Between the Lines QAL: Pattern 4/9 - Row 3 Boomerang

Welcome back to the Between the Lines QAL! Today, Part 4: We’re making Row 3 ‘Boomerang’.

Live video

In this blog post, you’ll find all the written instructions. Tomorrow, August 30th at 4 PM CET, we will have another Between the Lines live video on YouTube. For this row, we’ll use the same technique as for Row 9, FPP on freezer paper. Will I see you during the live session?

You can already post your questions about this row, the previous row, or the quilt-along in general in the video comments. I will answer them during the live session.

Are you reading this blog after August 30th? No worries! You can watch the video recording at your own pace.

New here?

We started the Between the Lines QAL on June 6th. In this quilt-along, we make a new row every four weeks. We’re using various techniques: Foundation Paper Piecing, quarter circles, traditional patchwork, and strip piecing (sewing and cutting strips). Would you like to join? Read all about the QAL in this blog post!

Do you want to order a kit with all the materials for this quilt? You can order a Rainbow Kit or a Teal-Green Kit in the Sugaridoo webshop.

Materials Needed

In the patterns, I’m making two versions of the quilt: the rainbow and the blue-green quilt. I will indicate which fabrics to use for each version. Of course, you are free to make the quilt with any fabric you like.

Rainbow Quilt

Dark pink stripe
Light pink robots
Medium pink triangles
Dark gray
White background

Teal-Green Quilt

Dark green squares
Medium green robots
Light green triangles
Dark gray
White background

Before We Start

Today, we’ll be working with foundation paper piecing (FPP) on freezer paper again. This is the same technique we used for Row 9, Into the Mountains.

If you prefer working with another FPP technique, feel free to use that. The final result will be the same whether you use FPP on freezer paper, tea bag paper, or regular printer paper.

Instructions

Let’s start making Row 3.

Cutting

On the pattern sheet, you’ll also find a coloring page for the row. You can use this to indicate where you want to place your accent colors. It can be handy to keep this nearby while cutting fabric and sewing blocks.

In the illustrations in this blog, you’ll see two light pink, two medium pink, and one gray boomerang.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Background fabric

10 x B1
10 x B4 (If, like me, you cut too many between strips at the start of the QAL, you can use them for pieces B4 and B5)
10 x B5
10 x B7
10 x B9

Dark pink stripe

1 x A2 (same as B6)
1 x A4 (same as B6)
7 x B2
7 x B3
8 x B6
8 x B8

Medium pink triangles

1 x B2
1 x B3
1 x B6
1 x B8

Light pink robots

1 x B2
1 x B3
1 x B6
1 x B8

Dark gray

1 x B2
1 x B3

Cutting Layout

Below is a cutting layout for the dark pink fabric, showing how to efficiently cut the triangles from the fabric. One thing you can practice with this row is the direction of the stripes. I’ll explain this further below, but it’s something to keep in mind when cutting the fabric.

The Pattern

We’ll be using foundation paper piecing to make this row. The pattern for Row 3 is divided into 1 x Section A and 10 x Section B.

Section B is 5 x 5 inches, without seam allowance. Section A is the half block at the end of the row, measuring 2 1/2 x 5 inches, without seam allowance.

Click here to download the pattern

As mentioned above, the pattern includes a coloring page of the row. This helps you decide where to place accents. You can then see more easily how each section will look.

Two things make this row a bit trickier:

Half Boomerangs
On the bottom row, you’ll create a half boomerang in each section. Pay close attention to where you place the accent boomerangs so the colors align properly. Use the coloring page and work section by section, from left to right.
Directional Fabric
The striped fabric has a clear direction. Do you want all the stripes to point the same way? Then keep that in mind when cutting your fabric. When using the pattern as templates for cutting, the stripes will help you choose the correct direction. I’ll demonstrate this in the live session.

Foundation Paper Piecing

In the live video on August 30th, I will show you how to sew the sections for this row and how to cut the fabric with the stripes in the correct direction. After August 30th, you can watch the video recording at your leisure via the same link.

Would you prefer written instructions for FPP on freezer paper? You can check out this blog post from the first Sugaridoo x Bernina QAL. We’re making a different pattern now, but the technique is exactly the same.

Assembling the Row

Place all the sewn sections next to each other to check if the boomerangs on the bottom row align properly in terms of color. It’s easy to make a mistake with this row.