I was super excited when my good friends at Stitchin' Heaven asked if I could participate in their BOHO Heart Monthly Block of the Month program and share tutorials for the blocks each month. I have so had a Jen Kingwell quilt on my "Someday Bucket List" and I am so excited to finally be making one! So of course, I was all in. Each month, be sure to check back in for the months blocks and helpful hints on how to put them together.
Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6
Month 7 Month 8 Month 9 Month 10 Month 11 Month 12
And since each month will have Lots and Lots of Tutorials in them . . . Here is a list to jump right to the tutorial you need :
General Instructions Half Square Triangle Block Square in a Square Block
Mini Circle Block Wonky Flower Block Pinwheel Block
Churn Dash Block X's and O's Block Sawtooth Star Block
X Plus Block Gardenvale Block Background Strips
Sewing Section 1 Sewing Section 2 Sewing Together Section 1&2
So you have your Month 1 BOHO Heart Packet . . . Lets get started!!!
Let's get started with a few General Instructions to note that will help along the way of this BOHO Block of the Month.
First off, this is the layout we will be following and you should note it is different than the layout in the book. There are an additional 3" of background strips added to the top of the quilt. Also, the blocks sizes are in the same layout as the pattern in the book, but the individual blocks are placed in different locations within the "heart". So be sure and pay attention to this image sent with your Month 1 packet for layout help. And of course, I will be showing it step by step in the tutorial.
Along with adding 3" to the top of the layout pattern, you will also want to note the Grey patches in your pattern. These are "holes" in the blocks and are filled in with strip piecing. There are 68 strips total in the quilt, and you will be sent a different fabric for each of the 68 strips throughout the year. Take care that you use the same strip all the way down each vertical line for all the piecing in that line. I found it easiest to number my lines 1- 68 on the top of the pattern for reference.
There are lots of templates in your pattern book that you will be using throughout the year. You can trace each on a heavy cardstock and cut them each out, or simply copy them on to cardstock and cut them out. But I find it's nice to do this all at the beginning so you don't have to go back and make a new template each time you are making an applique block.
Normally, whenever I start a Block of the Month project, I press all of my fabrics first. However, I quickly found for this particular BOHO Block of the Month, it is much easier to keep your fabrics in the individual bags they come in until you are ready to make that block. Otherwise, things can get mixed up fast ;) I just press each of the fabrics in the pack when I am ready to make that particular block.
When you are ready to start cutting your print fabrics, take care to read your Supplemental print instructions from Stitchin' Heaven carefully as the tutorial will not be telling you the sizes to cut fabrics, as that wouldn't be fair to the pattern writers. To read the Supplemental Instructions, note that the first measurement is the size of fabric you will be cutting from. The squares show you the size fabrics you will be cutting from that piece. ie . . . From the Black piece of Fabric that measures 5"x 16" and is in your X's and O's labeled bag, cut (4) 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" squares. The Background fabrics will be listed the same way and show you the strips that you will be cutting from. And note, Any squares for Half Square Triangles are listed at .875 or 7/8" of the size, I will always cut it to the inch larger and then trim, but will note that each time.
And one final note, I will give the unfinished size of each block, but with that said, I do not square up my blocks. I know this is not always the way it is done, but I often find when teaching, squaring up blocks leads to cutting off seam allowances that are needed for perfect points when putting your blocks in the overall layout. So, with that said, if you like to square up your blocks, just be cautious of blocks that have 1/4" seam allowances or points in corners along the edges of the blocks, you want to keep those in tact ;)
And with that . . . let's get going on our first block this month, the . . .
From your Month #1, Half Square Triangle bag, cut the fabrics according to the page 2 supplemental cutting list. I cut my squares 3" instead of the 2.875" and will trim.
From your Month #1, Square in a Square bag, cut the fabrics according to the page 1 supplemental cutting list.
Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the 4 darker fabric squares. Place two of the marked squares onto the Lighter Square with right sides together as shown and pin.
Stitch a seam directly on the drawn line. Trim 1/4" over the stitched line and scrap the excess.
Next up we move on to some applique with the . . .
