Quilt block · Nine-patch · Intermediate
Criss Cross quilt block
Two bands crossing on the diagonals, with triangles and pentagons filling between them.
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 square, 4 triangles, 8 trapezoids and 4 pieces
- H1 square 3¼″cut twice on the diagonals
- D8 squares 2⅛″then cut with template D
- A1 square 2″
- E3 squares 2″then cut with template E
- I1 square 1¾″then cut with template I
Dark · Navy in the picture
4 triangles
- C1 square 4¼″cut twice on the diagonals
Medium · Denim in the picture
12 triangles and 4 pieces
- G4 squares 2⅛″then cut with template G
- F6 squares 1⅜″cut once on the diagonal
- B1 square 1″stitch and flip: the corners
Templates. Pieces marked “cut with template” aren’t a shape a straight ruler cuts: cut the size given, then trim it to the template’s shape. Quarter Inch prints Criss Cross’s templates at true size with Quilter.
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 square, 4 triangles, 8 trapezoids and 4 pieces
- H1 square 4¼″cut twice on the diagonals
- D8 squares 2⅞″then cut with template D
- A1 square 2¾″
- E3 squares 2¾″then cut with template E
- I1 square 2¼″then cut with template I
Dark · Navy in the picture
4 triangles
- C1 square 5¾″cut twice on the diagonals
Medium · Denim in the picture
12 triangles and 4 pieces
- G4 squares 2⅞″then cut with template G
- F6 squares 1⅝″cut once on the diagonal
- B1 square 1¼″stitch and flip: the corners
Templates. Pieces marked “cut with template” aren’t a shape a straight ruler cuts: cut the size given, then trim it to the template’s shape. Quarter Inch prints Criss Cross’s templates at true size with Quilter.
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 square, 4 triangles, 8 trapezoids and 4 pieces
- H1 square 5¼″cut twice on the diagonals
- D8 squares 3⅝″then cut with template D
- A1 square 3½″
- E3 squares 3½″then cut with template E
- I1 square 2¾″then cut with template I
Dark · Navy in the picture
4 triangles
- C1 square 7¼″cut twice on the diagonals
Medium · Denim in the picture
12 triangles and 4 pieces
- G4 squares 3⅝″then cut with template G
- F6 squares 1⅞″cut once on the diagonal
- B1 square 1½″stitch and flip: the corners
Templates. Pieces marked “cut with template” aren’t a shape a straight ruler cuts: cut the size given, then trim it to the template’s shape. Quarter Inch prints Criss Cross’s templates at true size with Quilter.
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 a corner square
Lay the Medium B square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner. Each measures 2″ (1½″ finished).
- Add 5 corner triangles
Sew the Medium F triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Medium F triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 2″ (1½″ finished).
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Background H triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam: Medium G piece to Background I piece. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background H triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section, 3½″ × 2″
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side. Each measures 3½″ × 2″ (3″ × 1½″ finished).
- Make 3 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Medium F triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 2″ × 3½″ (1½″ × 3″ finished).
- Make 1 section, 3½″
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side. Each measures 3½″ (3″ finished).
- Sew the units into 3 rows
Lay out the units 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 a corner square
Lay the Medium B square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner. Each measures 2¾″ (2¼″ finished).
- Add 5 corner triangles
Sew the Medium F triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Medium F triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 2¾″ (2¼″ finished).
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Background H triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam: Medium G piece to Background I piece. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background H triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section, 5″ × 2¾″
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side. Each measures 5″ × 2¾″ (4½″ × 2¼″ finished).
- Make 3 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Medium F triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 2¾″ × 5″ (2¼″ × 4½″ finished).
- Make 1 section, 5″
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side. Each measures 5″ (4½″ finished).
- Sew the units into 3 rows
Lay out the units 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 a corner square
Lay the Medium B square on the corner, right sides together, and sew corner to corner across it. Trim ¼″ beyond the seam and press toward the corner. Each measures 3½″ (3″ finished).
- Add 5 corner triangles
Sew the Medium F triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Medium F triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 3½″ (3″ finished).
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Background H triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam: Medium G piece to Background I piece. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background H triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section, 6½″ × 3½″
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side. Each measures 6½″ × 3½″ (6″ × 3″ finished).
- Make 3 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Medium F triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 3½″ × 6½″ (3″ × 6″ finished).
- Make 1 section, 6½″
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side. Each measures 6½″ (6″ finished).
- Sew the units into 3 rows
Lay out the units 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).
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Questions
Short answers.
Something else? A real person replies.
hello@quarterinch.app
What size should I make it?
Its 12 × 12 grid lands on the ⅛″ marks at 6″, 9″ and 12″, so every piece measures with a ruler at all three. It also cuts cleanly at 15″ and 18″. In Quarter Inch you can make it any size, and it says when a cut falls between the lines.
Can I paper piece it?
Yes. It splits into 11 sections (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J and K), 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: 37 pieces in 7 different shapes and 24 points to match. Take it slowly and pin the points. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.