Quilt block · Four-patch · Advanced
Ocean Waves quilt block
Rings of dark and light triangles ripple out from a plain center square in waves.
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 36 triangles
- A9 squares 2¾″cut twice on the diagonals
- B1 square 2″
Dark · Navy in the picture
24 triangles
- A6 squares 2¾″cut twice on the diagonals
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 36 triangles
- A9 squares 3½″cut twice on the diagonals
- B1 square 2¾″
Dark · Navy in the picture
24 triangles
- A6 squares 3½″cut twice on the diagonals
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 36 triangles
- A9 squares 4¼″cut twice on the diagonals
- B1 square 3½″
Dark · Navy in the picture
24 triangles
- A6 squares 4¼″cut twice on the diagonals
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 9 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 12 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 3 sections
Sew a Background A triangle and 2 sections together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 2 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 2 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across each corner in turn, 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 Dark A 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 Dark A 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.
- Join the halves
Sew the two halves together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam open. The block measures 6½″ (6″ finished).
For the 9″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Add 9 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 12 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 3 sections
Sew a Background A triangle and 2 sections together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 2 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 2 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across each corner in turn, 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 Dark A 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 Dark A 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.
- Join the halves
Sew the two halves together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam open. The block measures 9½″ (9″ finished).
For the 12″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Add 9 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 12 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 3 sections
Sew a Background A triangle and 2 sections together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew 3 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a row. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 3 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 2 sections
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side.
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 2 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 2 corner triangles
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add 2 corner triangles
Sew the Dark A triangle across each corner in turn, 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 Dark A 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 Dark A 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.
- Join the halves
Sew the two halves together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam open. 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?
Its 8 × 8 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 4″, 7″, 8″, 10″, 14″, 15″, 16″ 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 12 sections (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K and L), 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 advanced block: 61 pieces in 2 different shapes and 24 points to match. Practise the hard seams on scraps first. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.