BOW #34 Sailboat

We're back with blocks, after a week off while I was away from my computer.  This week's block is the sailboat.   Many quilt blocks' names are, well, something of a stretch to imagine the origin of them.  But some blocks are clearly and appropriately named, and this week's, Sailboat, is one of those; it's a great block for kids' quilts.

The block might look a little daunting, but if we break it down into pieces, it's not bad at all.  And it uses techniques that we've already used in previous blocks.

For a 12" finished block, you'll need:

(4) 3-1/2" HSTs (half-square triangle units), half white and half light blue
(2) 3-1/2" x 6-1/2" rectangles in light blue
(1) 3-1/2" x 12-1/2" red rectangle
(2) 3-1/2" squares, light blue
(1) 3-1/2" x 12-1/2" rectangle, dark blue

With right sides together, place a light blue 3-1/2" square on opposite ends of the 3-1/2" x 12-1/2" red rectangle, and sew diagonally across the blue squares, as shown.  (This is the same technique we've used to make flying geese, but the base rectangle is longer.)

Trim the triangles, leaving approximately 1/4" seam allowance.  Fold back the blue triangles, to make the hull of the boat:

Now arrange all the pieces as shown:

Last week Mary Kay explained the grid system, and this block could have been made strictly on a grid--a 4x4 grid.   If we did it that way, we would have just divided the block into that grid, and pieced it with all square units: 16 of them.   (Can you see where you would have used, in addition to the 4 blue-and-white HSTs:  4 light blue squares, 4 dark blue squares, 2 red squares, and 2 HSTs that are half red and half light blue?)

Here's an idea for a kids' quilt:  make 2 of these blocks, and put them in opposite corners of a 2x2 grid.  In the other 2 blocks, make blocks with the signal flags or the child's initials.  Put on a couple of borders, and you have a personalized quilt for your favorite child.