Naughty!

Yes I am being naughty and ignoring the piles of UFO's and to do lists. I answered the siren call of two stacks of Cherrywood fabrics that I bought at QuiltCon which were out in my spare bedroom cupboard as I haven't put any of my purchases away yet (another to do) and set about making a four by four chequer blocks post haste. More haste less speed. I decided I wanted my squares to measure 2.75" and cut several 2.75"strips before it dawned on me my squares would now measure 2.25". After decades of patchwork how can I forget about the seam allowance? Easily. This was probably a bonus as it meant I had less waste. One pack was square and the other oblong which misled me into thinking the pieces were bigger - not: all FQs. So I needed to delve into previous Cherrywood scraps and cut more. However the block was suitably mindless and repetitive which is what I was looking for.

1. Four 2.75" strips x 11.5+
They will finish at 11.5" but
 I allowed extra for trimming.

2. Sew into pairs

3. Join the pairs to make a 
strip set.

4. Cut into 2.75" strip sets

5. Turn two the other way up so
colours alternate.

6. Important: feed the strip sets into the machine aligned the same way. Otherwise you will have to unpick one.

7. Sew the pairs together.

8. Done! The block measures 9,5" and finishes at 9".

For a 10" block cut 3" strips; for an 11" block cut 3.25"; for a 12" block cut 3,5" strips, that is if you trust me.