Moon Dance Quilts
Check out my upcoming book, The Magic (and Secrets) of Moon Dance Quilts!
Extra resources can be found here, plus links to my YouTube videos. Buy my book to receive all the template files and crib sheets! Become a VIP subscriber to receive template files you can use with a CRICUT to cut your own templates using quilters template plastic (not quite as great as Elisa’s Backporch Designs acrylic templates, but you can create additional templates this way!)
discover the magic (and secrets) of moon dance quilts!
Have you been enchanted by a “Moon Dance” or other circle block-based quilt but were too afraid to try one? My book and videos will guide you to success. Starting with Elisa’s Backporch Designs Acrylic Templates for 7-inch and 3.5-inch blocks, and techniques learned from Carol Lang’s Moon Dance Quilt Class, I’ve gone “off-road”, developing fun new templates and projects.
I also show you how easy it is to create your own templates!
This is one versatile block that really shows off your fabrics to their best advantage! I show you how to easily create custom quilt size designs, zipper totes, even fun watermelon placemats with an inner rind layer! And that’s just the beginning!
For more details and templates, check out my upcoming book, The Magic (and Secrets) of Moon Dance Quilts by Marsha Tufft (coming soon!), including full templates for all blocks shown.
Skills needed:
- Piecing the the moon blocks
- Trimming / squaring the pieced blocks
- Pressing seams for effortless seam matches
Join my Launch Team and get a complimentary advance PDF copy of my book! I do ask for feedback, especially on how I can simplify my descriptions and diagrams to make sure they are clear.
get your trim crib sheet here!
One of the most important things for making a Moon Dance quilt is trimming your blocks after piecing to accurately locate the arcs of the circle blocks for perfect seam matches.
Here’s my crib sheet – you are welcome to download and share this with your friends!
*** WARNING *** Be careful of nomenclature… The large 7-inch block starts out with 7.5-inch sides and gets trimmed to 7 inches before sewing 4-block moons.
HOWEVER, the “small” 3.5-inch block starts out with 4-inch sides and gets trimmed to 3.75 inches before sewing 4-block moons. This is because the final full moon block size will be 7 inches, so each quarter moon will end up 3.5 inches square after the inner seam allowances are used up. It will actually end up 6.75 inches square when pieced in to a large quilt (seam allowances used on the outer edges as well). Yeah, it can be confusing! So don’t stress about nomenclature, but CHECK YOUR CRIB SHEETS!!!
SO… measure twice, CHECK YOUR CRIB SHEET TWICE, then cut! Be mindful when trimming the 3.5-inch blocks and you won’t cut away your seam allowance!
Piecing the 7-inch block
Check out my technique video for piecing the 7-inch block!
Tools needed: Tweezers & quarter-inch seam presser foot
piecing the 3.5-inch block
Check out my technique video for piecing the 3.5 -inch block!
Tools needed: Tweezers & quarter-inch seam presser foot
Trimming THE 7-INCH BLOCK
Check out my technique video for trimming the 3.5 -inch block!
Tools needed: 8-inch quilters square (recommended) & rotary cutter
TRIMMING THE 3.5-INCH BLOCK
Check out my technique video for trimming the 3.5 -inch block!
Tools needed: 8-inch quilters square (recommended) & rotary cutter
Pressing for Perfect Seam Matches
You can save yourself a lot of time and headaches by choosing a pressing protocol before piecing your blocks. When sewing two blocks together, seam matches are a snap if you’ve pressed the quarter-moon seams in opposite directions.
Tools recommended: iron & spray starch (stabilizes your blocks for easier seam matches & stitching without pins)
Sewing a 4-Moon Block: Finger Pressing for Seam Matches
Watch as I demonstrate how to match seams by finger pressing the seam allowances (pressed in opposite direction) together.
Result: beautifully pieced block with perfect seam matches!
