Churn Dash: Quilter’s Planner Block Tutorial

In the 2017 Quilter’s Planner, you will find tutorials for traditional quilt blocks in addition to the weekly quilt blocks that were designed for the 2016 Paintbrush Studios New Block Blog Hop. I am sharing today, the tutorial that I designed for the traditional Churn Dash block. This block finishes at 12 inches. You will find the Churn Dash block presented for the week of July 16th.

Here is my Churn Dash block. I created it from leftover fabrics from the Paintbrush Studios New Block Blog Hop.

Fabric Cutting Requirements:

From the focus color (Midnight) navy blue:

Cut (2) 5 inch squares and (4) 2.5 by 4.5 inch rectangles

From the background color White:

Cut (2) 5 inch squares,  (1) 4.5 inch square and (4) 2.5 by 4.5 inch rectangles

How to create this block:

We will be creating half square triangles and two patches.

To create the Half Square Triangles, layer the white and navy 5 inch squares, mark a diagonal line across the white square and you will be sewing a scant 1/4 inch on both sides of the line. Cut the squares in half on the drawn line. Press your HST open and square up the block to 4.5 inches using your favorite method. I used my Bloc-Loc ruler. You will have 4 HSTs.

To create the two patches, layer the white and navy 2.5 by 4.5  inch rectangles. Sew a scant 1/4 inch seam down the 4.5 inch side. Press seams open.

How to lay out the block:

The Churn Dash is basically a nine patch block and goes together quite easily.

You sew the three blocks in each of the rows together.

I pressed the seams in the middle row towards the center block and the other two rows with the seams towards the outside block. The seams nested together quite nicely.

An Alternative speed piecing technique to the Churn Dash Block:

Background Fabric

Cut ( 1) 4.5 inch square, (1) 7 inch square and (1) 2.5 by 22 inch strip

Focus Fabric

Cut (1) 7 inch square and (1) 2.5 by 22 inch strip

You will use the white and navy 7 inch squares to produce 4 HSTs at once. Layer the two squares and sew a scant 1/4 inch around all four sides of the block. Press the square and cut diagonally across the block in both directions creating four triangles. Press the HSTs open and square up to 4.5 inches.

To create the two patches, you will use the 2.5 by 22 inch strips joining them together with a scant  1/4 inch seam. You will cut the completed strip set into (4) 4.5 inch segments. Press blocks open.

You will finish piecing the block in the same fashion.

I am also sharing a tutorial for the traditional Granny Square quilt block in a separate blog post.

You can find all the great new quilt blocks created for the 2016 Paintbrush Studios New Block Blog Hop in the 2017 Quilter’s Planner. Fifteen traditional quilt block designs are included this year along with 14 designer quilt patterns. My block tutorial Irish Rose Chain is included as well.

Be sure to go to the Quilter’s Planner website to check it out.

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