September Block of the Month - Four Square Mosaic
The written pattern can be purchased as part of the Classic Sew Easy Block of the Month Pattern and is available in the Shop.
Well, I survived!!
My kids are officially back in school! So as a throwback to my own school days I named this block Four Square! Well, my hubby actually helped name this one, but it was a perfect fit!
I had a lot of fun with this quilt block, because it’s basically the Sawtooth Star from January with just a few modifications. But the fun part is that it doesn’t *look* like a star! You just see the fun squares on point! So let’s get to it!
Cutting Instructions:
Background Fabric:
(6) 4″ squares
Colored Fabric:
(1) 7 1/4″ square
(2) 4” squares
Dark Fabric:
(1) 4 3/4” square
Accent Fabric:
(2) 4” squares
I decided to start with the center square in a square first!
First cut the (2) 4″ accent fabric squares in half on the diagonal to make 4 triangle pieces.
Finger press the dark fabric square to mark the center and then finger press the triangle on the long edge to mark center. Pin the two together on the finger pressed crease.
Sew 1/4″ seam. Then repeat on the other sides of the dark fabric square to make a square in a square. Trim to 6 1/2″ square.
Now on to the HSTs! We make half square triangles all the time, so this should be a cinch!
Mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of (2) 4″ background fabric squares. Place RST with (2) colored 4″ squares. Sew a 1/4″ seam on both sides of the diagonal line.
Trim on the diagonal line and press toward the colored fabric.
Trim the block to 3 1/2″ square.
Now for Flying Geese! I prefer to use the No Waste Method.
Remember as you make the flying geese to press them at each step and trim them up at the end. They need to be trimmed to 3 1/2″ x 6 1/2″.
Your finished block will lay much flatter if you trim everything before sewing the block together.
For the final layout of the block, it’s helpful to place the Square in a Square piece in the center and then to build a star around it using the flying geese. It’s easier to put the block together when you put these down first. Next place the HSTs in the corners. Sew it all up using a 1/4″ seam! I find it easiest to sew the top row together, then the middle row, then the bottom row. Then I sew my rows together.
Now you’re all finished! I can’t wait to see all the gorgeous blocks you make!
When you’re sharing them online, use the hashtag #seweasybom so I can see all your progress!
Can’t wait to see what you make. Happy quilting!!
Do you sew with scant 1/4″ when making the flying geese or stitch and flip I think it’s called. Otherwise those pieces come out short. I want more than 50% of my flying geese to come out right. Than!
Hello! Sorry for the slow reply, I’ve been sewing up a few different blocks to see what I can tell you!
Yes, sew with a scant 1/4″ seam. If your pieces are coming out short, you can try using a different size small square. I wrote the pattern using a 4″ block so quilters could have a bit of wiggle room to square up their blocks. But as I’ve been testing I’ve noticed that sewing with a 3 7/8″ block gives you a better size flying geese (that finishes up at 3 1/2″x 6 1/2″), but it has the potential to be short on all sides if you have a larger seam allowance. When sewing with the 4″ block the flying geese are generally short on the length and have excess fabric on the width. If you are confident in your seam allowance, then give the smaller measurement a try. It will come out closer to the finished measurements, and you may only need to trim the dog ears. However, if your seam allowances are too large, the flying geese will come out small on all sides. Try it out and let me know what works best for you!
Fabric to use (for week 3):
(1) 7 1/4″ dark green fabric
(4) 3 7/8″ background fabric
Use the No Waste Flying Geese method. This may help you get the flying geese to a finished size closer to the measurements you want.