Disappearing Four-Patch Quilt Block Tutorial

Like this? Click or tap to share it

blank

I was doing some quilt blog-hopping the other day when I saw this tutorial on how to take an ordinary four-patch block, cut it up, and turn it into a cool new block that looks much more interesting than the original. I just had to try it for myself.

I started with four five-inch squares, then sewed them into a simple four-patch block.blank Then I used my ruler and rotary cutter to cut the block vertically and horizontally, 1-1/2″ from the center seam. blankThe cut-up block looked like this: blank

Then I rotated the inner cut sections so the reds and whites alternated, like this: blank

Then I stitched them together into rows, using a scant 1/4″ seam. I started with the top row and sewed the pieces together, working from the left side of the block to the right. Then I pressed the seams in the rows so they faced in alternate directions. This helps nest the seams together so the corners match neatly when you sew the block together. blank

Finally, I sewed the rows together, working from the top row of the block to the bottom. blank

And here is the finished block.blank

And here it is from the back side, showing the seam allowances. blank

Pretty cool, huh? It turns a humdrum four-patch block into a modified nine-patch that has a cute little four-patch right in the center.

 

Similar Posts

10 Comments

  1. As a novice quilter this looks like something I wouldn’t lose interest in. I like the pattern after the larger block is cut.
    Do u have a picture of the finished quilt?

    1. It’s been a long time since I made this block and I honestly don’t remember. However, you can make a disappearing four-patch any size you want, as long as you start with a block that has four equal-sized squares in it. The larger the original squares are, the easier it will be to do the cutting and reassembling.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.