Easy Quilt Block Pattern: Thrifty

This “How to Sew” a Thrifty Quilt Block tutorial is the third block in my series toward creating a small sampler quilt. If you rather not make a sampler quilt, you can use this simple block pattern to make many small one block items such as pillows and place mats. You can change the dimensions and make one block pot holders, centerpieces and wall quilts. This project is still in the Beginner to Confident Beginner range as it is only made up of squares of different sizes.

I chose the Thrifty quilt block pattern because I like what the name implies. I can see this block being made with two colors, three colors (like I will) or with many different colors or prints from your scrap stash. Using up fabrics that are sitting in your stash pile…is helpful and thrifty. So feel free to slash your stash.

This block can be considered a variation of a nine-patch quilt block. And if you are wondering when this block first appeared, in print, under the name Thrifty…it was in the KC Star in 1939 (Brackman, 204). So this one is an oldie but goodie! You’ll often see this block referred to as 4-Patch Chain if you are only using two colors to make it. :-)

This fat quarter friendly quilt block pattern is made by mostly cutting strips of fabric, so it’ll come together quickly once we get started.

Our finished block will measure about 12” x 12” when sewn together.

For this tutorial, I am using a fat quarter bundle that has five coordinating fabrics. I used this bundle for my last two blocks, (see Sheepfold Quilt Block tutorial and Virginia Worm Fence Block tutorial), and I will be using it for additional blocks for the small sampler quilt in the future.

Let’s get started!

• Three coordinating fabrics (a fat quarter of each)
• Ironing board or pressing mat
• Iron
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting mat
• 6 x 24” cutting ruler
• Pins
• Magnetic Pin Holder
• Sewing machine
• ¼” Quilting Foot with Guide or ¼” Quilting Foot
• Matching or neutral thread
• Thread snips or small scissors
• Seam ripper (just in case)

For my block, I chose to use three bright colors. If you use fewer or more colors, you’ll need to adjust your measurements accordingly. You’ll also have to do the same if you are using larger pieces of fabric or scraps instead of fat quarters (18” x 22”).

(NOTE: As I’m using one fat quarter bundle for all of the blocks in this five block series. I had to make adjustments along the way when I made my block. The instructions in this blog will be based on you using full fat quarters for this project.)

Each letter in the below diagram represents a different color of fabric and will be referenced in the instructions below.

Press your fat quarters to get the fold creases out. Then, cut off any selvages. If needed, also straighten one long side (the one you’ll be cutting from).

NOTE: Fat quarters only have selvage on one side.

From fabric A: Cut one 2 ½” x 21/22” strip. Then cut this strip down to 2 ½” x 20”.

Also from Fabric A, cut a 4 ½” x 21/22” strip and then cut a 4 ½” square from this strip. Set remaining fabric aside for future projects.

From fabric B: Cut one 2 ½” x 21/22” strip. Then cut this strip down to 2 ½” x 20”.

From fabric C: Cut one 4 ½” x 18” strip. Then cut this strip into four 4 ½” squares.

Save the leftover fabric to use in future blocks, especially if you are planning to make a sampler or a scrap quilt.

We are going to sew before we do any more cutting. For sewing, I used the ¼” Quilting Foot with Guide. It helps keep my seams consistent throughout the construction of the quilt block. I used this same foot for my other blocks in this series.

I use a leader scrap as I start my sewing. To do so, sew over a scrap piece of fabric and stop sewing when the edge of the scrap is just before the needle. Do not raise your presser foot. Take a look at the stitching to make sure it looks okay. If not, make necessary adjustments in tension, etc. and sew over your scrap again. Once you are satisfied that your stitches look good, continue with this step.

Sew the 2 ½” wide strip of Fabric A to the 2 ½” wide strip of Fabric B with right sides together while using a ¼” seam allowance.

You will end up with one long A + B combined strip.

