Sister's Choice

Sister's Choice is a classic quilt block.  I have seen several variations on the theme, they all work on the same 5 by 5 grid, but the center of each side is often a contrasting color.   While I think this has a nice effect in the finished quilt, It isn't doesn't work as well with my one color per month theme.  I chose a variety of background colors for this sample block and then made another with consistent fabrics which I think I prefer.  It just depends on what you have available in your scrap bin.  Right now I have plenty of 2 inch strips to accomplish the uniform look.    

I always have a collection of monochromatic nine patches hanging around.   Every year I try to come up with a new way to put them to use.   They work great as leader and ender blocks because they don't take a lot of planning or organization.  This year I am going to turn them into Sister's Choice blocks.   The nine patches are made with 2 inch squares.  It would be just as cute in 2.5 inch blocks of course, or even 1.5 inch for the miniature block lover's out there.   

• 1 nine patch made from 2 inch squares (unfinished size is 5 inches)
• 8 squares in pink which are 2 inches
• 4 squares in neutral which are 2 inches
• 4 rectangle in neutral which are 5 by 2 inches

The star points use a sew and flip method.   You may use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on the back of each pink square or just eyeball it and hope for the best.   

Sew along the diagonal drawn line.  You may "double sew" these by sewing and additional line parallel to the drawn line to yield bonus triangles.  I chose not to do that this time, but I usually can't resist.   

Now flip open the corners and make sure that the edges are even.  If you have a bit of extra pink hanging off of the edges, you can trim them with scissors.  The entire unit should be the same 2 by 5 inch size as the starting rectangle.   

Go ahead and trim away the extra waste triangles, if you double sewed, these little guys will make adorable half square triangles. Repeat this procedure for all 4 rectangles.   

Each of these rectangles will surround the center nine patch, forming star points.   Add the remaining 4 background squares to the corners and sew as you would for any nine patch block.  Press away from the star points on the sides, but toward them on the top and bottom so that the seams will nest when you sew the blocks together into a top.  

Here is the same block, but with one background fabric instead of 8.   I think it adds a bit of consistency and ties the pinks together nicely.  

Here are the two blocks side by side.  I do like them both to be honest.   The block is 8 inches unfinished, which will be 7.5 in the finished quilt.  If I make 10 colors, that will be 75 inches, so I will aim for 6 to 8 of each color.