10 Patchwork Blocks
Table of Contents Raspberry Kiss (X) ..................................................................................................................... 3 Simple Heart (<3) .................................................................................................................... 11 Economy Block (or Square in a Square) ................................................................................... 16 Basic Cat Block ........................................................................................................................ 22 Pinwheel Blocks ...................................................................................................................... 27 Friendship Star Block............................................................................................................... 28 Cross Stitch Block .................................................................................................................... 33 Churn Dash Block .................................................................................................................... 39 Hashtag Block ......................................................................................................................... 43 Flying Geese Block .................................................................................................................. 46 Links: ...................................................................................................................................... 51
Raspberry Kiss (X)
Directions for Making a 4 1/4" finished block Fabric cutting Centre cross block cut 4 -1 1/2" background fabric squares 2 -1 1/2" cross fabric squares 1 -3 1/2"x 1 1/2" cross fabric rectangle
Corner triangles cut 2 - 3" squares Then cut each square in half diagonally to yield 4 triangles. If you're using a directional fabric, as I have here, make sure to cut the squares in opposite directions as I've done below (that is, if you'd like the fabric to go in a uniform direction).
Directions for block assembly Use a 1/4" seam allowance throughout. Sew the centre cross block together.
The centre cross block should measure 3 1/2" square at this point.
Add the corner triangles. I like to lay them out before sewing them together.
The triangles need to be centred on each side. To line the triangles up accurately, I fold both the triangle and the centre block in half and finger press a crease at the centre. I like to fold each piece in opposite directions so that when lined up, they nestle inside each other. Here I've folded the centre cross block with right sides together...
and the triangle with wrong sides together.
Nestle the fold in the triangle into the fold in the cross block as shown here and sew.
Repeat the process on the opposite side so that you now have two triangles attached to your cross block.
Press your block.
Repeat the process with the two remaining triangles
Press your block.
Trim the ears.
Your first block is finished...
Simple Heart (<3)
If you only want to make one block instead of a whole quilt you’ll need: 2 print strips 2 1/2” x 4 1/2”, 2 background 2 1/2” squares, 4 background 1” squares, 2 background strips 2” x 4 1/2”, 2 strips 2” x 7 1/2”.
To make the block: 1. On each of the 2 1/2” background squares draw a diagonal line from corner to corner. Place a square at the bottom of each 2 1/2” x 4 1/2” strip as shown. 2. Sew along the drawn line. Trim the corner leaving 1/4”, and press out. 3. Place a 1” square in each top corner of the print strips. Draw a diagonal line (or eyeball it) and sew from corner to corner on each square as shown below. 4. Trim corners leaving 1/4”, and press seams open.
5. Pin seams and sew the two sides together. Press seam open.
6. Layout 2 of the 4 1/2” strips, and 2 of the 7 1/2” strips. Sew the side strips to the block first, press out, then sew the top and bottom strips on. Block should measure 7 1/2”.
To make the quilt: Layout the blocks in 5 rows of 4 blocks each. Sew blocks together to form the rows(seams won’t nest so make sure to pin…or don’t…I won’t tell), press seams in alternating directions. Sew rows together to make the quilt top.
Add the borders. Cut 2 border strips 4 1/2” x 35 1/2”, then pin and sew a strip to each side of the quilt, press out. Cut 2 border strips 4 1/2” x 36 1/2”, pin and sew a strip to the top and bottom of the quilt. Press out. Done!!! When you get ready to bind, you’ll need to cut 5 strips 2 1/2” x width of fabric.
Economy Block (or Square in a Square)
These instructions are for piecing a 5 1/2 inch Economy Block (including seam allowances).
For each block you will need: ONE 3 inch center square TWO 3 inch squares for inner triangles TWO 4 inch squares for outer triangles Step 1 Cut squares for the inner and outer triangles in half on the diagonal.
Step 2 Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance sew a small triangle to the top and bottom of the center square. Press seam allowances away from the center square. Trim off excess fabric.
Step 3 Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance sew remaining inner triangles to the remaining sides. Press seam allowances away from the center square.
Step 4 Trim the unit to measure 4 inches x 4 inches. Place the 2 inch line of your ruler directly on top of the center point of the unit adding a quarter inch allowance all around:
Step 5 Using a 1/4 inch seam allowance sew the outer triangles to the unit (in the same manner as described in step 2 and step 3 above).
Step 6 Trim the unit to measure 5 1/2 inches x 5 1/2 inches by placing the 2 3/4 inch mark of your ruler on what will be the center point of your unit (where the seams
intersect), adding a quarter inch all around (see the black arrow). You will notice also that the center square is framed by the 1 1/2 inch and 4 inch lines on your ruler (see the red arrows).
And now you have a perfectly pieced 5 1/2 inch Economy block.
Of course there are other ways to piece this block including by cutting the exact size triangles and therefore avoiding the trimming process however I tend to prefer oversizing and trimming units, especially when it comes to triangles. There is no right or wrong way, do what works for you and what you are comfortable with.