Note - If you are new to Applique, you can see detailed videos here on all things applique, just scroll past the Finishing Your Quilts videos ;)
From your Month #1, Mini Circle bag, cut the fabrics according to the page 1 supplemental cutting list. Also, cut out your Mini Circle 1.5" Template. Trace your template on to the wrong side of your purple square and then cut out your circle applique. You can place your circle in line with the print if you want to fussy cut it ;)
Fold your White Square in half twice and finger press the crease. Do the same for your Circle Applique. Align the creases in the White Square and the Circle Applique to center the applique. Dab some applique glue or just use a little glue stick to secure the Circle Applique in place.
And all that is left is to secure stitch your applique to your block. I use my sewing machine to secure stitch, but you can always do Hand Secure Stitching or Needle Turn Applique as well. The thread colors is also your choice, you can match your threads, use white or black throughout your project, or pick something bold. It's your quilt, so make it the way you like.
When secure stitching, it is best to use Needle Down option on your machine if you have it and you can choose from several stitches ie, blanket stitch, zig-zag, or straight stitch. Stitch around the entire Applique using desired secure stitch. I like to backstitch 1-2 stitches at the beginning and the end of my stitching just to secure it.
And you have your third block finished. A Mini Circle Block measuring 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" unfinished.
And let's do some more applique with the . . .
From your Month #1, Wonky Flower bag, cut the fabrics according to the page 1 supplemental cutting list. Also, cut out your 3 Wonky Flower Templates. Because the 2 flower templates are a little larger, I like to prepare the fabrics with Lite Heat N Bond before tracing the templates. This just makes them a little easier to work with, but if you don't like the bulk of Heat N Bond, just keep using the glue ;) Trace your templates on to the wrong side of your fabrics and then cut out your 2 Flower Appliques and Center Circle Applique.
If using Heat N Bond, remove the paper backing on your two Flower Appliques. Place your appliques on top of one another and the Grey Square as shown below. It doesn't have to be perfectly aligned as it is "wonky". To center the Flower Applique, I like to just measure around the 4 sides and ensure I have the same amount of space to the edge of the applique. Once aligned, Press or Glue to secure the applique to the block.
And once again, you need to secure stitch your applique to your block, and be sure to secure stitch all 3 appliques backstitching at the beginning and end of each. As you can see, I changed thread color for each Applique.
And you have your fourth block finished and also are finished with Applique for this month. I just love this Wonky Flower Block measuring 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" unfinished.
So lets get back to some regular piecing with the . . .
From your Month #1, Pinwheel bag, cut the fabrics according to the page 1 supplemental cutting list. Again, I cut my squares 3" instead of the 2.875" and will trim.
Using the Pink Squares and the Half Square Triangle Directions make 4 Half Square Triangles and trim them to 2 1/2" x 2 1/2". Layout the 4 Half Square Triangle Units as shown.
Place the Second Unit in each row onto the First Unit with right sides together and align and pin the raw edges. (The seams will nest so you don't have to pin if you feel secure in nesting) Stitch a 1/4" seam along both pinned edges.
Press both seams open to reduce bulk at the center point.
Place the First Row onto the Second Row with right sides together and align and pin the raw edges. You can use this little pin trick to align the center point of your pinwheel perfectly. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge, and be sure when stitching at the center, you stitch directly along the bottom of the Fabric V made in the seam allowance to ensure a perfect center point. Press the seam open.
And you have your fifth block finished and it is perfect!! The Pinwheel Block measuring 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" unfinished.
So that means it's time to move on to Block 6, the . . .
From your Month #1, Churn Dash bag, cut the fabrics according to the page 1 supplemental cutting list. Again, I cut my squares 3" instead of the 2.875" and will trim.
Using the 3" Pink Squares and the Half Square Triangle Directions make 4 Half Square Triangles and trim them to 2 1/2" x 2 1/2". They can be set aside for the moment.
Now we are going to Strip Piece. Gather your long rectangle pieces. Place them with right sides together. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the long edge. When strip piecing, I like to use a smaller stitch length so my stitches don't unravel when the pieces are subcut. It's totally okay if your strips do not match perfectly at the ends.
Press your strip set towards the Darker Strip. Take care when pressing a strip set that you don't stretch the material. I like to press from the front and run my finger along the edge of the seam just in front of my iron. This keeps bubbles out of the seam and ensures no stretching.
Once you have pressed the strip set, lay it on your cutting mat so the top is aligned with a horizontal line on your mat. Using a vertical line on the mat as a guide, cut a straight edge. Measure in 2 1/2" from your straight edge and cut a Side Unit. Continue measuring in 2 1/2" and cutting sub-cutting side units until you have a total of 4 Side Units measuring 2 1/2" x 2 1/2". The remainder of the strip can be scrapped.
