Quilt block · Four-patch · Advanced
Tulips quilt block
A small square-in-a-square center is ringed by rectangles and flying geese, with a corner tulip of light half-square triangles and two dark triangles at 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
The center square, 8 squares, 8 rectangles, 4 geese and 28 triangles
- A1 square 2¾″cut twice on the diagonals
- E1 square 2¼″then cut with template E
- C14 squares 1⅝″cut once on the diagonal
- D8 rectangles 2″ × 1¼″
- B8 squares 1¼″
Dark · Navy in the picture
8 triangles and 4 center corners
- C6 squares 1⅝″cut once on the diagonal
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
28 triangles
- A4 squares 1⅝″cut once on the diagonal
- C10 squares 1⅝″cut once on the diagonal
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 Tulips’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
The center square, 8 squares, 8 rectangles, 4 geese and 28 triangles
- A1 square 3½″cut twice on the diagonals
- E1 square 3″then cut with template E
- C14 squares 2″cut once on the diagonal
- D8 rectangles 2¾″ × 1⅝″
- B8 squares 1⅝″
Dark · Navy in the picture
8 triangles and 4 center corners
- C6 squares 2″cut once on the diagonal
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
28 triangles
- A4 squares 2″cut once on the diagonal
- C10 squares 2″cut once on the diagonal
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 Tulips’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
The center square, 8 squares, 8 rectangles, 4 geese and 28 triangles
- A1 square 4¼″cut twice on the diagonals
- E1 square 3¾″then cut with template E
- C14 squares 2⅜″cut once on the diagonal
- D8 rectangles 3½″ × 2″
- B8 squares 2″
Dark · Navy in the picture
8 triangles and 4 center corners
- C6 squares 2⅜″cut once on the diagonal
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
28 triangles
- A4 squares 2⅜″cut once on the diagonal
- C10 squares 2⅜″cut once on the diagonal
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 Tulips’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.
- Make 20 half-square triangle units
Sew a Light C triangle to a Background C triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Light. Each measures 1¼″ (¾″ finished).
- Make 8 half-square triangle units
Sew a Background C triangle to a Dark C triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Each measures 1¼″ (¾″ finished).
- Make 4 flying geese units
Sew a sky triangle to one short side of the goose triangle and press toward the sky; then the other. The goose’s point sits ¼″ below the top edge. Each measures 2″ × 1¼″ (1½″ × ¾″ finished).
- Make 1 square-in-a-square unit
Sew triangles to two opposite sides of the center square and press out; then to the other two sides, and press out. Each measures 2″ (1½″ finished).
- Sew the units and pieces into 7 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 7 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 7 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 20 half-square triangle units
Sew a Light C triangle to a Background C triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Light. Each measures 1⅝″ (1⅛″ finished).
- Make 8 half-square triangle units
Sew a Background C triangle to a Dark C triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Each measures 1⅝″ (1⅛″ finished).
- Make 4 flying geese units
Sew a sky triangle to one short side of the goose triangle and press toward the sky; then the other. The goose’s point sits ¼″ below the top edge. Each measures 2¾″ × 1⅝″ (2¼″ × 1⅛″ finished).
- Make 1 square-in-a-square unit
Sew triangles to two opposite sides of the center square and press out; then to the other two sides, and press out. Each measures 2¾″ (2¼″ finished).
- Sew the units and pieces into 7 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 7 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 7 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 20 half-square triangle units
Sew a Light C triangle to a Background C triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Light. Each measures 2″ (1½″ finished).
- Make 8 half-square triangle units
Sew a Background C triangle to a Dark C triangle along their long edges. Press toward the Dark. Each measures 2″ (1½″ finished).
- Make 4 flying geese units
Sew a sky triangle to one short side of the goose triangle and press toward the sky; then the other. The goose’s point sits ¼″ below the top edge. Each measures 3½″ × 2″ (3″ × 1½″ finished).
- Make 1 square-in-a-square unit
Sew triangles to two opposite sides of the center square and press out; then to the other two sides, and press out. Each measures 3½″ (3″ finished).
- Sew the units and pieces into 7 rows
Lay out the units and pieces as in the picture and sew them into 7 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 7 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?
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 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 advanced block: 89 pieces in 5 different shapes and 36 points to match. Practise the hard seams on scraps first. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.