Tutorial: New Mexico AMB Blog Tour Block

Here's the New Mexico Block for the American Made Brand Blog Tour:

I made a chart to help with cutting, piecing, and organizing.

I also made a chart in EQ7 that showed a bit more detail to help me envision fabric placement:

It's not entirely accurate since I cut the top and bottom strips wider than the colored strips.

We can print this photo and write in colors and measurements or use the chart below.

For this block, cut the top and bottom strips of dark butter fabric 13 inches by 1.5 inches.
All other strips are cut 1.25 inches wide.

New Mexico’s AMB Road Trip Measurements

Column 1	Column 2	Column 3a	Column 3b
60 dark butter 13"
33 aqua*	34 dark aqua*
32 light aqua*	97 light sky*
81 dark tomato 3"	113 forest 4.5 "	85 periwinkle 3"	8 light yellow 4.5"
37 dark orange 4"	22 dark green 4.5"	28 dark purple 2.75	68 gold 3.75”
78 dark fuchsia 5"	24 olive 4.5"	69 dark gold 5"
61 brick 6"	18 lime 4.5 "	72 rust 4"
60 dark butter 13"

When I pieced my block, I began by piecing the brick/lime/rust row and then worked toward the top of the chart. For each of the strips of color we turn the seam toward the darker fabric and finger press (or press with an iron). 

I found I stayed more organized if I sewed each new row to the previous row as I worked upward. I waited until I had finished the entire block to press the horizontal seams toward the top of the block.

*When we reach the blues, piece diagonally, as shown below, placing the fabric to the right in the finished strip on top of the left color; then sew from top to bottom where the fabrics cross.

Once seamed, we can trim the seam to 1/4 inch and turn it toward the darker fabric.

Then choose a pleasing spot to align with the next strips, cut to 13" and sew to the colors.

Once the entire block has been well pressed, trim it so that it measures 12.5 inches wide and 6.5 inches high.

Once the block was pieced, I used a red Micron 01 pen.

I slipped two sheets of card stock between the seam and the top layer to make a smoother surface on which to write. 

I placed a ruler on top of the card stock and fabric so that I could be sure my writing would not end up within the seam when this block gets pieced into a quilt top.

 I centered "New Mexico" on the top dark butter strip.

I wrote "Land of Enchantment" on the lightest blue strip.

Cautions:
Be sure to stitch scant 1/4 inch seams.  Because there are eight rows in this block, it is very easy to to multiply even a tiny error in seam allowances so that the block is not the correct size.

You may have noticed that I added side borders of dark butter to my block.  This is because when the section of strips was finished, it was just shy of 12.5 inches.  Therefore, I revised the chart so that the strips on the ends were longer so that when you trim, there will be no need for those tiny side borders.

Give-Away:
The Give-Away for this blog stop is on this linked post (*not* on the one you are reading now).
It includes a little bundle of AMB fat quarters and, for a second winner, a mini-kit of the strips used to make this block. Deadline for the drawings: Wednesday, June 25. This give away is closed.

Links to the other 49 blogs and blocks are available on this linked web page.

The great thing about this cotton is that it is grown, spun, woven, and dyed in the United States. Of course, it is wonderful that it comes in a wide range of colors, has a lovely hand that makes it perfect for quilts, clothing, and a wide range of little projects, and is available at a great price.

Thank you to Clothworks/AMB and all the wonderful bloggers who designed and posted license plate blocks reflecting their states.  Thank you as well to all the bloggers who helped promote this blog tour.

Happy travels.....