1. 
 

2.

 
3. 

 
 
 

4. 
 

5.
 
 
 

6.

7.
 

8. 
 

9. 

First, choose a solid  black material for the background.  Then choose a bright jewel-tone fabric that "looks like solid" from a distance. (i.e. ruby red, emerald green, turqoise, sapphire blue, amathyst purple, etc.).  Finally, for the unifying fabric, choose a bright, solid-looking gold.

Cutting instructions:

1. From the jewel-tone fabric, cut one 4 1/2 inch square for the center,
    four 4 1/2 inch by 2 1/2 inch rectangles, and four 2 7/8 inch squares.
    Cut the small squares in half diaginally to form 8 half-square triangles.

2. From the black fabric, cut four 4 1/2 inch by 2 1/2 inch rectangles,
    four 2 7/8 inch squares, and eight 2 1/2 inch squares.
    Cut the 2 7/8 inch squares in half diaginally to form 8 half-square triangles.

3. From the gold fabric, cut eight 2 1/2 inch squares. 
    With a pencil, mark a line on the wrong side of the gold fabric from one corner to the other.  (see graphic 3)

Piecing instructions:

4. Sew together the black and jewel-tone triangles using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  You should have eight (8) black/jewel-tone squares. (see graphic 4)   Press open to the dark fabric. 

5.  Sew together one 2 1/2 inch black square to each black/jewel-tone square.
Make sure the black square is sewn to the jewel-tone triangle side.  (see graphic 5)  Press to the black square.  Assemble two of these pairs of squares into 4 1/2 inch squares like that in graphic 5.  You should have four.

6. For each of the four gold/black sections, do the following: 
Lay one gold square on the left side of one of the black rectangles (right sides together).  Sew on the pencil line, and trim the corner to 1/4 inch from the sewing line.  (see graphic 6)

7.  Repeat with the right side of the black rectangle.  Press to the gold sides and you will end up with a gold/black rectangle like in graphic 7.

8.  Attach the black side of the gold/black rectangle to the long edge of a jewel-tone rectangle.  (see graphic 8)

9.  Finally,  assemble all the 4 1/2 inch squares into three rows as shown in graphic 9, and assemble the rows into a finished block.
 
 


Your completed unfinished block will measure 12 1/2 inches.