Quilt block · Stars · Advanced
Swing in the Center quilt block
A square on point in the center with pairs of parallelograms reaching out to each side and squares on point in the corners, set in light squares on point and triangles.
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 squares on point and 16 triangles
- D1 square 3¼″cut twice on the diagonals
- A4 squares 2¾″then cut with template A
- B6 squares 1⅞″cut once on the diagonal
Dark · Navy in the picture
5 squares on point and 8 parallelograms
- A5 squares 2¾″then cut with template A
- C4 pairs of parallelograms 1¾″strips folded in half, right sides together: lay the ruler's 45° line on the edge, trim the end, then cut every 1¾″ along it; each cut is a pair, one reversed
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 Swing in the Center’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 squares on point and 16 triangles
- D1 square 4¼″cut twice on the diagonals
- A4 squares 3¾″then cut with template A
- B6 squares 2⅜″cut once on the diagonal
Dark · Navy in the picture
5 squares on point and 8 parallelograms
- A5 squares 3¾″then cut with template A
- C4 pairs of parallelograms 2¼″strips folded in half, right sides together: lay the ruler's 45° line on the edge, trim the end, then cut every 2¼″ along it; each cut is a pair, one reversed
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 Swing in the Center’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
4 squares on point and 16 triangles
- D1 square 5¼″cut twice on the diagonals
- A4 squares 4¾″then cut with template A
- B6 squares 2⅞″cut once on the diagonal
Dark · Navy in the picture
5 squares on point and 8 parallelograms
- A5 squares 4¾″then cut with template A
- C4 pairs of parallelograms 2¾″strips folded in half, right sides together: lay the ruler's 45° line on the edge, trim the end, then cut every 2¾″ along it; each cut is a pair, one reversed
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 Swing in the Center’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 Background B 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 A piece to Background A piece. Press the seam to one side.
- Sew the set-in seams, 4 times
These pieces meet where a straight seam can’t run right across, so they’re joined with set-in (Y) seams. Mark the ¼″ seam points at each piece’s corners. Sew each seam only from mark to mark, backstitching at both ends, so the seam allowances stay free; sew the two seams into the corner, then pivot and sew the last one. Press the allowances so they swirl round the point. The part measures 2½″ (2″ finished).
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B 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.
- 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.
- Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B 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.
- 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 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B 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 A piece to Background A piece. Press the seam to one side.
- Sew the set-in seams, 4 times
These pieces meet where a straight seam can’t run right across, so they’re joined with set-in (Y) seams. Mark the ¼″ seam points at each piece’s corners. Sew each seam only from mark to mark, backstitching at both ends, so the seam allowances stay free; sew the two seams into the corner, then pivot and sew the last one. Press the allowances so they swirl round the point. The part measures 3½″ (3″ finished).
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B 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.
- 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.
- Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B 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.
- 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 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B 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 A piece to Background A piece. Press the seam to one side.
- Sew the set-in seams, 4 times
These pieces meet where a straight seam can’t run right across, so they’re joined with set-in (Y) seams. Mark the ¼″ seam points at each piece’s corners. Sew each seam only from mark to mark, backstitching at both ends, so the seam allowances stay free; sew the two seams into the corner, then pivot and sew the last one. Press the allowances so they swirl round the point. The part measures 4½″ (4″ finished).
- Make 1 section
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B 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.
- 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.
- Make 2 sections
Sew the two parts together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam to one side.
- Add 4 corner triangles
Sew the Background B 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.
- Join the halves
Sew the two halves together along the diagonal seam. Press the seam open. The block measures 12½″ (12″ finished).
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More like this: Star quilt blocks · 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?
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?
Not as drawn: it has set-in (Y) seams, where three seams meet and none runs straight through. Piece it with a rotary cutter and templates instead, as the cutting list above does.
Is it a good block for a beginner?
It’s an advanced block: 33 pieces in 4 different shapes, set-in (Y) seams and 16 points to match. Practise the hard seams on scraps first. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.