Intricate Stitches--Orange

Hi everyone, and welcome back to the Intricate Stitches quilt!  This month's color is orange with black or brown accents, like a Monarch butterfly.  I think I have chosen a block which successfully incorporates the idea of the Monarch, even though it looks nothing like a butterfly.

This one also turned out to be the right size (hurray!).  I'm counting it as an orange block even though there is a lot of black in it.  Just keep thinking "Monarch." 

This is a block called Indian Maze, a Nancy Cabot block from the 1930s.  The very cool thing about this block is that it can change in so many ways depending how you shuffle the colors in it.  You could even make it all in one color and it would look completely different from this one.

Even though this looks complicated--and it does have a lot of pieces-- the block is constructed of common, easily constructed units that all fit together at the end.  Let's get to it!

Cutting:

For this block, I used 4 colors:  white, black, dark orange, and light orange.

From the white, cut:
                2 4-1/4 inch squares
                4 2 by 3-1/2 inch rectangles
                4 2-3/8 inch squares (for hsts, so can oversize)
                8 more 2-3/8 inch squares  (do not oversize)
                12 2 inch squares

From the black, cut:
                3 4-14 inch squares
                4 2 by 3-1/2 inch rectangles

From the orange, cut:
                1 4-1/4 inch square
                4 2-3/8 inch squares (can oversize)

From the light orange, cut:
                4 2-inch squares

On to construction!

Making the units:

First, use 4 of the 2-3/8 inch dark orange and white squares to make half-square triangles that measure 2 inches and will finish at 1-1/2 inches in the block:

Next, take the orange 4-1/4 inch square, 1 of the black 4-1/4 inch squares, and the white 4-1/4 inch squares and cut them corner to corner twice, into 4 pieces, like this:

Take all of the pieces you've just cut and arrange them like this:

Make 4 of these quarter square triangle units.  Yes, there are other ways to make them, but I think this way goes fastest because you only have to cut once and can then chain piece them.  Twirl the seams on the back so that they lie flat:

Put those aside and use the remaining black 4-1/4 inch squares and the white 2-3/8 inch squares to make 8 black and white flying geese using the "heart" method (found HERE):

I kept calling these "pandas" in my head. :)

Now there are two "special" units to make, but neither is hard.  The first is to use the black rectangles, the light orange squares, and 4 of the white 2 inch squares to make flying geese with one orange "wing" and one white using the flip and stitch method (found HERE).  Stitch the orange to the left side and the white to the right.  Make 4.

Almost there!  All that's left is to make what I've been calling flag units.  Take the white rectangles and the remaining 4 orange 2 inch squares.  Draw a line corner to corner on the back of the orange squares, then position the squares on the rectangles so that the line begins in the right corner.  Stitch on the line, then flip, press, and trim to make the flag units.  Make 4.

That is all the units!

You should also have 8 white 2 inch squares left over.  These get used in the next step.

Assembly:

First, use the 4 flag units and the 4 "mixed-wing"  flying geese to construct the center unit:

The center unit should measure 6-1/2 inches square when all stitched together.

Next up are the side pieces.  Use the quarter-square triangle units and the black and white flying geese to make 4 side pieces.  Note that the black and white geese point outward:

Last up are the corner units.  Use the orange and white half-square triangles and the 2 inch white squares to make 4 4-patch units.  Notice how the triangles both point in the same direction:

All the pieces are together. Whoo-hoo! Take these units and lay them out as shown, stitching them together in rows and then joining the rows into a block.  Notice the different orientations of the corner units and that the long sides of the orange parts of the quarter square units are on the inside of the block.

Give it a good press, and then stand back and admire your finished block!

My block finished at 12-1/2 inches square (victory is mine!), and with so many seams, the seam allowance is very important. Use caution!

Here's my collection of blocks for this quilt so far:

Hope your block turns out really well.  Make use of your Magic Sizing, and come back on May 3 for the next block in this awesome quilt!

Sharing at Linky Tuesday,  Let's Bee Social and soscrappy for RSC16 (if I remember, because Saturday's the wedding!)