Basic Cat Block
Unless otherwise noted, all seams are sewn with 1/4" seam allowance and pressed open. To make a basic 4" x 5" (4½" x 5½" with seam allowance) cat block, you will need:
For the Cat 2 pieces 2" x 2" each for the ears 1 piece 4½" wide x 4" tall for the face For the Background 1 piece 2" x 4½" for the ear unit 2 pieces 1½" x 1½" each for the chin
Step 1: Make the Ear Unit With right sides together, place the 2" x 2" ears on top of the 2" x 4½" piece of background fabric, aligning the ears with the outside edges of the background fabric. Use a fabric marker to draw a diagonal line from the upper left to the bottom right corner of the left ear. Draw a second diagonal line from the lower left to the upper right corner of the right ear. Sew along the marked lines to create diagonal seams. Trim away the excess fabric to leave 1/4" seam allowance and press the seams open to finish the ear unit.
Step 2: Make the Chin With right sides together, place the 1½" x 1½" pieces of background fabric on top of the cat face, aligning them with the lower left and lower right corners. Use a fabric marker to draw a diagonal line from the upper left to the bottom right corner of the background fabric piece on the left. Draw a second diagonal line from the lower left to the upper right corner of the background fabric piece on the right.
Sew along the marked lines to create diagonal seams. Trim away the excess fabric to leave 1/4" seam allowances and press the seams open to make the cat's chin.
Step 3: Finish the Block Sew the ear unit to the top of the face unit to finish the block. You'll probably notice that, at this stage, your cat's chin looks a little pointy. Don't worry! It will look just right once you sew it into your project.
Square Block Variation The Cat Block can be turned into a 6" x 6" finished (6½" x 6½" with seam allowance) block by adding the following pieces of background fabric: 2 pieces 1½" x 5½" sewn to the left and right sides of the block 2 pieces 1" x 6½" sewn to the top and bottom of the block
Pinwheel Blocks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekYpJzHoW6E
Friendship Star Block
Block Size: 6" Grid size: 2" All seam allowances (SA) are 1/4". When you are instructed to press, first press the pieced unit flat to set the seam. Then open the patch, pressing from the front. Seam allowances are pressed to the dark fabric unless otherwise noted. Step 1: Cut the fabric patches Light Two 2-7/8"(3-1/8") squares** (polka dot) Four 2-1/2" squares Dark (print)
Two 2-7/8"(3-1/8") squares** One 2-1/2" square
Patches for the half square triangles are marked with **. I like to make my HSTs larger than required and trim them to the actual size after stitching. The patches in this tutorial were cut at the number in () to accomplish this. The Quick Piecing method is used to make them. Step 2: Assemble the Half Square Triangles Draw a diagonal line on the backs of two 2-7/8" squares with a pencil or other marking tool. With RST, layer a light square with its dark counterpart, aligning all the edges. Stitch a quarter inch on both sides of the line, and repeat for the second pair of squares.
The arrow points to the anchor cloth. Cut these units in two on the drawn line. Press. You now have 4 HSTs. If you started with oversized patches (as I did in this tutorial) you'll need to trim them to 2-1/2" square.
Step 3: Assemble the block Lay out your HSTs and cut squares as they will be sewn.
You could turn all the HSTs a quarter turn counterclockwise and your star would spin in the opposite direction. Either direction is just fine, the choice is yours! Stitch the units in the rows together. Press with the SAs towards the cut squares and away from the half square triangles. This allows for your seam allowances to nest which makes matching them oh-so-much easier!
Stitch the rows together.
The arrow points to the anchor cloth. One final press and your Friendship Star quilt block is finished.
Cross Stitch Block
The Sizes This block could be made in a ton of sizes, but here are the measurements for 10 different sizes.
The Instructions
Step 1: Cut out one square of the background fabric and two cross strips per the size chart above. Step 2: Cut the square in half diagonally, creating two half square triangles.
Step 3: Fold each half square triangle in half and finger press the center to leave a crease. Do the same with one of the cross strips. Step 4: Line the center of the strip up with the center of the half square triangle and pin in place. Stitch them together with a perfect scant ¼” seam. Press the seam towards the cross strip.
Step 5: Line the center of the remaining half square triangle up with the center of the pieced strip and pin it in place. Stitch them together with a perfect scant ¼” seam. Press the seam towards the cross strip. Step 6: Cut the block in half diagonally again, at the other angle, creating two half square triangles.
Step 7: Fold one half square triangle in half and finger press the center to leave a crease. Do the same with the remaining cross strip. Step 8: Line the center of the strip up with the center of the half square triangle and pin in place. Stitch them together with a perfect scant ¼” seam. Press the seam towards the cross strip.
Step 9: Fold the remaining half square triangle in half and finger press the center to leave a crease. Step 10: Line the center of the strip up with the center of the half square triangle. Make sure the two cross strips come together to create a perfect cross line.
