February 2020 NZP Block of the Month: Hearts & Gizzards Block

Nancy’s Red Elegance
2020 Block of the Month February: Hearts & Gizzards Block

Introducing the second of 12 FREE! Quit Block Tutorials for the NEW! 2020 Nancy Zieman Productions Nancy’s Red Elegance Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series! The Hearts & Gizzards Block is a great block to sew in February and celebrate Valentine’s Day –  Happy Valentine’s Day!

In January, Team Nancy Zieman introduced the NEW! 2020 Nancy Zieman Productions Nancy’s Red Elegance Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series. Join the NEW! 2020 Nancy Zieman Productions Nancy’s Red Elegance Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series, anytime, by viewing the Basic Supplies and Tools Listing in the January 1, 2020 NZP BoM20 Kick Off Blog Posting.

On the third Saturday of each month, we’re featuring one block design, and we’ll be stitching one or more blocks of the same design each month. The blocks are created using Our NEW! Red Elegance Fabric Collection by Riley Blake and the Carefree Curves Trace ‘n Create Template Set by Nancy Zieman for Clover. Follow along as we show step-by-step how to create the February Hearts & Gizzards Block.

 

February Hearts & Gizzards Block

NOTE: This block is 8-1/2″ square; 8″ finished square when sewn into finished quilt.

 

Block Fabrics

 

For the Nancy’s Red Elegance February Hearts & Gizzards Block, select the following fabrics from the NEW! Red Elegance Fat Quarter Bundle along with the “Circle” Template from the Carefree Curves Template Set.

Red Elegance Stems Taupe. Red Elegance Stems Berry, Red Elegance Wallpaper Taupe  and Red Elegance Wallpaper Berry

Prepare your fabrics! Pre-shrink fabrics by steaming and pressing, and steaming and pressing a second time. Then, stabilize fabrics for the sewing process by pressing and starching fabrics with June Tailor’s Starch Savvy. Press and starch, press and starch.

 

Carefree Curves Trace ‘n Create Template by Nancy Zieman for Clover

 

View the complete Basic Supplies and Tools Listing in the January 1, 2020 NZP BoM20 Kick Off Blog Posting , .

Cut Fabrics for the February Hearts & Gizzards Block

Create EIGHT! Hearts & Gizzards Blocks from four fat quarters and a little Pellon SofShape!

Cut four each 8-7/8″ background squares from Red Elegance Stems Taupe and Red Elegance Stems Berry.






 Cut background squares in half diagonally, cutting each of the eight background squares from Red Elegance Stems Taupe and Red Elegance Stems Berry into two half square triangles.





Cut three crosswise fabric strips from both Red Elegance Wallpaper Taupe and Red Elegance Wallpaper Berry fat quarters. Note: Each strip will measure 6″ wide by approximately 20″ long.




Cut seven 2-1/2″ crosswise strips of Pellon SofShape Fusible Interfacing. Note: Each strip will measure 2-1/2″x 20″.

For this second block of the month in the NEW! 2020 Nancy Zieman Productions Nancy’s Red Elegance Block of the Month Mystery Quilt Series, we’re sharing Nancy Zieman’s techniques for creating the curvy Hearts & Gizzards block – without ever piecing a single curve!

Construct the Block

Create the Hearts & Gizzards Appliqué

Select the Hearts & Gizzards Template from the Carefree Curves Trace ‘n Create Template Set and align

Align the Hearts & Gizzards Template to the wrong side of one 6″ Red Elegance Wallpaper Taupe crosswise fabric strip. Place the “Fabric Edge” red line marking (on the smallest template) to fabric top edge.


Using a Fabric Marking Pen, trace around the smallest Hearts & Gizzards Template shape: Starting at one edge, trace both sides of template and around curved die-cut area – along the red curved line.


Rotate template 180-degrees and align smallest template “Fabric Edge” (red line marking) along bottom fabric edge. Trace curved die-cut area and remaining side.
Repeat tracing and rotating – and trace 16 Hearts & Gizzard shapes on the wrong side of the Red Elegance Wallpaper Taupe and 16 Hearts & Gizzard shapes on the wrong side of the Red Elegance Wallpaper Berry .

Using a rotary cutter, ruler, and mat , Cut along side straight traced lines only. NOTE: Do not cut along curved traced lines.

Cut fabric strips into triangle shapes, along straight traced lines only. The curved traced lines will later be our stitching lines!

Cut a total of 16 triangle shapes from Red Elegance Wallpaper Taupe , and 16 triangle shapes from Red Elegance Wallpaper Berry .


Align top edge of one fabric triangle to long straight edge of one Pellon SofShape Fusible Interfacing strip , with right side of fabric to the smooth non-fusible side of the interfacing. Pin . Rotate and position top of next fabric triangle along the lower edge of the interfacing strip; pin. Repeat rotating, positioning, and pinning remaining fabric triangles to the smooth non-fusible side of the remaining interfacing strips.
Set sewing machine for a short 2.0-2.5 mm stitch length, and stitch along the curved marked lines using a Size 75 Schmetz Quilting Needle .

It’s always easier to stitch smooth curves with a shorter stitch length!

Using a rotary cutter, ruler, and mat , cut interfacing strips between triangle fabric shapes.

Using a 45mm Rotary Cutting and Pinking Blade , trim away excess fabric and interfacing, leaving about 1/4″ seam allowance on the outside of the curved stitching line.
With a