Ducks and Ducklings Block

Our fifth bird block for our scrappy sampler (we are making nine blocks and a pieced border in case I haven't said before) is Ducks and Ducklings.

Start, using your rotary cutter and mat, by cutting the following:

two dark 3 inch squares

two light 3 inch squares (those will become HSTs)

two dark 5 inch squares which you cut in triangles (in half diagonally)

four light 3 inch squares which you also cut into triangles

four light bars 1.5 inches by4.5 inches

and one square 1.5 inches by 1.5 inches

Make your Half Square Triangles -- you should have four HSTs.

Then join your light triangles to the HSTs .
First one side,
and then the other. Remember you can use chain piecing methods.

Now you should have four pieced triangles and four solid triangles (and the accent square and bars).

So put the triangles together into squares. As you are sewing each pieced triangle to each solid triangle, sew with the pieced side up so that you can see the seam allowances -- that way you can be sure to run your sewing line right through the intersection of the seams to get a crisp point.
And remember we are pressing each step of the way. Don't forget to trim off the "dog ears" too.
The laid out block now looks something like this:
We will make rows (that's a favorite method of construction). As you piece and press open your rows allow the seam allowances to lay opposite. I press towards the bars as you can see in the picture below.

That creates the nestling effect which will reduce bulkiness and help keep our corners crisp as we join the rows together.

And there's our finished block.