And now, the units are made and we are ready to piece the block. Layout the 4 Half Square Triangle Units, 4 Side Units, and 1 Pink Center Square as shown.
Place the center column pieces onto the left hand pieces with right sides together. Align and pin if desired. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units.
Then, place the left hand column pieces onto the center pieces with right sides together. Align and pin if desired. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units.
Press the top and bottom row Inward. Press the center row outwards towards the Darker Pink rectangles.
Place the Center Row onto the Top row with right sides together. Align and pin/nest the seams. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.
And now, place the bottom row onto the center row with right sides together. Align and pin/nest the seams. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge. Press the last two seams open.
And just like that, you completed Block 6, the Churn Dash Block that should measure 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" unfinished.
And now we can move onto Block 7, the . . .
X’s and O’s Block
From your Month #1, X's and O's bag, cut the fabrics according to the page 1 supplemental cutting list.
Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the 8 Yellow fabric squares. Place two of the marked squares onto each of the 4 Black Squares with right sides together as shown and pin in place.
Stitch a seam directly on each of the drawn lines. Trim 1/4" over the stitched lines and scrap the excess. Press the seams so they are going in the same direction, this will allow you to nest them later. ISo one seam will be pressed to the dark, and one to the light on each X Unit.
Layout the 4 X Units as shown below, taking note of the direction of the pressed seams.
Place the Second Unit in each row onto the First Unit with right sides together and align and pin/nest the raw edges. Stitch a 1/4" seam along both pinned edges.
Press the Seams Open.
Place the First Row onto the Second Row with right sides together and align and pin/nest the raw edges. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge. Press the seam open.
And now your Block 7 is done. The X's and O's Block should measure 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" unfinished.
And now we are moving into our bigger blocks, with the . . .
From your Month #1, Sawtooth Stars bag, cut the fabrics according to the page 2 supplemental cutting list. Note, the 4 White squares are cut from a different fabric than the 4 White rectangles.
Layout your 8 Small Yellow and 8 Small Blue squares as shown below. Sew the squares into 4 rows.
To do this, I simply place the second square onto the first square in each row and stitch a 1/4" seam. Then place the third square onto the second square in each row and stitch a 1/4" seam. Repeat for the last square in each row.
Press the seams of each row in opposite directions. So press the seams in the First and Third row to the right and press the seams of the Second and Fourth row to the left. This way you can nest them.
Place the First Row onto the Second Row with right sides together and align and pin/nest the raw edges. And do the same with the Third Row placed on the Fourth Row. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges.
Press the seams open. Yes, you could wait until all the rows are sewn together to press, but I just find it easier for everything to lay flat with such tiny seams if I press now.
Place the Top Row onto the Bottom Row with right sides together and align and pin/nest the raw edges. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges.
Press the center seam open and then set this Center Unit aside for the moment.
Now, it's time to make some Flying Geese. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 8 Large Blue squares. Place a Marked Square onto each of the 4 White Fabric rectangles with right sides together as shown and pin them in place.
Sew a seam directly on the drawn line. Trim 1/4" over the stitched line and scrap the excess. Press the seam allowance upwards towards the Blue Triangle.
And now you can repeat for the second side of the 4 Units. Place a remaining Marked Square on the other side of each of the 4 units with right sides together. Stitch a seam directly on the drawn line, trim 1/4" over the seam line, and then press towards the Blue Triangle.
And you have 4 perfect Flying Geese Units measuring 2 1/2" x 4 1/2" and again, these are one of those things you need to be very careful with if you decide to square them up. Leave 1/4" seam allowance at the top point and ensure the two sides come to a point at the bottom.
And now we are ready to piece the block. Layout the 4 Flying Geese Units, 4 White Squares, and 1 Center Unit as shown.
Place the left hand column pieces onto the center column pieces with right sides together. Align and pin. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units and when stitching the center row, be sure and stitch directly along the center of the Thread X made in the seam allowance to ensure a perfect star point.
Then, place the left hand column pieces onto the center pieces with right sides together. Align and pin and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units, hitting the center of the Thread X on the Center Row.
Press the top and bottom row Outwards. Press the center row Open.
