Fast and Easy Double Wedding Ring Technique

Fusible interfacing. . .

a pilot frixion pen. . .

and a Dritz Quick Turn tool. . .

made Double Wedding Ring magic today at the Tooele County Quilter's Meeting!

The traditional method for piecing a Double Wedding Ring block is challenging, even for advanced quilters.  Take a look at this traditional pattern at Free Spirit Fabric and you'll see what I mean.  Andrea, our instructor, made the Double Wedding Ring block easy enough for even beginners to complete!  The easier method involves the tools above as follows:

1. Use frixion pen to trace arcs on pellon.  Cut out pellon arcs, leaving approximately 1/4" seam allowance around the edge of the arc.
2. Cut 2 strips of six different fabrics (2 1/2" strips for 9 1/2" block; or 3" strips for 11 1/2" block).
3. Layer strips as desired and cut the strips into wedges using template pattern or plastic ruler (contact Andrea if you would like one).
4. Press seams to one side.
5. Place cut out pellon arc on top of sewn fabric arc, right side of fabric to bumpy or rough side of interfacing.  Be sure to line up centers and end dotted lines. (Note: wedges are wider than interfacing to allow for different seam widths and will be trimmed later).
6. Stitch on solid traced line along the top and bottom of the curved edge; do not sew the lines around the "wings."  You are making a tube.
7. Use Quick Turn tool, or another method of your choice, to turn the fabric right side out.  Now the iron-on part of the interfacing is on the outside of the tube.
8. Finger press the arc, making sure all interfacing is turned to the back.  Be sure NOT to press with an iron at this point; because you are using fusible interfacing, the arc will stick to whatever surface you iron on!
9. Place arc on a background block (either 9 1/2" or 11 1/2"), with the pellon wings in the corners of the block. 
10. Press and fuse arc to background with hot iron.
11. Applique arcs with stitch and thread of your choice.
12. Cut a square (jewel) of fabric (2" square for 9 1/2" block; 2 1/2" square for 11 1/2" block).
13. Mark wrong side of jewel square diagonally from one corner to another.
14. Place jewel in corner (over wing) and stitch on diagonal line.  Trim off extra fabric, if desired, and fold remaining fabric toward corner and press.
15. Sew blocks together.
16. Quilt and bind.

Templates

Click HERE for the downloadable and printable 9 1/2" block templates

Click HERE for the downloadable and printable 11 1/2" block templates