Chiloquilters Block of the Month Train Quilt, Block One, Tank Car

These are the instructions for the first Block of the Month Train Quilt Block.  The instructions will be kept simple and lots of the details will be left up to you.  The color selections are completely yours but we will make some suggestions where appropriate.  Remember to make two, one for you and one for you to send to Train Mountain for the Train Mountain wall quilt.  Here goes.

First off the measurements shown on the diagram are the 'finished' measurements and you should end up with 'finished' 12 inch blocks (12 1/2 inch by 12 1/2 inch).  The cut sizes for each piece are shown in the table at the bottom of this page.  The sizes shown in the table are with the normal 1/4 inch seam allowance. The most critical measurements are the width of C1 (1/2 inch finished) the height of Strip Three (2 inch finished) and the height of the train track G1 (1/2 inch finished).  This should give you exactly 3 inches from the top of C1 to the bottom of G1.  This is critical for matching up all the other blocks and having the train track match and the couplers match.

It is our suggestion that you 'build' your blocks by completing one strip at a time and then sew the completed strips together to make your finished block.  Special Note:  Linda found that it was easier to make the block if she first cut out 'all' the pieces and labeled each piece, then built the block, see cutting instructions below.  With that in mind let's build the first strip.  Cut out your pieces for 'Strip One' as shown.  That's 2 pieces of 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 S1 sky material, 1 piece of 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 S2 sky material, 1 piece of 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 dark tank color T1 material and 2 'tiny' triangles of sky colored SC material.  These little triangles look hard but are quite easy.  Cut out a 1 inch square of your sky material and place it good side down (right sides together) in the upper left hand corner of the 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 dark tank T1 material (this is the same as doing a snow ball or quick corner piecing).  Sew diagonal across the corner as shown in Figure A and fold the 'flap' back.  Cut the excess material off as shown in Figure B.  Iron the 'flap' to keep it in place as shown in Figure C.  We suggest that you sew in all these 'triangle-squares' on each piece 'before' you sew the other pieces together.

To build 'Strip One' build from left to right, first sew SC onto T1 as shown in Figure A.  Repeat for the second SC in the opposite corner of T1.  Sew T1 to S2.  Sew S1 to the assembled pieces (S2 / T1).  Sew the second S1 to the other side of the assembled pieces (S1 / S2 / T1).  This completes Strip One.

Strip Two is built from left to right, C1 sewn to S3, Dark Corner C2 sewn to bottom left corner of T2 and SC sky corner to upper left hand corner of T2, assembled C1/S3 sewn to T2, assembled C2/S3/T2 sewn to T3,  repeat these steps to complete the right hand end and sew to complete strip two.  Special note:  press seams towards the center of each piece.

Strip Three is built by building W1 with the SC corners as shown.  Then going from left to right sew S4 to the completed W1, add the next W1, sew to S5, complete the right hand end and sew to complete strip three.

Strip Four is built by sewing G1 to E1.  Note:  Strips Three and Four will be repeated in most of the remaining blocks for the Train Quilt.

To complete the block sew the bottom of Strip One to the top of Strip Two, the bottom of Strip Two to the top of Strip Three (special note: these seams won't line up for Strips Two and Three as the rectangles are all different sizes), and finally the bottom of Strip Three to the top of Strip Four.  Block One complete!