Place the Top Row and the Bottom Row onto the Center row with right sides together. Align and pin/nest the seams. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge, stitching through the center of the Thread X. Press the seams open.
And you now have a Sawtooth Star Block that should measure 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" unfinished.
We are getting closer to finishing the blocks. On to the . . .
From your Month #1, X Plus bag, cut the fabrics according to the page 2 supplemental cutting list.
Using a 2 1/2" Wide ruler, align the Center of the Ruler with 2 diagonal points of your Grey Square. (Note, I had to draw a center line on my ruler, you might need to as well :) Trim the two sides along the edge of the ruler to make a Lozene Unit. Repeat for all 4 Grey Squares.
Place 2 Off White triangles onto the sides of each of the 4 Lozenge Units. You can simply eyeball center them. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edges of the Lozenge Units. Press the seams of all 4 units outwards.
Using a Square Ruler, (3 1/2" is best) align the corner of the ruler with the Grey Corner of the Lozenge Unit. Trip the sides of the entire unit to 3 1/2" square. Repeat for all 4 Lozenge Units.
Layout the 4 Pieced Lozenge Units, 4 Blue Rectangles, and 1 Center Purple Square as shown.
Place the center column pieces onto the left hand column pieces with right sides together. Align and pin. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units.
Then, place the right hand column pieces onto the center pieces with right sides together. Align and pin and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units.
Press the top and bottom row Inwards. Press the center row Outwards.
Place the Center Row onto the Top row with right sides together. Align and pin/nest the seams. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge.
Place the Bottom Row onto the Center row with right sides together. Align and pin/nest the seams. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edge. Press the last 2 seams Open.
And done, a beautiful X Plus Block that should measure 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" unfinished.
Only 1 more block to go, let's make the . . .
Gardenvale Block
From your Month #1, Gardenvale bag, cut the fabrics according to the page 3 supplemental cutting list. One last time, I cut my 2.875" squares to 3" and will trim.
Using the Green and White 3" squares and the Half Square Triangle Directions , make 4 Half Square Triangles and trim them to 2 1/2" x 2 1/2". These can be set aside for a moment.
Layout 4 Red Small Squares, 4 :White Small Squares, and 1 Green Small Square as shown. Sew the squares into 3 rows.
Press the top and bottom row Outwards. Press the center row Inwards.
Sew the 3 rows together into the Center Unit. Press the seams open. Set the Center Unit aside.
Draw a diagonal line from corner to comer on the reaming 8 Red Squares. Place a Marked Square onto either side of each of the 4 Green Fabric rectangles with right sides together as shown and pin them in place. Sew a seam directly on the drawn lines. Trim 1/4" over the stitched lines and scrap the excess. Press the seam allowances of all 4 Side Units outwards towards the Red Triangles.
Layout the 4 Half Square Triangle Units, 4 Side Units, and 1 Center Unit as shown.
Place the Right Hand column pieces onto the Center Column pieces with right sides together. Align and pin. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units. You can use the Pin Trick to align the diagonal seams on the center row, you will just have to eyeball the 1/4" align as there are no threads to mark it. And if it doesn't line up right the first time, you can use your unpick lines as a 1/4" guide ;)
Then, place the left hand column pieces onto the center pieces with right sides together. Align and pin and stitch a 1/4" seam along the edge of all the units using the pin trick in the center row.
Press all the seams open to avoid bulk.
Place the Top Row and the Bottom Row onto the Center row with right sides together. Align and pin/nest the seams, using the Pin Trick in the center. Stitch a 1/4" seam along the pinned edges and Press the seams Open.
And your Final block is made, a wonderful Gardenvale Block measuring 10 1/2" x 10 1/2" unfinished.
And that means it is time to start putting all the blocks together, but first, we are going to need some of those Low Volume Background strips!!
Start by pressing all of your Low Volume Background pieces. I like to stack up 3 strips on top of one another, trim the selvages, and then cut as many 1 1/2" strips as I can. If you cut super straight, you can get 3 strips from the larger fabric pieces and 2 strips from the smaller fabric pieces.
From the Low Volume Strips sent with your Month #1 package, cut the fabrics according to the pages 4 and 5 in the supplemental cutting list. Note - You will have to piece some of the strips together to get the desired length of the strips. On those, the cutting directions say 44" and 46" but it should be 44 1/2" and 46 1/2".
