Summer Garden: January Dove at the Window Block
- vafibrearts
- Jan 10, 2023
- 5 min read
Hello Friends and Welcome Back!
December has now passed into January, and with the changing of the months comes a new block for the Summer Garden BoM!
Last month's Flying Squares blocks offered the interesting challenge of a partial seam, and from what you've told me, that challenge was not nearly as difficult as many of you feared it would be! I'm so glad I was able to help you face a challenge with a positive outcome and I hope the new challenges brought on by this month's block will come out just as beautifully!
And speaking of this month's block, it's the Dove at the Window block! This will be the most complicated block in the pattern; it has the most individual pieces, several corners to match, and a few bias seams to be sewn.
And while this block will be the month challenging one, together, I know we can work through the instructions to make a selection of beautiful new blocks!
Pattern Notes
As usual, before we get into this month's block pattern, here's a brief reminder of a few basic pattern notes that you'll need to keep in mind;
This pattern uses a 1⁄4” seam allowance. It is recommended to test your seam allowance before starting the block to insure accurate piecing!
An additional tip to improve block accuracy is to press between each step. Pressing seams as they are sewn will keep the pieces flat and easy to work with!
Finally, since this block introduces the challenge of bias sewn seams, I'd like to offer a few tips for working with those! Since they don't follow a straight thread in the weave of the fabric, bias seams are prone to stretching and warping when handled, to combat this I recommend cutting your pieces the same day you plan to sew them, handling your bias-cut triangles as little as possible, and using pins to keep them in place while pieceing.
Making the Dove at the Window Block
To continue piecing your Summer Garden quilt, follow the block instructions below!
To make one Dove at the Window block, cut the following:
From background fabric:
2x squares at 4 ½"
4x squares at 2"
1x rectangle at 1 ½" x 10 ½"
2x rectangles at 1 ½" x 5"
4x rectangles at 1" x 4"
4x rectangles at 1" x 3 ½"
From fabric A:
2x squares at 3", cut in half diagonally to make 4x triangles
4x squares at 2 ½", draw a diagonal line on the back of each
4x squares at 2"
From fabric B:
4x squares at 2 ½" draw a diagonal line on the back of each
4x squares at 2 ½", cut in half diagonally to make 8x triangles
To assemble the Dove at the Window block:
Select one 4 ½" background square and two 2 ½" squares of fabric A. Place the two fabric A squares on opposite corners of the background square with the drawn line running diagonally across the background square as shown below. Sew ¼" to either side of the drawn line.
Cut along the drawn line to make two heart shaped units.
Select one 2 ½" square or fabric B and place it on the background corner of the heart shaped unit as shown below. Sew ¼" to either side of the drawn line.
Cut along the drawn line to make two unique flying geese units
as shown below.
Trim to 2" x 3 ½".
Make 4 of each for a total of 8 flying geese units.
Set aside.
Select one 2" square of fabric A and two 2 ½" triangles of fabric B. Assemble them into the triangular unit shown below, being careful not to stretch the bias edges.
Make 4.
Set aside.
Select one 3" triangle of fabric A and one 1" x 3" background rectangle. Sew them together with the background rectangle aligned in the right angled corner of the fabric A triangle as shown below, being careful not to stretch the bias edge.
Select one 1" x 4" background rectangle. Sew it to the adjacent edge of the fabric A triangle, aligned with the first background strip as shown below.
Make 4.
Select one of each of the two triangle units made previously. Sew them together along their bias edges being careful not to stretch the fabric.
Trim to 3 ½".
Make 4.
Using the eight flying geese units, four bias triangle units, and all remaining background pieces, assemble the block as shown below.
Trim block to 10 ½" square.
For a throw quilt, make 4.
For a twin quilt, make 9.
For a queen quilt, make 14.
The full block instructions can be downloaded as a PDF here:
Summer Garden Dove at the Window Block
Dove at the Window was actually the block that started this quilt.
Looking at my original Summer Garden sample quilt, I made this block using pale yellow and golden yellow accent fabrics on a green background.
These colours reflect the bright and cheerful yellow of the bird's foot trefoil; another species commonly found throughout Southern Ontario that's not native to the area. As the name suggests, trefoil flowers have small clusters of three petals and the flowers grow in a larger cluster towards the end of the stem, creating a larger head.
The shape of the bird's foot trefoil brought the image of the Dove at the Window block to mind so strongly that it inspired me to design this pattern in the first place! And I'm so glad it did! The cheerful yellows of this block, and the pinks, whites, and purples used throughout the others have been a beautiful bouquet to work with!
For your Summer Garden quilt, you can embrace the original inspiration for this block, the bird's foot trefoil, or seek out colours in your own garden, though at this time of year it may be covered in snow! Check out September's Fabric Requirements post for more inspiration!
Garden of Cards Dove at the Window Block
Knowing this was the block that inspired this pattern in the first place, I really wanted to change it up for the quilt along version.
For the card variation of this block, that was done by limiting the palette to a very stark black and white, as I've done with each of the blocks so far. This creates a very clear outline of the block and actually reminds me more of bats at the window than doves!
Unfortunately, since I've been sick recently, I haven't yet made a sample of the coloured variant of this block, but I do have plans to change it from a trefoil to a rosebud by giving it green leaves and a small coloured tip! A totally different effect just by changing up the the colours!
For more about the inspiration for this colour choice, and to learn about my colour selection process, check out my Colour Selection post from last September!
Friends, we are now at the half-way point of this BoM project! And with this being the most challenging block, the pattern only gets easier from here!
I can't wait to see how each of you make this block your own! Please continue to share your blocks with me in the comments below, by email, or on Instagram by tagging me @v.a.fibre.arts! You can also use any of those methods to share comments, questions, concerns, and feedback about this pattern, I love hearing your thoughts!
With four weeks until the release of the next block, you'll have plenty of time to work on Dove at the Window, but if you do happen to fall behind, the pattern will remain available here!
For the next block of the Summer Garden BoM, visit me again on 07 February!
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