Snail's Trail Quilt Block Pattern

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The snail's trail quilt block is a popular and classic quilting pattern that creates a beautiful interlocking design. Here are the steps to sew a snail's trail quilt block:

Materials:

• Fabric squares in two contrasting colors (for this tutorial, we'll use blue and white)
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting mat
• Ruler
• Iron

Instructions:

1. Cut fabric squares into 4.5-inch squares. You will need 16 squares in each color.

2. Cut each of the 4.5-inch squares diagonally in half to create 32 triangles of each color.

3. Arrange the triangles into 16 squares, alternating colors in a clockwise direction to create the snail's trail pattern.

4. Sew the triangles together to create squares, ensuring that you have a consistent 1/4-inch seam allowance throughout. Press the seams open.

5. Join the squares together to form the snail's trail quilt block, matching the seams carefully. Pin the seams in place, and sew the squares together, again ensuring a consistent 1/4-inch seam allowance. Press the seams open.

6. Repeat the above steps to make additional snail's trail quilt blocks as desired.

7. Finally, join the snail's trail blocks together to create a full quilt top. You can arrange the blocks in different ways, depending on the desired look. Once all the blocks are joined, press the seams open, and add any additional borders or finishing touches as desired.

With these steps, you should be able to sew a beautiful snail's trail quilt block. Happy quilting!

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.

 

 

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:

The first step in modifying any quilt block is to decide on the size of your finished quilt block. You can come to a decision based on a number of factors: doubling a pattern, cutting your pattern in half, or choosing the size based on your available fabric.

NOTE: When working from a pattern’s cutting instructions, make sure you remove the seam allowance before doubling or tripling the size. For instance, if your pattern calls for 3-1/2″ squares, first you’ll subtract the sum of the seam allowances (1/2″), double the finished block size (from 3″ to 6″), and add the seam allowance back in (1/2″). So, when all is said and done, you will cut a 6-1/2″ piece of fabric.

Resizing Square Blocks:

Square blocks are the easiest to resize. Simply add to your finished block measurement. For example, if you’d like your finished block to be a 4″ square, you’ll need to cut a 4-1/2″ square of fabric.

Resizing Rectangular Blocks:

Similarly to the square, for rectangle blocks, you’ll add to the length and width measurements of your finished block. If you’re doubling block that measures 3″ x 4″ in your quilt, you’ll cut a 6-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ rectangle of fabric.

Resizing Half-Square Triangle Blocks:

When you want to change the size of a Half-Square Triangle block, add 7/8″ to the desired finished block size. To make a 4″ finished block, you’d cut 4-7/8″ squares.

Resizing Quarter Square Triangle:

Since there are two cut lines and two seam lines in a Quarter-Square Triangle block you’ll need to add 1-1/4″ to the desired finished block size. For a finished block that’s 4″, you’d cut your squares 5-1/4″.