Raindrops EQ8 Tutorial

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Raindrops EQ8 Tutorial

It is that time of year -- the rain is washing away of remains of winter and we are beginning to see some new growth.

Last week I shared a tutorial on drafting an umbrella block which is the beginning of the April Showers brings May Flowers project.

The tutorial also included an extra bonus project.

April Showers Brings May Flowers Blog Post

Part 1 of the April Showers Brings May Flowers Quilt

This week we will add to the April Showers Brings May Flowers quilt, with a raindrop block.  

For those of you who (like me) are Deb Tucker, Studio 180 Designs fans, this unit will look familiar.  Deb calls it a Corner Beam unit and it can be easily constructed using her Corner Beam ruler.

After drafting the Corner Beam block, I share how to easily turn it into an on point block.

Raindrop Corner Beam Block

Tilted Corner Beam Block

Select the Umbrella quilt layout from last weeks block post.  Add two borders -- just to the top of the quilt.

Border 1:  Style - Spaced Squares. Sized at 4".  This will give you 3 squares along with a alternate blocks between the squares to fill in the remainder of the spaces so the border measures 16" across.  This is the width of the quilt center.

Border 2:  Style - Blocks,  Sized at 4".  If you set the number of blocks at 4, each block will measure 4" x 4".  The border measures 16".  This allows the raindrops to be slightly offset between border 1 and border 2.

Adding Borders to the April Showers Brings May Flowers Quilt

Add the tilted raindrop blocks in the border -- along with replacing the first and last block in the first row of the quilt center.

Add to Sketchbook (to save the quilt).

​Next week, I will provide information on finishing up the April Showers Brings May Flowers quilt.

April Showers Brings May Flowers - Part 2

Fractured Raindrop Variation

In the video tutorial, I also share an alternate quilt -- that just uses the raindrop block.  For this quilt, I colored four different copies of the raindrop blocks, using a variety of blue fabrics from the EQ8 Fabric Library. 

Note:  To keep track of the different colored blocks and placement on the quilt worktable, I chose to color the blocks in the quilt worktable.

Fractured Raindrop 1

Fractured Raindrop 2

Fractured Raindrop 3

Fractured Raindrop 4

The blocks were set in an On Point Layout.

Number of blocks set at 6 horizontal and 6 vertical. 

The finished size of the block was 3 inches.

The finished size of sashing was 1 inch.

Border 1 is 1" Long Horizontal.

Border 2 is 2" Long Horizontal.

​Border 3 is .5" Mitered (binding).

Layout for Fractured Raindrops Quilt

Place the blocks in the quilt. 

Use Symmetry to provide a more "scrambled" rotation of the blocks.

Finish coloring the quilt.

​Add to Sketchbook.

Fractured Raindrop Quilt

Watch the full video!

I look forward to seeing what you chose to do with the Corner Beam unit along with the tilted option.  Feel free to share your designs in the Learning EQ Facebook group.

Learning EQ Facebook Group for Raindrops Blocks and Quilt

Construction Tips

To construct the raindrops (either for the fractured raindrop quilt or the April Showers Brings May Flowers project), I suggest using Deb Tuckers Studio 180 Design Corner Beam ruler.  Create units with a 3" finished size (3-1/2" with seam allowances). 

If you don't have the ruler, consider foundation piecing the units with the foundations option from Electric Quilt 8.

For the April Showers Brings May Flowers, you will find the unit needs to measure, 2.82 -- slightly under 3".  If using the Corner Beam ruler -- after piecing and sizing the corner beam units, slice  1/8" off two of the edges as shown in the picture.

​You can then add the four corner pieces for the tilted variation of the block.

Corner Bean with 1/8" sliced off two edges.

Raindrop Blocks by Tina Dillard

Happy quilting.

​Kari

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