Five Golden Rings

Happy September, my friends!  I don't know about you, but here in west Tennessee, even though fall is only a few short days away, we are suffering with sweltering heat.  It's been over 100 degrees for many days out of the last few weeks- that's the actual temperature, not just the heat index- and when the temp hasn't hit 100, it's been darn close in the upper 90's.  And, not a drop of rain in weeks. All of that is to say that I am so ready for some cooler weather, and starting to think about Christmas is perfect for putting me in a cooler frame of mind, even if the season isn't quite here yet.

I'm so excited because this month, we actually get to start sewing the blocks, beginning with Five Golden Rings-

As I've previously mentioned, we'll sew the blocks in order of difficulty, so that necessary smaller piecing skills are practiced along the way.  Since this block is constructed in the same way as a basic block with nine parts- center, corner units, and side units, it comes first!

Two different shades of green plus dark red come together to make this striking wreath, and the golden rings stand out so nicely against it.  I chose a vibrant golden fabric with just a little bit of texture which gives a shimmery look to the rings, even though the fabric is not metallic.  If you have a metallic fabric you'd rather use here, that would be lovely too!

I quilted this block with dense lines that echo the design, matching the thread color to each fabric.  I didn't use any kind of ruler here so the lines are organic and just follow the seams of the block.

Each month, I'll include a few extra little tips to help you along!

Pressing Tip-  When pressing your corners open, starch can be very helpful.  I usually don't worry too much about moving my iron back and forth and distorting the pieces, but with smaller pieces, this becomes important.  Try to press straight down and lift the iron up without rubbing it around to keep your pieces nice and square.

Piecing Tip- When matching diagonal pieces together (like the two pieces on the bottom of the number 5), you can adjust your seam allowance to help your pieces match up perfectly.  Sometimes sewing just a slightly more narrow seam allowance can help you get those pieces to come together perfectly.  Also, be sure that you fully open your sewn pieces with a finger press before using the iron.  You can also use the finger press to help adjust your seams.

I can't wait to see all of the gorgeous Five Golden Rings blocks!  Since this is the kind of project where someone could join in at any time and catch up, I'm going to leave every link party open through the very end of the quilt along.  So, let's see those Five Golden Rings blocks!