There is no right or wrong order to number your strips, you can do your low volume strips in any order you like, only take care to do fabrics 1-12 from the fabrics that you have 3 strips and strips 13-18 from the fabrics you have 2 strips of.
Also, most importantly, once you have cut all the pieces from one fabric, take care to keep them together and marked with the Number of that vertical row/fabric. You are cutting the strips for Month 1, 2 and 3 so you will be keeping these grouped and marked for some time.
***NOTE*** A few of the Background cutting directions were omitted by accident. You need to add cutting for the "Grey Holes" I mentioned at the beginning of the post. So to your already cut fabrics, add the following to each of your strip sets.
Fabric 11 - (2) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"
Fabric 12 - (2) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"
Fabric 13 - (2) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"
Fabric 14 - (2) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"
Fabric 15 - (2) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"
Fabric 16 - (2) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2"
Fabric 17 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" and (1) 1 1/2"x 6 1/2"
Fabric 18 - (1) 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" and (1) 1 1/2"x 6 1/2"
Sorry, I didn't get a pic of this as I didn't realize it until I was already past this point ;)
And now with all your Background Pieces cut, you can start sewing together your . . .
We will start by sewing some Strip Sets together. For all of these strip sets, press the seam allowance to the Larger Number fabric. Also, I found it very helpful to leave my extra pieces of marked background fabric to the side of my piecing so it can be used as a guide. It is easy to mix up what is 1 and what is 2 when sewn together ;)
From Fabric 1 and 2, sew a 19 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.
From Fabric 3 & 4, sew a 17 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.
From Fabric 5 & 6, sew a 11 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.
From Fabric 7 & 8, sew a 9 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.
From Fabric 9, 10, 11, & 12, sew a 7 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.
From Fabric 13 & 14, sew a 5 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.
From Fabric 15, 16, 17, & 18, sew a 3 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.
Now we will sew Blocks to Strip Sets. For all of these, press the Seams Open. And still, the guide is very helpful to keep handy and make sure you are always putting the Blocks at the bottom of the Strip Sets.
Sew the 3/4 Strip Set and the HST Block together as shown.
Sew the 7/8 Strip Set and the Square in a Square Block together as shown.
Sew the 9/10/11/12 Strip Set and the Wonky Flower Block together as shown.
Sew the 13/14 Strip Set and the Mini Circle Block together as shown.
Sew the 15/16/17/18 Strip Set and the Pinwheel Block together as shown.
Now we start sewing it together into the Section 1.
Sew the 1/2 Strip Set and the HST Unit together as shown.
Sew the 5/6 Strip Set and the Square in a Square Unit together as shown.
Sew the Mini Circle Unit and the Pinwheel Unit together as shown.
Press the Seams Open.
Sew the Sashed Square in a Square Unit and the Wonky Flower Unit together as shown.
Sew the Circle/Pinwheel Unit and the X's & O's Block together as shown.
Press the Seams Open.
Sew the Circle/X/Pinwheel Unit and the the Churn Dash Block together as shown.
Sew the Wonky/Squared Unit and the Sawtooth Stars Block together as shown.
Press the Seams Open.
Sew the 3 Sets of Rows together as shown in numerical order.
Press the Seams Open.
And your Group 1 - Section 1 is complete. It should measure 18 1/2" wide by 19 1/2" high.
And now we can sew together . . .
Once again, We will start by sewing the Strip Sets together. Press the seam allowances to the Larger Number fabric.
From Fabric 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, & 18, sew a 2 1/2" Strip Set together as shown.
Now we will sew the Block to the Strip Set. Press the Seams Open. And still, the guide is very helpful to keep handy and make sure you are always putting the Blocks at the bottom of the Strip Sets.
Sew the 11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18 Strip Set and the X Plus Block together as shown.
And now to finish Section 2.
Sew the Gardenvale Block and the X Plus Unit together as shown.
Press the Seams Open.
And your Group 2 - Section 1 is complete. It should measure 18 1/2" wide by 10 1/2" high.
And all that is left is to sew together . . .
And that is it for BOHO Heart Block of the Month, Month 1 :)
If you have any questions on this tutorial, please don't hesitate to email me at happyquiltingmelissa@gmail.com or leave a comment.
Hope you have so much fun making all of this months blocks and then sewing them all together:) You can actually see the heart starting to form by the end of this month, so fun!!!
Looking forward to Next Month!!