Step 11: This is a great time to glue baste. Use washable school glue within the seam allowance, line the half square triangle up with the strip and heat set the glue. Then before you sew, you can open the block to make sure everything lines up (in smaller circle). Step 12: Stitch them together with a perfect scant ¼” seam. Press the seam towards the cross strip.
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Step 13: Center the block under a ruler and trim it to your desired size. Example: If you are trimming the block to 3", line up the 1 1/2" mark of your ruler with the center of your block. Repeat when you trim all sides. Tip: If the ruler wants to spin and wiggle when you try to cut, try putting a few pieces of masking tape on your ruler to act as a grip. You could also use a larger ruler that will apply more weight to the block. Step 14: Success! You now have a super cute Cross Stitch Block!
Churn Dash Block
This tutorial makes a 9" finished block (9 1/2" unfinished). You’ll need: 1 – 3 1/2" square (the blue fabric) 2 – 3 7/8" squares print fabric (orange fabric) 2 – 3 7/8" squares white fabric 1 – 2" x 15" strip of print fabric 1 – 2" x 15" strip of white fabric
1. Draw a diagonal pencil line from corner to corner on each white square. Place the white squares and print squares right sides together, sew a scant 1/4" on each side of the pencil line, cut down the pencil line, and press towards the print fabric. When your done you should have four half square triangles that measure 3 1/2" each.
2. Sew the 2" strips together, press towards the print fabric. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a look at your pieces so far:
3. Cut the strip until into four squares 3 1/2" each.
4. Layout your pieces into the block. Sew the pieces into 3 rows. Press top and bottom row seams towards the center unit, and the center row seams towards the outer units.
5. Press the block well, it should measure 9 1/2".
Hashtag Block
Materials needed: 2– 2 1/2″ X 8″ strips / dark fabric 3– 2 1/2″ X 8″ strips / light-background 2– 2 1/2″ X 10 1/2″ strips / dark fabric Hashtag Quilt Block Tutorial: 1) Line up strips in order and sew together
2) Cut into 3– 2 1/2″ strips
3) Lay in order and sew together. * When sewing the pieced strips to the solid strip you will need to line up the seams with the previous pieced strip. This is where the quilt block gets tricky. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t line them up and pin, your pieced strips can be offset a little bit and you will end up unpicking!
4) Continue pinning and sewing until the block is finished
Flying Geese Block
My Flying Geese units have been made using some cream charm squares (5″ x 5″) and layer cake squares divided in half then trimmed slightly to 5″ x 9.5″.
What You Need one rectangle piece of fabric two squares of fabric Dimensions for pieces:
Note: The rectangle piece is cut the same height as the square. The width is twice the square size minus half an inch.
What To Do 1. On the back (wrong side) of the two squares, draw a line from corner to corner. I just use a biro but you could use any type of marker. The line will end up under the stitching so you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see it when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re finished.
2. Place one square right sides together on the rectangle piece as pictured. Check that you have the line going from the bottom corner to the middle top. 3. Sew along the line you drew earlier. 4. Trim the excess fabric from the corner leaving a quarter-inch seam.
5. Press the triangle open. 6. Place the second square right sides together on the other end of the rectangle (as pictured). Again the line starts at the bottom corner and goes to the centre top. It will slightly overlap the first triangle.
7. Sew along the line. 8. Trim the excess fabric and press open.
This is the Flying Geese block all done. Where the triangles overlap at the top will become lost in your quarter-inch seam when you join this unit to others creating a perfect point. Creating Blocks Once you have made some Flying Geese, you can join them in any combination you wish to create blocks. In my first picture above, you can see them joined in a row. Here are some more options â&#x20AC;&#x201C; keeping in mind that I have just laid these out to take photos and not actually joined them. once they are joined the points will be perfect and the size slightly smaller. You can also combine these units with plain rectangle blocks or square blocks to create other blocks.
Links: Raspberry Kiss block by Wooden Spoon Quilts: http://woodenspoonquilts.blogspot.com.au/2014/09/raspberry-kiss-blocktutorial_56.html Simple Heart block by Cluck Cluck Sew: http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2015/01/simple-heart-quilt-tutorial.html Economy Block by Red Pepper Quilts: http://www.redpepperquilts.com/2013/08/economy-block-quilt-in-progresstutorial.html Cat block by Elizabeth Hartman http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransson/2013/11/making-a-basic-cat-block.html Pinwheel Blocks by Missouri Star Quilt Co https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekYpJzHoW6E Friendship Star block by Generations Quilt Patterns: http://www.generations-quilt-patterns.com/friendship-star-quilt-block.html Cross Stitch Block by Pile O Fabric http://pileofabric.com/blogs/modern-quilting/15173629-cross-stitch-block-tutorialslice-insert-method?_ga=1.136572662.736527188.1414192049 Churn Dash by Cluck Cluck Sew http://www.cluckclucksew.com/2013/10/churn-dash-block-tutorial.html Hashtag block by Patchwork Posse http://www.patchworkposse.com/hashtag-quilt-block-tutorial/ Flying Geese by The Crafty Mummy http://thecraftymummy.com/2014/09/make-flying-geese-block/