Rail Fence - March Block

Strip Piecing Technique

Cut:
Background 1 - 1 ½” x Width Of Fabric (WOF)
Fabric 6 (light) 1 - 1 ½” x WOF
Fabric 7 (medium) 1 - 1 ½” x WOF
Fabric 8 (dark) 1 - 1 ½” x WOF

Piece

1. Use ¼” seam.
2. Sew the Background fabric strip along the right side of the Fabric 6 (light) fabric strip.
3. Sew the Fabric 7 (medium) fabric strip along the right side of the Fabric 8 (dark) fabric strip.
4. Sew the Background/Fabric 6 strips along the right side of the Fabric 7/ Fabric 8 strips.
5. Press all seam toward the dark strip.
   
   This creates our Strip Set. This should measure 4 ½” across.
   
6. Cross cut the strip set into NINE 4 ½” squares.
   
7. Now layout the squares in 9-patch fashion according to the picture. Turn your squares until your layout looks like the picture.
   
8. Now we are going to sew the block together:
   The top center square to the top right square,
   The middle center square to the middle right square
   The bottom center square to the bottom right square
   
9. Press making sure that the middle row is pressed the opposite direction as the top and bottom rows.
   Top left to the top unit
   Middle left to the middle unit
   Bottom left to the bottom unit
   
10. Press making sure the middle row is pressed the opposite direction as the top and bottom rows
11. Sew the top row to the middle row
12. Press to one side
13. Sew the bottom row to the unit just sewn.
14. Press to one side
    
    Block is complete!!
    

Traditional Manner

Background 9 - 1 ½” x 4 ½”
Fabric 6 (light) 9 - 1 ½” x 4 ½”
Fabric 7 (medium) 9 - 1 ½” x 4 ½”
Fabric 8 (dark) 9 - 1 ½” x 4 ½”

Sew together as stated in the strip piecing method, you just have to do it 9 times to create the 9 squares for the block.