Window Pane block Tutorial

I wanted to make a tutorial for part of my 100 day Hustle list. Why make a tutorial you ask? Well, I am not a super creative person - it's better for me to follow someone else's directions. But with some prodding from friends and some of you awesome bloggers in the community I think it would be good practice to write one up. Maybe I would find something I liked or spark a new creative side of my brain I hadn't discovered yet. I knew I had to make a block for my Nubees swap so I figured I would try make a tutorial based on a block.

When I was thinking about what type of block to make for this month's Nubees swap, I knew I wanted something different. Not necessarily something difficult or highly technical, but I guess just more simplistic, something that would highlight the colors. I like symmetry and I like sashing so I started sketching things and came up with a window pane shape:

But then I realized that 4 pieces of fabric sashed by white was not anything anyone couldn't do. I mean how hard is that? So I thought okay well let's make one pane a fabric with lots of fun colors, then the other three panes color "blocks" of each color in the main fabric. Not much harder but it gives it a little more dimension, don't you think?

So without further ado I give you my very first tutorial - the Window Pane Block. This block, when pieced using quarter inch seams, should yield one 12.5X12.5 inch block.

You will need the following:

Then I went ahead and arranged my fabric how I wanted it to be in the block just for spatial recognition:

Sew the fabrics in Row A together - however you want to do it is fine just maintain your order. Then sew all the fabrics in Row B together. You should now have this:

Row A and B

The you can place them back between your long pieces of sashing so you have this:

I picked Row B and pinned the bottom and middle sashing to it (right sides together). If you sew straight and even, which I don't, then just lay them down and sew. I had to angle mine a bit, but I measured the space between the sashing before pinning so that it was an even 1.5 inches all the way down the row. 

1.5 inches separating the sashings 

bottom and middle sashing pinned to Row B

I pinned everything up and pieced Row B + bottom sashing + middle sashing and then pieced Row A + top sashing:

top + A and bottom + middle + B

Then pin the top half to the bottom half, right sides together. I lined up the center sashing so that the "window pane" part was equal - does this make sense? Sew together and press open to see your window!

pinned face to face with the center white sashing lined up 

all ready to trim!

Now just square your block up to 12.5 by 12.5, iron flat and admire your pretty colored window pane!

Yay!

This block is actually the inspiration for the tutorial. The main fabric in the upper left was pulled because Diane requested yellows, reds, and blacks. And the other panes just cam into place as those main colors! As soon as I find my camera charger I will upload pictures of the other blocks I made using this tutorial. UPDATE: pictures of the other blocks are here!

I would love some feedback as well if you have any! Pros and cons about the block design and the tutorial write up. And again, I know this was a really simplistic block, but it is a fun block that you can really play about with. You can add another 3 strips in place of the main fabric for strips in every pane. You could do different classes of prints in each pane (i.e. geometrics, florals, solids, texts!).

Linking up to Beth's (Plum and June) Monday linky party for "Let's get Acquainted" and Jenna's (Sew Happy Geek) Manic Monday linky party.

Off to visit every one else's masterpieces.

ciao!

-k