March Color Challenge – Yellow

Welcome back to the 2018 Monthly Color Challenge!  Today is the day we show off our creations for the March.  I hope my fellow bloggers will forgive me for being a little bit late.  Time management is hard!
When looking at my original circle sketches, I decided this month will be perfect for playing with inset circles.  I was thinking my block would look a little more moon-like than it does.  Perhaps I need a few more circles.  For now, I am happy with it, and I love how it plays with my other circle blocks.
If you haven’t played with inset circles yet, now is the time to give it a try.  You don’t need any special supplies.  I have a collection of lids I’ve scavenged from the recycle bin.  I use them to sketch circles for quilting, and sometimes for making templates.  Free and easy is always fun, even for a die hard gadget hoarder like me.
Here is what you will need for this block:

• 6 1/2″ quarter circle block template from Betty Crocker Ass
• Circle templates of various sizes
• Fabric marking pen – I like to use a Mark B Gone* water erasable pen
• Freezer paper
• Glue Stick
• 4 – 6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ yellow scraps
• 1 fat quarter of white background

My yellows from my scrap bin.
Press 4 larger pieces and cut out 4 circle arcs.   Cut my white background segments and set them aside.
Choose 4 smaller scraps that will accommodate the circles you will make, and press them.
Cut 4 pieces of freezer paper with the arc template, but cut them a bit smaller than the fabric.  Cutting the arc, then line up the stitching line along the cut curve and trim.
A sampling of my very special circle template collection.

Place a circle onto the freezer paper, paper side up, and trace along the edge. Cut out the inner circle, leaving the outer edge smooth.

Press the freezer paper template onto the back of your arc segment.  Cut out the circle, leaving about 1/2″ for seam allowance.  Trace the circle to give yourself a sewing line.  Clip the curve, being careful not to get too close to the edge.  Leave a few threads – 1/8″ unclipped.

Run some glue along the clipped seam allowance, and turn it over, pressing it to the freezer paper.

Add some more glue to the back of the clipped tabs, then add your inset circle piece, right side down.  A quick press with your iron will help set the glue.
This step can be a little frustrating – bear with me.  Peel back the tabs from where they are glued onto the freezer paper.  They may come unstuck from the fabric.  If this happens, you will need to re-glue them.
Once they are all unstuck, and the fabric is only glued to fabric, remove the freezer paper from the arc segment as well.  You want just two pieces of fabric to stitch together.
Now we are off to the sewing machine.  Finally!  You want to stitch with the inset circle down, background to the top.  I used my zipper foot to get nice and close to the drawn sewing line.  Don’t forget to adjust your needle position!

Trim your inset circles so that you have less than 1/2″ of seam allowance, then give it all a good press.
Attach your circle segments to the white background.  If you need a reminder of how to do this, you can find instructions here.
Square up your 1/4 circle blocks with a 6 1/2″ ruler.
When I looked at my photo of my completed block I noticed two problems.  First, I noticed the wet rings around my inset circles.  Those will dry out – they are from erasing my water erasable pen marks.  The other problem is that horrible shadowing around the circle in the upper left.
I used the same circle template I used to make that circle to create a donut shape of fabric, and to slip it around the circle, between the dark fabric and my lighter background.
Tah dah!  No more shadow.  Disregard the water marks.
Here are all of my blocks together.  I really enjoy watching my sketches come to life.  If you make any of my blocks, please tag me on social media, and don’t forget to use the #2018MonthlyColorChallenge tag.  I love seeing what others make using my ideas.
Jen Shaffer of Patterns By Jen
Jen Strauser of Dizzy Quilter <– That’s Me!
Sherry Shish of Powered By Quilting
Jen Rosin of A Dream and A Stitch
Nancy Scott of Masterpiece Quilting
Dione Gardner-Stephen of Clever Chameleon Quilting
And finally, this month Patterns by Jen is giving away a 6 month subscription to Make Modern Magazine* to 3 lucky participants.  All you need to do is make a yellow block, using any pattern you like, and share it in the linkup during the last week of the month.  I will post reminders, so be sure you are following my blog!

[This blog uses affiliate links, marked with an *.  If you make a purchase through my link, I will earn a small commission.  Thank you!]