Happy Wednesday!  It’s that time again – another block tutorial for the 52 Twisted Traditional Block Quilt Along. 

Milky Way Fireworks Block Tutorial for

52 Twisted Traditional Block Quilt Along

Finished Block Size – 10” x 10”

By choosing your colors carefully you can make the traditional block – Milk Way – remind you of Fireworks which seemed fitting for the tutorial right before the Fourth of July.

Cutting Instructions

Fabric 1 (Orange)

7 – 1.5” squares
3 – 3” squares
1 – 2.5” square
Fabric 2 (Pink)

7 – 1.5” squares
3 – 3” squares
1 – 2.5” square







Fabric 3 (Green)

7 – 1.5” squares
3 – 3” squares
1 – 2.5” square
Fabric 4 (purple)

7 – 1.5” squares
3 – 3” squares
1 – 2.5” square
Fabric 5 (starry black)

8 – 1.5” squares
4 – 3” squares

Directions

The Milky Way Fireworks block is not difficult…the most important thing is getting the colors of your blocks in the right place. I have created a diagram above for you to refer to and make sure your blocks are going together properly.
We’ll start by making our half square triangles (HST), which are blocks 2, 4, 7, 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18.

Half Square Triangle Method

– use this to make the color combinations I layout below in HST Combinations.

Draw a line on the wrong side of the lightest fabric of the pair. With the two 3” squares right sides together, stitch a ¼” seam on both sides of the line you drew. Cut along the line and I iron towards the darker fabric.

Your HSTs are not quite square…

Square up to 2.5” square.

HST Combinations

Square 2 – Place the 3” square of Fabric 5 right sides together with the 3” square of Fabric 3. Makes two HST and you’ll use both of these.
Square 4 – Place the 3” square of Fabric 5 right sides together with the 3” square of Fabric 4. Makes two HST and you’ll use both of these.
Square 7 – Place a 3” square of Fabric 3 right sides together with a 3” square of Fabric 4. Makes two HST – set one aside for a future project.
Square 10– Place a 3” square of Fabric 3 right sides together with a 3” square of Fabric 1. Makes two HST – set one aside for a future project.
Square 12– Place a 3” square of Fabric 2 right sides together with a 3” square of Fabric 4. Makes two HST – set one aside for a future project.
Square 14 – Place the 3” square of Fabric 5 right sides together with the 3” square of Fabric 1. Makes two HST and you’ll use both of these.
Square 16– Place a 3” square of Fabric 2 right sides together with a 3” square of Fabric 1. Makes two HST – set one aside for a future project.
Square 18 – Place the 3” square of Fabric 5 right sides together with the 3” square of Fabric 2. Makes two HST and you’ll use both of these.

4 patches

Next up we have to make our 4 patches. Using your 1.5” squares lay them out and sew them together so they match the above numbered diagram.

• Square 11 is the most important to get in the right order. Make sure they 1.5 squares match up to the way you’re going to be putting your Milky Way Fireworks block together. My upper right is orange, upper left is green, lower left pink and lower right is purple. This is important so you get the ‘twist’ right.
• Square 1 – Fabric 3 and Fabric 5
• Square 5 – Fabric 4 and Fabric 5
• Square 19 – Fabric 1 and Fabric 5
• Square 21 – Fabric 2 and Fabric 5
• Square 9 – Fabrics 1 and 3
• Square 20 – Fabrics 1 and 2
• Square 13 – Fabrics 2 and 4
• Square 3 – Fabrics 3 and 4

Lay all the four patches, HSTs and 2.5” squares out in the same order as I show above. Sew them together to make a 10” finished block.

And there you have it – Milky Way Fireworks! Thanks for following along and I hope you enjoyed this block tutorial
Get your FREE printable PDF of this block by heading to my craftsy store.  I highly recommend getting it for this one – I have included a lot more pictures on the pdf.  Don’t wait too long…after a month (8/2), the PDF will be $1.

I can’t wait to see what all your blocks look like!  Be sure to share you blocks and any projects you make using your blocks onto our flickr group: 52 Blocks Quilt Along
Instagram/Twitter Hashtag: #52bTT

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Stop back next Wednesday for another twisted traditional block tutorial!