Quilt block · Four-patch · Intermediate
Girl’s Joy quilt block
An X of light strips round a small center square, framed by strips at the sides and a diagonal band across each corner.
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
4 rectangles
- C4 rectangles 3½″ × 1¼″
Dark · Navy in the picture
1 center square, 4 strips and 12 triangles
- E1 square 3½″cut twice on the diagonals
- A4 squares 2″cut once on the diagonal
- F1 square 1½″then cut with template F
- C4 rectangles 3½″ × 1¼″
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 bands
- B4 squares 2″then cut with template B
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 strips
- D4 squares 2⅛″then cut with template D
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 Girl’s Joy’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
4 rectangles
- C4 rectangles 5″ × 1⅝″
Dark · Navy in the picture
1 center square, 4 strips and 12 triangles
- E1 square 4⅝″cut twice on the diagonals
- A8 squares 2¼″then cut with template A
- F1 square 1⅞″then cut with template F
- C4 rectangles 5″ × 1⅝″
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 bands
- B4 squares 2¾″then cut with template B
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 strips
- D4 squares 2⅞″then cut with template D
Between the lines. Girl’s Joy cuts cleanly at 8″ or 10″. At 9″ its half-square triangles' short sides are 1¹¹⁄₁₆″, 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 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
4 rectangles
- C4 rectangles 6½″ × 2″
Dark · Navy in the picture
1 center square, 4 strips and 12 triangles
- E1 square 5¾″cut twice on the diagonals
- A4 squares 3⅛″cut once on the diagonal
- F1 square 2¼″then cut with template F
- C4 rectangles 6½″ × 2″
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 bands
- B4 squares 3½″then cut with template B
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 strips
- D4 squares 3⅝″then cut with template D
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 Girl’s Joy’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 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 4 rail units
Sew the Background C and Dark C rectangles together along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Each measures 3½″ × 2″ (3″ × 1½″ finished).
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Dark E 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: Dark F piece to Light D piece. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 2″ (1½″ finished).
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark E 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.
- 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 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 4 rail units
Sew the Background C and Dark C rectangles together along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Each measures 5″ × 2¾″ (4½″ × 2¼″ finished).
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Dark E 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: Dark F piece to Light D piece. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 2¾″ (2¼″ finished).
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark E 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.
- 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 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 4 rail units
Sew the Background C and Dark C rectangles together along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Each measures 6½″ × 3½″ (6″ × 3″ finished).
- Add 3 corner triangles
Sew the Dark E 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: Dark F piece to Light D piece. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. Each measures 3½″ (3″ finished).
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark E 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.
- 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).
Blocks like it
More like this: Four-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 6″ and 12″ every piece measures with a ruler. On its 16 × 16 grid, 9″ puts some pieces between the ⅛″ marks, so they need templates. It cuts cleanly at 8″ or 10″.
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: 29 pieces in 6 different shapes and 20 points to match. Take it slowly and pin the points. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.