WEEK 4: Block B (and C for Improv, again)
We are more than halfway through the Omega Quiltalong! This week we are going to cut and sew the template pieces for all our Block B’s. Improv layout people are also going to finish up their Block C’s.
Below is the full six-week schedule for a review. First three weeks checked off! SCHEDULING NOTE: Due to QuiltCon happening this Thurs-Sun, next week's Week 5 email and post will not go out until Tuesday Feb 28. (f you're coming to QuiltCon, come to the Miss Make booth (2410) to say hi!
WEEK 1 (Jan 30): Fabric selection, prep templates
WEEK 2 (Feb 6): Cut strips, strip piece all units
WEEK 3 (Feb 13): Cut & piece all Block A (Cut all and piece half of Block C, Improv only)
WEEK 4 (Feb 20): Cut & piece all Block B (Piece half of Block C, Improv only)
WEEK 5 (Feb 27): Pressing, trimming & catch-up week
WEEK 6 (Mar 6): Assembly
Before we dive in, let’s talk about prizes. The Week 3 random winner was @adamsela, woo!
This week, our prize sponsors are Monkland Quilt Studio, a fabric shop in Montreal, QC; Taralee Quiltery, a modern quilt designer and dyer of beautiful fabrics; and Sew Fine Thread Gloss, a beeswax based scented (and unscented) thread conditioner to help tame your unruly threads. All three lovely sponsors are from Canada, so it’s sort of an accidental Canadian Week here at the Omega QAL! (U.S. folks please note that they all offer competitive shipping to the U.S.)
One lucky person will win a $65 CAD (approx. $48.50 USD) gift card from Monkland Quilt Studio, 3 gorgeous snow-dyed half-yard cuts of fabric (shown below) from Taralee Quiltery, and a set of 3 thread glosses from Sew Fine (winner’s scent choice from available selection). All participants can also use discount codes generously provided by Monkland Quilt Studio, Taralee Quiltery, Sew Fine Thread Gloss, Autumn Moon Quilting, Stitch Lab Quilting, Thai Charm LLC, and Wild Phil Quilting to save some money on fabric/supplies/longarm quilting. Be sure to scroll to the end for all the prize/discount info!
CUT BLOCK B TEMPLATES (all versions)
Compared to last week, this is going to be a blessedly shorter post. That’s because you’re pretty much doing the exact same thing you did last week, with one key difference, to make Block B.
Pull out those remaining A/B units you safely stowed last week, ready to be transformed into Block B’s. Give them a press if they look a little sad and droopy. You should have the same number units as quantity of Block B listed in the Block Checklist on page 21 (booklet) / 12 (PDF) of the instructions. Find your paper templates. We’ll be using A/B templates 1, 2, 3, and 4, the same ones you used for Block A last week
Place your first pieced unit on the cutting mat in front of you with the selvages at the top. This will make the left most strip in the unit a Fabric 2 strip (as long as you sewed your units correctly). Again, this seemingly inconsequential step is very important. The position of the strip pieced unit while cutting the templates is the only procedural difference between making Block A and Block B. Just remember, for all the cutting this week, put the selvages at the top (left-most strip Fabric 2) for Block B before making any cuts. This is the main difference this week.
Once the unit is in position, the cutting is exactly the same as last week. Place your paper A/B templates on top of the unit with the printed side facing up as shown below. Align all the smiley faces on the templates - this means that templates 2 and 4 will be upside down. There are gray lines on the templates you can align with the seams on your unit to make sure you are putting the template straight across the fabric.
Weigh or tape down your templates, and carefully cut around them. Remove paper. Rotate cut templates 2 and 4 180° to make a checkerboard. Voila! You have a Block B template set. Now for the only other difference between this week and last - on each template set, mark the left most Fabric 1 piece on Template 4. Again, this is helpful for block placement when assembling the final quilt top, and is more important for Two Color version than Scrappy.
Keep cutting until you’ve cut a Block B template set from each of your remaining A/B units.
TRULY SCRAPPY VERSION
Reminder, this is for people making Omega with individual pieces for every square instead of strip piecing. Follow all the instructions above, except instead of a strip pieced unit, use four of your pieced A/B units, and position them all in a vertical column so that the left-most fabric in each unit is Fabric 2. Otherwise it’s the same as above/last week. Cut until you have quantity of template sets for Block B listed on page 19/11 of instructions.