Keep the combined A + B strip closed. If the edge you’ll be cutting from is not straight, even it out.

Now, cut this long combined A + B strip into eight 2 ½” pieced units.

TIP: Since you’ll be moving your ruler over as you cut, double check your measurements before cutting. You don’t want to accidentally cut a piece bigger or smaller than you need. I’ve made the mistake of not doing this step before…it’s no fun.

Next, press these pieced units open toward the darker fabric. If both fabrics are of about the same value, then press toward one color consistently.

For this next section, I’ll be referring to the below diagram.

Make two equal piles of the A + B Units. One with fabric A on the right and the other with fabric A on the left just like in the diagram above. You should have four (4) units in each pile.

Grab one combined unit from each of these piles and place them on your work surface so they look like the bottom of the diagram above.

Now flip the units right side together and nest your seams where the colors meet in the middle. If you are nervous that your block points won’t meet, pin on either side of the nested seams to hold them in place. It’s okay to pin in the seam if you like that method better or even use one pin on one side of the seam. Here, you are making a small four-patch block that will become part of our larger finished Thrifty Quilt Block.

Like before, use your leader scrap fabric so if your sewing machine goes a little crazy it does it on the scrap, not on your project. Then, sew your units together, being careful when you get to your seams to keep them nested.

If after sewing you find that your seams didn’t match up, it’s okay to take a seam ripper to this small unit and fix it.

Repeat with the remaining A + B units until you have completed four, four-patch blocks.

Press your four-patch units open.

Next, we’ll move on to sewing our rows. Before moving to this next step, measure your four patches to see what size they came out to be in the end. Mine came out to 4 ⅜” square. You’ll need to square up your A and C squares to match this measured size.

Using a block layout diagram, I like to lay the units out before I start sewing. This is a good cross-check to make sure you have all of the units needed and that they are in the correct position for the quilt pattern you are making. It also helps facilitate chain piecing.

TIP: I like to use “sticky notes” to label my rows so I know exactly which one is which. That way, if I need to step away from my project for a little bit, it’s easy to start right back up.

We are going to chain piece to save on thread and time. This time, we’ll use two small scrap fabric pieces so that we don’t have to stop our chain piecing.

Let’s go!

Sew over one scrap piece and stop sewing when the edge of the scrap is just after the needle. Do the same cross-check of stitching as we did earlier with our leader fabric. Once you are satisfied that your stitches look good you will chain sew as follows:

Starting from the LEFT:

• From Row 1, sew one four-patch unit to a fabric C square with right sides together while using a ¼” seam allowance.
• From Row 2, sew a fabric C square to a fabric A square with right sides together using a ¼” seam allowance.
• From Row 3, sew one four-patch unit to a fabric C square with right sides together while using a ¼” seam allowance.
• Sew through your other fabric scrap and stop once you are at the edge of the scrap.

At this point, clip the threads between your first scrap fabric and between all of your sewn units and the scrap fabric that is currently under the needle on the sewing machine. Lay the sewn units back out in their spots as shown in the below picture.

Now we will continue our chain piecing.

• From Row 1, flip your remaining four-patch to the left onto fabric C and sew it on.
• From Row 2, sew a fabric C piece to the fabric A piece.
• From Row 2, flip your remaining four-patch to the left onto fabric C and sew it on.
• Sew through a fabric scrap and stop once you are at the edge of the scrap.

Clip the threads between your scrap fabrics and fabric strips. Lay your sewn rows out in order so that they look like the picture below. If you notice that you sewed something in the wrong place, it’s okay to grab your seam ripper and fix it. It happens to all of us at one time or another.

Before we go any further, we are going to press our seams. You’ll want to press Rows 1 and 3 in one direction and Row 2 in the opposite direction. After pressing, lay the rows back out again as in the picture above. I like to do this again to make sure I sew the rows together correctly. (Trust me, I’ve skipped this double check before and had to grab my seam ripper to fix things.) Then we’ll be ready to sew again.

