Small Triangles Quilt Block Pattern
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Sewing a small triangles quilt block can be a fun and rewarding project. Here are the steps to create one:
Materials:
- Fabric pieces of different colors and patterns
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Ruler
- Rotary cutter or scissors
- Cutting mat
- Iron and ironing board
Instructions:
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Cut your fabric pieces into squares of the same size. For a small triangles quilt block, you may want to start with 4-inch squares.
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Take two squares of different fabrics and place them right sides together. Draw a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner on the wrong side of one of the squares.
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Sew a 1/4 inch seam on both sides of the diagonal line. Use a rotary cutter or scissors to cut along the diagonal line to create two half-square triangles.
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Press the seams open on both half-square triangles.
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Take one of the half-square triangles and place it right sides together with another half-square triangle. Make sure to align the seams in the center.
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Draw a diagonal line from one corner to the opposite corner on the wrong side of one of the half-square triangles.
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Sew a 1/4 inch seam on both sides of the diagonal line.
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Use a rotary cutter or scissors to cut along the diagonal line to create two quarter-square triangles.
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Press the seams open on both quarter-square triangles.
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Take the two quarter-square triangles and place them right sides together. Make sure to align the seams in the center.
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Sew a 1/4 inch seam on both sides of the center seam.
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Use a rotary cutter or scissors to trim the block to your desired size. For a small triangles quilt block, you may want to trim it to 3 1/2 inches.
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Press the seams open on the block.
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Repeat these steps to create as many small triangles quilt blocks as you need for your project.
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Arrange the small triangles quilt blocks into a design you like and sew them together to create your quilt top.
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Add batting and a backing fabric to your quilt top and quilt as desired.
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Finish your quilt by binding the edges.
Enjoy your beautiful small triangles quilt!
This is a great technique for making half square triangles that eliminates the need to directly manipulate the stretchy bias of the triangle. It utilizes two easy to cut squares producing two half square triangles.
On the back of the lighter fabric, draw a pencil line, diagonally from corner to corner.
Stack a pair of light and dark squares, right sides together. Sew a 1/4 inch seam allowance on each side of the line.
You will end up with something like this.
Now cut along the diagonal line.
Press the seam together to set the seam. Then press towards the darkest fabric.
To trim the block to the exact size line up the diagonal 45°angle with the ruler on your seam.
And then carefully trim your block with a rotary cutter.
On the back of the lighter fabric, draw a pencil line, diagonally from corner to corner.
Stack a pair of light and dark squares, right sides together. Sew a 1/4 inch seam allowance on each side of the line.
You will end up with something like this.
Now cut along the diagonal line.
Press the seam together to set the seam. Then press towards the darkest fabric.
To trim the block to the exact size line up the diagonal 45°angle with the ruler on your seam.
And then carefully trim your block with a rotary cutter.
The secret to the perfect four patch is all about ironing seams so that they butt together when the seams are joined. You may make the four patch by cutting individual squares if you want to make a scrappy quilt or only a few blocks to make with pre-joined strips. I'll take you through both methods.
Cut two A squares and two B squares in your required size. Chain piecing, join A square to a B square, right sides together, with a scant 1/4 inch seam allowance. Press towards the dark fabric.
This is your result:
This is also the result of cutting across pre-joined strips to create two units.
To make a standard four patch, the width of the unit cut from pre-joined strips is the same as the width of the original strips.
Press all the seams towards the dark fabric so that the seame butt-up.
Take the two A/B and place them right sides together, butting seams. Pin if required. Join with a scant 1/4 inch seam allowance, then press.
Wider Application:
You can apply this technique to all kinds of four patch blocks. As long as a block has a 4x4 grid, no matter how many pieces, the basic principles apply. It is repeated over and over again each four patch laying adjacent to the next. As long as you keep pressing seams in pairs of opposite directions, piecing will become easy.
All of the following blocks have 4x4 grids and can be pieaced as a four patch.
How to Resize Quilt Blocks:
