Skinny Churn Dash and Variations

 

September is my month as quilter for Bee{Purposeful} and I've chosen the Churn Dash block. There are hundreds of churn dash tutorials out there, most of which are based on a block divided into 9 equal squares. I prefer the look of these skinnier churn dashes which are more of a 1:2:1 proportion, so I thought I would add another tutorial to the mix, along with a few variations for our stitchers to choose from. 

This is more of a quasi-tutorial in that I'm basically just giving dimensions and assuming that you know the basics of assembling blocks. As always, if you have a question please feel free to ask! So, first up...

To make a 6" skinny churn dash:

You will need: 
Fabric 1: (1) 3.5" square for the center
(2) 2.5" squares
     (1) 1.25"x14" rectangle
Fabric 2: (2) 2.5" squares              
    (1) 1.25"x14" rectangle

To make the block:

 Pair up your 2.5” squares of Fabric 1 and Fabric 2 right sides together. Draw a line diagonally through the center and stitch a scant ¼” away from both sides of the line. Cut on the line, and press the seams open.   Trim your HSTs to 2”.

Sew your 1.25” rectangles together along the 14” edge, creating a rectangle that is 2”x14”. Subcut this rectangle into [4] 2”x3.5” pieces. 

Assemble the block as shown and trim to 6.5”



To make a 12.5" Skinny Churn Dash, you will need:

Fabric 1:  (1) 6.5" square for the center
  (2) 4" squares         
                             (1) 2"x26" strip OR (2) 2"x 13" strips
 Fabric 2:  (2) 4" squares                       
                             (1) 2"x26" strip OR (2) 2"x 13" strips

Assemble the block the same as the 6.5" block, except you will trim your HSTs to 3.5" and subcut your strips to yield (4)  3.5"x6.5" rectangles.

Now for the variations:

 

You can make four of the 6.5" blocks and sew them together as above to yield a 12.5" block, or sew them together to make a 6.5" x 24.5" strip....

 

Or make one 6.5" block and frame it with 3.5" strips...

Or combine the two, and make a Double Churn Dash! To make this one, just make a 6.5" Churn Dash and use it as the center of your 12.5" one. Make sense?

I am so excited to start assembling this quilt! I recently bought this Reminisce print  and loved it so much that I decided to use it as the basis for our color scheme...mint, teal, tangerine, melon orange, straw-yellows, along with tomato-red, navy, and a bit of light grey. Fun!