Now you are ready to finish sewing your block together!

Take Row 1 (top row) and flip it down over Row 2 (middle row) so the right sides are facing together. Line up and nest your seams.

For this next step, I like to use pins next to the seams to keep them from moving during sewing. This helps get a more accurate seam in the end. Before you start sewing, double check that the seams or strips didn’t shift while you were pinning. If they did, re-pin now so you don’t have to take out the seam with a seam ripper and re-do everything. (Trust me, I’ve skipped this double check and regretted it.)

Sew these strips together using a ¼” seam allowance. You should get matching seams at the intersections when you are done.

Finally, take Row 3 (bottom row) and flip it up onto the bottom of Row 2 (middle row) so the right sides are together. Match up and nest your seams. Pin and then sew using a ¼” seam allowance.

For this press, close your strips over themselves so you can see the stitching on the wrong side and press, holding your iron in place for a few seconds to “set” the seams. This step helps nestle the threads down into the fabric so that you’ll get flatter seams.

Then, open your block and press your seams away from the middle. If the fabrics are of equal or near equal values like mine are, then press out toward the edges of the block.

TIP: If the seams are not easily falling into position for pressing, you can do a quick finger press to encourage them…

Your finished block might not be quite 12” x 12” as the seam sewing may have taken up some of the size. If you are going to make several of these blocks for a project, be consistent in how you make them. This is when you will straighten your edges and square up your block.

TIP: Measure in both directions to see what the shortest width is of your block and square it to that. I like to measure through the middle, and through both corners, better more information than not enough. And…if you have a slightly different way to square up your block, feel free to do what works for you.

Be careful not to over-cut while squaring up. I use my self-healing cutting mat, cutting ruler, and rotary cutter for this part.

You did it, you have a finished Thrifty quilt block. It’s that easy!

There are many different projects this block would be great for so don’t limit yourself. Here are a few ideas to get your started.

• Placemats: Add strips of coordinating fabric to the sides and even the top like a frame if you want bigger placemats.
• Decorative one block pillow: For the design, you can leave it all about the block or add a coordinating border.
• Pot Holder or Hot pad: Use thermal batting instead of regular batting so you can put hot items on it.
• Table runner, wall, baby, lap or larger quilt: Put several blocks together to make the size of the finished project you want.

All of these projects would come together quickly and make lovely decor pieces for your home or lovely gifts to give to someone.

Making a single block project allows you to experiment with color. Don’t be shy, have fun with the colors you choose. To get your creative color juices flowing I’ve put together a few color variants of this block so you can start seeing the possibilities.

Here is the original block we did and one with three different fabric colors. I rather like this new color combination myself and am already thinking of a project that I can make. See how changing the colors can give you something dramatically different?

Maybe you want to use four colors in this block instead of three…

Here is a look at this same block using seven colors of fabric…

And if you want to get really scrappy…use lots of colors like in the block below. Also, one that I think would look good in a bigger project that I just might have to make.

Have fun…experiment…maybe even add some prints. Enjoy color and creating!

Today, you learned how to make a simple quilt block that sews together quickly and easily. The final designs and project possibilities with the Thrifty quilt block are endless. We would love to see your color combinations and the projects you make using the Thrifty quilt block. It’s so encouraging to see what everyone does. Share them with us on our Facebook Page!

Watch how to make this block on YouTube: Easy Quilt Block Pattern: Thrifty.

Like to have a written copy to follow? Print out the PDF for the Easy Quilt Block Pattern: Thrifty.

I hope all the steps of this quilt tutorial are clear and you had fun making your block. If you are a complete beginner and you need more guidance for quilting in general, you can take a look at our extensive quilting beginner guide.

Cathy Jaynes
Product Developer and Quilt Blogging for MadamSew.com
cathy@madamsew.com 

Work Cited:
Brackman, Barbara. Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. American Quilter’s Society, 1993.

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