Quilt block · Nine-patch · Intermediate
Beggar’s Block quilt block
Eight three-strip units surround a plain center square, the corner units lying across and the side units standing up, each outer strip with its corners snowballed off beside the middle strip.
What to cut for one block
A 6″ finished block measures 6½″ before it’s sewn into a quilt. Each fabric’s yardage is the least that cuts its strips across the width of fabric, with a strip to spare for straightening.
Background · Snow in the picture
1 center square and 32 triangles
- D1 square 2½″
- A32 squares 1¼″then cut with template A
Dark · Navy in the picture
4 strips
- C4 rectangles 2½″ × 1¼″then cut with template C
Medium · Denim in the picture
16 strips
- B16 rectangles 2⅝″ × 1¼″then cut with template B
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 strips
- C4 rectangles 2½″ × 1¼″then cut with template C
Between the lines. Beggar’s Block cuts cleanly at 4½″ or 9″. At 6″ its half-square triangles' short sides are ⅔″, so they need templates.
Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name
A 9″ finished block measures 9½″ before it’s sewn into a quilt. Each fabric’s yardage is the least that cuts its strips across the width of fabric, with a strip to spare for straightening.
Background · Snow in the picture
1 center square and 32 triangles
- D1 square 3½″
- A16 squares 1⅞″cut once on the diagonal
Dark · Navy in the picture
4 strips
- C4 rectangles 3½″ × 1½″
Medium · Denim in the picture
16 strips
- B16 rectangles 4¼″ × 1½″trim both ends at 45°, from the corners of one long side
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 strips
- C4 rectangles 3½″ × 1½″
Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name
A 12″ finished block measures 12½″ before it’s sewn into a quilt. Each fabric’s yardage is the least that cuts its strips across the width of fabric, with a strip to spare for straightening.
Background · Snow in the picture
1 center square and 32 triangles
- D1 square 4½″
- A32 squares 2″then cut with template A
Dark · Navy in the picture
4 strips
- C4 rectangles 4½″ × 1⅞″then cut with template C
Medium · Denim in the picture
16 strips
- B16 rectangles 4⅝″ × 1⅞″then cut with template B
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 strips
- C4 rectangles 4½″ × 1⅞″then cut with template C
Between the lines. Beggar’s Block cuts cleanly at 9″ or 13½″. At 12″ its half-square triangles' short sides are 1⅓″, so they need templates.
Worked out by @quarterinch/cutting · ¼″ seams included · strips cut across 42″ of usable width · the letters are the pieces the sewing steps name
How it’s sewn
For the 6″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Add 16 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 16 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 4 sections, 2½″
Sew 2 sections and a Dark C piece together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 2½″ (2″ finished).
- Make 4 sections, 2½″
Sew 2 sections and a Light C piece together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 2½″ (2″ finished).
- Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
- Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 6½″ (6″ finished).
For the 9″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Add 16 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 16 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 3½″ × 1½″ (3″ × 1″ finished).
- Make 4 sections, 3½″
Sew 2 sections and a Dark C rectangle together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 3½″ (3″ finished).
- Make 4 sections, 3½″
Sew 2 sections and a Light C rectangle together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 3½″ (3″ finished).
- Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
- Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 9½″ (9″ finished).
For the 12″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Add 16 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 16 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 4 sections, 4½″
Sew 2 sections and a Dark C piece together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 4½″ (4″ finished).
- Make 4 sections, 4½″
Sew 2 sections and a Light C piece together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Each measures 4½″ (4″ finished).
- Sew the units and pieces into 3 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 3 rows. Press the seams in row 1 to the left, row 2 to the right, and so on, so they nest when the rows are joined.
- Join the rows
Join the 3 rows, matching and nesting the seams where they meet. Press the long seams open or to one side. The block measures 12½″ (12″ finished).
Blocks like it
More like this: Nine-patch quilt blocks · all quilt blocks
Questions
Short answers.
Something else? A real person replies.
hello@quarterinch.app
What size should I make it?
At 9″ every piece measures with a ruler. On its 9 × 9 grid, 6″ and 12″ put some pieces between the ⅛″ marks, so they need templates. It cuts cleanly at 9″ or 13½″.
Can I paper piece it?
Yes. It splits into 15 sections (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N and O), each sewn on its own paper in order and then joined with straight seams. In Quarter Inch, the Foundations tab prints its papers at true size (with Quilter).
Is it a good block for a beginner?
It’s an intermediate block: 57 pieces in 4 different shapes and 36 points to match. Take it slowly and pin the points. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.