PIECE BLOCK B (ALL VERSIONS)
It’s time to piece Block B - and guess what, it’s exactly the same process as Block A!
For each block, you’ll need one set of cut Block B template pieces 1, 2, 3, and 4. Scrappy people, scramble your prints.
I will not torture you by making you look at a million photos of all the same steps again, but as a review -
Lay out a block. The touching curvy seams are where you’ll sew.
Align and pin each curvy seam at the stitching line (1/4” in from edge) and at strip pieced seams.
Sew with the larger numbered template on top.
Continue adding templates in numerical order.
We’ll press and trim everything next week, but if you want to press the first one to check your seam allowance - clip the three curvy seam allowances and press open. Your block should be close to 12.5” square.
At the end of your sewing you should have quantity of Block B listed in the Block Checklist on page 21 (booklet) / 12 (PDF) of the instructions.
If you need a more in-depth review, just re-read last week’s post on how to sew Block A, and use Block B pieces instead.
ALTERNATIVE NO-PIN METHOD
As a review - I encourage you to experiment with the method in the video below. While I’m all one for slow, mindful practices, sometimes you do just want things to go a little faster, and I’ve found I can piece Omega blocks speedier this way. If pins work better for you, that’s great too!
CHAIN PIECE! (TRUST ME)
Again - I also encourage you to try chain piecing here! Yes, you can chain piece, even with all the curves. In fact, with your templates all stacked up, they are ready and primed for chain piecing.
Refer to Week 2's post for a reminder on how to chain piece.
IMPROV ONLY: PIECE BLOCK C
Improv people, you should also piece the rest of your Block C template sets into blocks this week. When added to the ones you did last week, you should have the quantity of Block C’s listed in the Block Checklist on page 21/12.
CHECKLIST
Wasn’t that nice and short! Here is your checklist. If you have a question, please comment below (rather than commenting on Instagram or DMing) because I definitely won’t miss it, plus everyone else can see the answer!
Cut all Block B template sets (same quantity as number of Block B listed on page 21/12)
Piece all Block B (refer to block checklist on page 21/12 for quantities)
Improv only: Piece rest of Block C (refer to block checklist on page 21/12 for quantities)
PRIZE & DISCOUNT INFO
Now the good stuff! To enter to win the weekly prize, post a photo in your grid on Instagram this week using the hashtag #omegaqal. It can be a photo of your cut pieces, your favorite scrappy block, anything Omega related! One winner will be randomly selected from the hashtag to win a $65 CAD gift card to Monkland Quilt Studio, 3 snow dyed half-yard fabric cuts from Taralee Quiltery, and three Sew Fine Thread Glosses. Post in your grid, not stories. Your profile must be public for the hashtag picker to see your photo. Open worldwide. You can post to enter multiple times but if you do they must be different photos (no spamming!). Post between 8:00am Feb 20 and 11:55pm Feb 26 (EST) to enter.
FABRIC/SUPPLIES DISCOUNTS
Everyone can get in on these discounts!
Monkland Quilt Studio: Use code OMEGA15 for 15% off regular priced fabrics. Reminder that website shows prices in CAD. Code valid through Sunday Feb 26.
Taralee Quiltery: Use code OMEGA for 25% off patterns and fabric (merch excluded). One use per customer, no expiry.
Sew Fine Thread Gloss: Use code OMEGA25 for 25% off! Valid Monday Feb. 20 thru Sunday Feb 26. (Please note checkout shows prices in CAD)
LONGARM QUILTING DISCOUNTS
These discounts are available throughout the whole quiltalong. Dig out those languishing quilt tops and send them away to be finished, and make plans for your future Omega!
Autumn Moon Quilting: Use code OMEGA for 10% off longarm services. Code valid Jan 30 - Mar 5.
Stitch Lab Quilting: 20% off longarm quilting services (batting and binding separate). Use code OmegaQAL23 on booking form. Offer expires June 6, 2023.
Thai Charm LLC: All Omega quilts sent Jan 30 - April 12 will automatically get 25% discount. Participants just need to mention the quiltalong when they fill out the quilting form.
Wild Phil Quilting: 20% off edge to edge longarm quilting services on any Omega top. Use code Omega20 when submitting form. Offer valid through May 5, 2023.
