How to: Sew an Illinois Block

Another tutorial for our cute Saturday Sampler blocks this month!

Illinois Block Tutorial

Kit Contents:
1) Beige & red print rectangle – 3 3/4” x 7 1/4”
1) Red with gold flower square – 2 1/4” x 2 1/4”
1) Tan rectangle – 2 1/2” x 4 3/4”
1) Brown print square – 3 1/2” x 3 1/2”
1) Beige print rectangle – 2 1/4” x 8 1/4”
1) Gold star square – 3 1/2” x 3 1/2”
1) Red strip – 4 1/4” x 11 1/4”

We will be making more flying geese units on this block. The flying geese units will finish at 1” x 2”. If you have a flying geese ruler that you want to use, go ahead and cut your flying geese using the lines that are on your ruler for the 1” x 2” finished size. Look for the markings labeled “B” on your ruler. These cutting assignments are marked with an * in the instructions below.

If you are not using a specific flying geese ruler, the measurements are included in the instructions below.

#1- Starch and press all your pieces in your kit. Then sub-cut your pieces as described below. As you cut, place the pieces into piles/sets as described. If I don’t tell you a specific pile to place the pieces in, create a new pile.

#2- Sub-cut the Beige/red print (3 3/4” x 7 1/4”) into 2) 3 1/4” squares.

#3- Sub-cut the large red piece into 2) 3 1/4” squares and *4) 1 7/8” squares. Place the 2) 3 1/4” squares with the 2) beige/red squares from step #2. Leave the 4 small squares in a separate pile.

#4- Trim the red with gold flower square to 1 7/8”.

#5- Sub-cut the tan rectangle (2 1/3” x 4 3/4”) into 2) 2 1/4” squares. Cut each square once diagonally. You will now have 4 triangles. Place the triangles with the 1 7/8” red/gold square from step #4.

#6- *Trim the brown square and the gold square to 3 1/4” each. Place the gold square in a set with the 4 small red squares from step #3.

#7- Sub-cut the beige print rectangle into *4) 1 7/8” squares. Place these four squares with the brown print square from step #6.

All the pieces in your kit should be sub-cut. You should have the following piles:
-Pile 1 is- 4) 3 1/4” squares – 2 red and 2 beige print

-Pile 2 is- 4) tan triangles and 1) red print square

-Pile 3 is- 4) small red squares and 1) larger gold square

-Pile 4 is- 4) small beige print squares and 1) larger brown print square.

#8- Take pile #1- make 4) half-square triangle blocks. Draw one diagonal line* on the back of the beige squares. OR draw two parallel diagonal lines** on the back, using a magic wand.

*If you drew one line, you will sew 1/4” away on both sides of the drawn line.

**If you drew two lines, you will sew on the drawn lines.

Place each beige square right side together with a red square. Sew 1/4” away on both sides of the drawn line, or on the two lines you drew with a magic wand.

#9- Cut in half between the 2 lines of stitching. Press toward the beige. “Square up” or trim each block to 2 1/2”. Set aside. You should now have 4) half-square blocks.

#10- Take pile #2- make 1) sq-in-a-sq block. If you have a “Square Squared” ruler use it. Follow the measurements for a finished 2” block. Sew 2 triangles onto opposite sides of the red square. Press toward the triangles.

#11- Sew the remaining two triangles onto the remaining sides of the square. Press toward the triangles. Trim your square to 2 1/2”. Be careful to leave a 1/4” seam allowance on all four corners of the inside square.

#12- Take pile #3 and pile #4- Make 8 flying geese units, 4 from each set.

Since you will be making two sets of flying geese, the instructions will refer to the squares as small or large instead of specifying the color of the squares.

#13- Draw one diagonal line* on the back of the four small squares. OR draw two parallel diagonal lines** on the back, using a magic wand.

*If you drew one line, you will sew 1/4” away on both sides of the drawn line.

**If you drew two lines, you will sew on the drawn lines.

#14- Lay two of the small squares right sides together on the large square. The small squares will overlap a little bit in the center. (You may trim the overlap, using a “corner trimmer” if desired). This step is not necessary, just helpful and less bulky.

#15- Sew 1/4” away from the line if you drew one line. OR sew on the two drawn lines if you used a magic wand to mark your stitching lines.
#16- Cut through the center, between the two stitching lines, forming two “heart shaped” pieces that look like this. Press the seams toward the small triangles.

#17- Place the remaining two small squares right sides together on the heart shaped pieces. Sew 1/4” away on both sides of the drawn line OR sew two seams on the lines you drew with the magic wand.

#18- Cut each unit through the center, between your stitching lines, to form four flying geese units.

#19- Measure your flying geese units. Each flying geese unit should measure 1 1/2” x 2 1/2. You can trim off any “dog ears” from the bottom corners. Make sure that you have a 1/4” seam allowance on the top center point of your goose.

You should have these now:

#20- Sew the gold flying geese onto the top of the brown flying geese. Press the seam toward the gold goose. Make four sets like this. Each sewn set of flying geese should measure 2 1/2” x 2 1/2”.

#21- Sew your block together. Sew three separate rows with three blocks in each row. Pay attention to the direction that the blocks need to be placed within each row. Press your seams.

Your block should now measure 6 1/2”.