Granny Square Coasters // Technique Tutorial Tuesday

This post is part of the Technique Tutorial Tuesdays Series. Click here to see all of the posts and learn more about the series. With Christmas less than a month away I figured I better get to work on my Christmas presents! One of things I will be making a lot of are coasters. I sized down a classic Granny Block and turned it into a coaster, and decided to share this tutorial with you today. Usually when making regular size Granny Squares I like to use I am ginger monkey's strip piecing method, but for these little granny blocks I am using an interfacing method. I found doing it this way really helps when working with the itty bitty pieces.

The Tutorial

These instructions are for one Coaster. Please use the below cutting diagrams.

Lets Begin

• Step 1: Cut out all your fabric using the Cutting and Yardage Instructions above. (I have enough pieces for 8 coasters in the step 1 picture, but these instructions are for 1 coaster)
• Step 2: Layout your coaster, just to make sure you like the color order and have all your pieces.
• Step 3: Take your 8"x 8" piece of interfacing and with fusible (rough) side up, using a ruler sketch out the basic outline of your granny block as a guide.
• Step 4: Begin carefully laying out the pieces, making sure you closely butt each piece together.
• Step 5: Continue carefully laying the pieces out until they are all together. The outside triangles will overlap each other a little bit which is fine.
• Step 6: Take a pressing cloth (I use a piece of muslin), lay it flat on top of your granny square. Be careful not to move any squares.

• Step 7: With a hot dry iron, press the granny square carefully. Follow the interfacing manufacturer directions for heat and time.
• Step 8: Start in the upper right hand corner and fold over the corner directly on the first seam, and press.
• Step 9: Sew 1/4" from the folded edge.
• Step 10: Move on to the next seam, fold, and press.
• Step 11: Sew 1/4" from the folded edge.
• Step 12: Continue to do this until all seams 6 seams are sewn.

• Step 13: The backside should now look like this.
• Step 14: Fold the square so that only one seam is facing out and using a ruler measure 1/8"+ from your stitching and trim the excess fold off.
• Step 15: This will now leave all your seams 1/8".
• Step 16: Now continue to press, and sew the other 6 diagonal seams.
• Step 17: Trim seam allowances again.
• Step 18: Press your seams outward from the center of the block.

• Step 19: Square up your block. *Note make sure you leave 1/4" around the tips of the granny squares, that way they don't get cut off when you sew on the border. I accidently did this hence my points are chopped off, opps! Sew your side borders on with a 1/4" seam.
• Step 20: Sew your top borders on with a 1/4" seam.
• Step 21: Press your borders open. You should now have the granny block for the top and your 5" charm for the back.
• Step 22: Place the top square and bottom square right sides together.
• Step 23: Sew 1/4" around each edge, leaving a 1.5" on one edge open. Trim each corner off up to the stitching.
• Step 24: Turn the coaster inside out, poking out the corners.

• Step 25: Press your coaster.
• Step 26: Handstitch the opening shut with the stitch of your choice.

You now have a Mini Granny Square Coaster! Enjoy! I would really love it if you would share your projects at the Pile O' Fabric Flickr group! Please let me know if you have any questions!

Alyssa