Tutorial - 4-Patch Scrappy Quilt

Several dear readers have reached out to me in recent days requesting information on how I made my 4-Patch Scrappy Quilt. Sure makes a quilter feel good to know people want replicate something like this. I truly just played with squares and triangles until I found a block that pleased me.

 I figured it would make sense to whip up a little tutorial for readers. If you have a significant scrap overflow, and are like me - unable to throw any of it away, then you will like this, I think.

Actually, I did a post a year ago March in which I explained how I made the block for this quilt. It is just one block, with two colorways to provide the hourglass effect where they meet.

This post and the scrap challenge described therein came just before the world shut down with the pandemic. Covid changed plans for quite a lot of folks, and while I have more or less done a lot of other things throughout this last year, I always knew I would find a way back to my Scrappy 4-Patch.

Click that link above for precise directions, or follow this summing up, if you prefer.

The inner 4-patch unit is made with 2-inch squares. All the squares in this quilt are from a bin full of 2-inch scraps that I add to all the time. Once constructed, the 4-patches should measure 3.5 inches.

The interior triangles are made with 3.25-inch squares cut once on the diagonal. One block requires 2 squares cut this way. Originally, I finger-pressed the center of the triangles and lined that crease up with the seam on the 4-patch. After awhile, though, I became dissatisfied with the way the edges were so haphazard. Even being super-careful, I think finger pressing distorted the bias. I found better results with this method: center the point of the triangle on the 4-patch. 

 

I generally work in batches of 8 or 10 at a time, chain piecing so I don't waste time or thread stopping and starting with every seam. I put triangles on two opposite sides, press, then add the triangles to the other sides. Press again when the batch is finished and trim to 4.75 inches. Use the marks on your ruler to assure that you are saving the necessary quarter-inch seam allowance all around.

The outer triangles are made with 4-inch squares cut once on the diagonal. Continue working in small batches applying the triangles, pressing and trimming in the same manner.

Finished, trimmed blocks should measure 6.5 inches. My quilt requires 84 blocks with red inner/white out triangles, and 84 white inner/red outer triangles, for a total of 168 blocks. Working in batches makes this seem doable. That's just my preference, however.

The "summing up" was more than a little involved. Maybe you can follow this well enough, or perhaps you'd be wise to click back to that original post mentioned above. *smiles*

Stitch those blocks together - my quilt is 12 rows wide by 14 rows long. I recommend taking the time to pin each intersection, and while not all of my points meet up properly, most do and for a scrap quilt, I am more than satisfied.

Hope this helps any of you who might want to make this quilt. Even though it took me over a year to complete the top, I am so very pleased with the effort.

Happy Quilting, Friends!