Quilt block · Logs and strips · Advanced
Woodbox quilt block
An accent center square framed by trapezoids, light and dark like the sides of a box, then medium trapezoids and light corners.
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 corner triangles
- A2 squares 2⅞″cut once on the diagonal
Dark · Navy in the picture
2 trapezoids
- B2 rectangles 5¼″ × 1½″trim both ends at 45°, from the corners of one long side
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 trapezoids
- B4 rectangles 5¼″ × 1½″trim both ends at 45°, from the corners of one long side
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
2 trapezoids
- B2 rectangles 5¼″ × 1½″trim both ends at 45°, from the corners of one long side
Accent · Apricot in the picture
The center square
- C1 square 2½″
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 corner triangles
- A2 squares 3⅞″cut once on the diagonal
Dark · Navy in the picture
2 trapezoids
- B2 rectangles 7¼″ × 2″trim both ends at 45°, from the corners of one long side
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 trapezoids
- B4 rectangles 7¼″ × 2″trim both ends at 45°, from the corners of one long side
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
2 trapezoids
- B2 rectangles 7¼″ × 2″trim both ends at 45°, from the corners of one long side
Accent · Apricot in the picture
The center square
- C1 square 3½″
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 corner triangles
- A2 squares 4⅞″cut once on the diagonal
Dark · Navy in the picture
2 trapezoids
- B2 rectangles 9¼″ × 2½″trim both ends at 45°, from the corners of one long side
Medium · Denim in the picture
4 trapezoids
- B4 rectangles 9¼″ × 2½″trim both ends at 45°, from the corners of one long side
Light · Powder Blue in the picture
2 trapezoids
- B2 rectangles 9¼″ × 2½″trim both ends at 45°, from the corners of one long side
Accent · Apricot in the picture
The center square
- C1 square 4½″
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.
- Sew the set-in seams
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 a Medium B trapezoid and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Make 1 section
Sew a section and a Medium B trapezoid together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew a section and a Medium B trapezoid together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Medium B trapezoid and a section together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add the last corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the last corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. The block measures 6½″ (6″ finished).
For the 9″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Sew the set-in seams
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 6½″ (6″ finished).
- Make 1 section
Sew a Medium B trapezoid and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Make 1 section
Sew a section and a Medium B trapezoid together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew a section and a Medium B trapezoid together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Medium B trapezoid and a section together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add the last corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the last corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. The block measures 9½″ (9″ finished).
For the 12″ block. Choose another size above and these steps follow it.
- Sew the set-in seams
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 8½″ (8″ finished).
- Make 1 section
Sew a Medium B trapezoid and a section together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Make 1 section
Sew a section and a Medium B trapezoid together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew a section and a Medium B trapezoid together in a row. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Make 1 section
Sew a Medium B trapezoid and a section together in a column. Press toward the plain pieces.
- Add a corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle.
- Add the last corner triangle
Sew the Background A triangle across the last corner, along its long edge, and press toward the triangle. The block measures 12½″ (12″ finished).
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Questions
Short answers.
Something else? A real person replies.
hello@quarterinch.app
What size should I make it?
Its 6 × 6 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: 13 pieces in 3 different shapes, set-in (Y) seams and 8 points to match. Practise the hard seams on scraps first. We work the level out from the block’s own geometry, never by eye.