
binding))
-Cut 30 strips 3 ½” wide from the light strips (Crib size, cut as many as possible)
-Cut 30 strips 3 ½” wide from the medium strips (Crib size, cut as many as possible)
Assemble the light strips into sets. Each set should contain four dark strips separated by
three light strips. Assemble the sets so the right edge is approximately at a sixty degree
angle.
Assemble the medium strips into sets. Each set should contain four dark strips separated
by three medium strips. Stagger the strips so the right edge is approximately at a sixty
degree angle, but the opposite angle from the light strip sets. See diagram below.
Press the light strip set seams toward the dark brown (dark green in the photo below)
strip. Press the medium strip set seams toward the medium fabrics. Press carefully
because the strip sets need to be straight. Use a generous spray of starch for the final
press, being careful to not stretch the fabrics as you press. Because all the seams are on
the bias, the starch will help keep your blocks from stretching later when you sew them.
Using a long ruler with a 60 degree mark on it, cut the edge of a light strip set at a sixty
degree angle. Cut the strip set into 3 ½” wide strips all at a sixty degree angle. (Follow
the line of the first cut and cut the strips 3 ½” from the first cut).
Once the strip set is cut into 3 ½” wide strips, take one strip and turn it lengthwise on
your mat. Cut off the ends and between the light strip sets at a 90” angle to create three
rectangular blocks approximately 3” by 5”. As you are cutting there should be an eighth
to a sixteenth of an inch of the brown (dark green) fabric just beyond the point of the light
fabric. Cut the other strips in the same manner to create a total of 27 (or more)
blocks.
Repeat with the other light strip sets. You should have a minimum of 270 blocks. Put the
light blocks together in one place so they don’t get mixed up with the medium blocks.
See the single block in the picture below for an example of what your blocks should look
like.
Repeat the process with the medium strip sets to create 270 blocks. The inner strip of the
medium blocks should be canted in the opposite direction from the light blocks.
Sew each light block to a medium block. Nest the abutting seams as you sew. You should
now have at least 270 pairs. In the picture above you can see two pairs sewn together.
Sew 18 rows. Each row will have 30 of the small blocks (15 pairs). Press each seam in a
row in the same direction. Each row will have a medium block on one end and a light
block on the other end. Press all the seams in the row toward the medium block on the
end of the row.
Assemble the rows, alternating between having a medium block as the first block in the
row and a light block as the first block in the row. Nest abutting seams as you sew. Press
the seams to one side. Your top should now look like this:
Sandwich with batting and backing fabric. Quilt as desired. Bind with left over dark
brown fabric.
Copyright by Rebecca McCreary 2011