Quilt block · Five-patch · Intermediate
Old King Cole’s Crown quilt block
A band of squares and triangles runs corner to corner between a large dark triangle and a background corner, with small dark triangles along it and one accent square.
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
2 rectangles and 2 squares
- A1 rectangle 5⅜″ × 1¾″then cut with template A
- B1 rectangle 4⅛″ × 1¾″then cut with template B
- E2 squares 1¾″then cut with template E
Dark · Navy in the picture
1 large triangle
- D1 square 4¼″then cut with template D
Medium · Denim in the picture
3 triangles
- C3 squares 1¾″then cut with template C
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 squares and 10 triangles
- C10 squares 1¾″then cut with template C
- E4 squares 1¾″then cut with template E
Accent · Apricot in the picture
1 square
- E1 square 1¾″then cut with template E
Between the lines. Old King Cole’s Crown cuts cleanly at 5″ or 7½″. At 6″ its half-square triangles' short sides are 1¹⁄₅″, 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
2 rectangles and 2 squares
- A1 rectangle 7¾″ × 2⅜″then cut with template A
- B1 rectangle 6″ × 2⅜″then cut with template B
- E2 squares 2⅜″then cut with template E
Dark · Navy in the picture
1 large triangle
- D1 square 6″then cut with template D
Medium · Denim in the picture
3 triangles
- C3 squares 2⅜″then cut with template C
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 squares and 10 triangles
- C10 squares 2⅜″then cut with template C
- E4 squares 2⅜″then cut with template E
Accent · Apricot in the picture
1 square
- E1 square 2⅜″then cut with template E
Between the lines. Old King Cole’s Crown cuts cleanly at 7½″ or 10″. At 9″ its half-square triangles' short sides are 1⁴⁄₅″, 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
2 rectangles and 2 squares
- A1 rectangle 10⅛″ × 3″then cut with template A
- B1 rectangle 7¾″ × 3″then cut with template B
- E2 squares 3″then cut with template E
Dark · Navy in the picture
1 large triangle
- D1 square 7¾″then cut with template D
Medium · Denim in the picture
3 triangles
- C3 squares 3″then cut with template C
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
4 squares and 10 triangles
- C10 squares 3″then cut with template C
- E4 squares 3″then cut with template E
Accent · Apricot in the picture
1 square
- E1 square 3″then cut with template E
Between the lines. Old King Cole’s Crown cuts cleanly at 10″ or 12½″. At 12″ its half-square triangles' short sides are 2²⁄₅″, 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.
- Make 2 half-square triangle units
Sew a Light C triangle to a Light C triangle along their long edges. Press the seams open. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 3 half-square triangle units
Sew a Medium C triangle to a Light C triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Medium. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Light C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Light E piece, a half-square triangle unit and a Background E piece together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Light C piece, a Light E piece and a half-square triangle unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Make 1 section
Sew an Accent E piece, a Background E piece, a half-square triangle unit and a Light E piece together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Background B piece and a half-square triangle unit together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections and a Light C piece together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark D 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 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Sew the units and pieces into 2 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 2 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 2 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.
- Make 2 half-square triangle units
Sew a Light C triangle to a Light C triangle along their long edges. Press the seams open. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 3 half-square triangle units
Sew a Medium C triangle to a Light C triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Medium. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Light C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Light E piece, a half-square triangle unit and a Background E piece together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Light C piece, a Light E piece and a half-square triangle unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Make 1 section
Sew an Accent E piece, a Background E piece, a half-square triangle unit and a Light E piece together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Background B piece and a half-square triangle unit together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections and a Light C piece together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark D 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 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Sew the units and pieces into 2 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 2 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 2 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.
- Make 2 half-square triangle units
Sew a Light C triangle to a Light C triangle along their long edges. Press the seams open. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 3 half-square triangle units
Sew a Medium C triangle to a Light C triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Medium. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Light C triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Light E piece, a half-square triangle unit and a Background E piece together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Light C piece, a Light E piece and a half-square triangle unit together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Make 1 section
Sew an Accent E piece, a Background E piece, a half-square triangle unit and a Light E piece together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Background B piece and a half-square triangle unit together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Make 1 section
Sew 2 sections and a Light C piece together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Dark D 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 1 section
Sew 2 sections together in a column. Press the seams to one side. Its size isn’t on the ⅛″ ruler at this block size, so sew it as cut and don’t trim it.
- Sew the units and pieces into 2 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 2 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 2 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: Five-patch quilt blocks · all quilt blocks
Questions
Short answers.
Something else? A real person replies.
hello@quarterinch.app
What size should I make it?
On its 5 × 5 grid, 6″, 9″ and 12″ put some pieces between the ⅛″ marks, so they need templates. It cuts cleanly at 10″ or 12½″.
Can I paper piece it?
Yes. It splits into 7 sections (A, B, C, D, E, F and G), 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: 23 pieces in 5 different shapes and 6 points to match. Take it slowly and pin the points. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.