What order should you learn quilt blocks in?
Learn them in four stages: squares, strips, triangles, then stars. Each block below adds one skill to the ones before it, so nothing new piles up at once. Cut sizes are for a 12" finished block with a ¼" seam allowance.
The last column shows which blocks are in the Patchwork Quilt Builder’s block library, ready to drag onto a quilt and recolor. If a word is new, such as HST or nesting seams, look it up in the quilting terms glossary.
| # | Block | New skill | Pieces | Cut for a 12" block | In the block library? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Four patch | The ¼" seam | 4 squares | 6½" squares | Yes |
| 2 | Checkerboard | Nesting seams | 16 squares | 3½" squares | No |
| 3 | Plus sign | Placing color on purpose | 9 squares | 4½" squares | No |
| 4 | Nine patch | Matching corners | 9 squares | 4½" squares | Yes |
| 5 | Bricks | Offsetting rows | Rectangles | 3½" × 6½" rectangles | No |
| 6 | Rail fence | Strip sets | 3 strips | 4½" × 12½" strips | Yes |
| 7 | Log cabin | Pressing as you build out | Center and strips | 2½" center, 1½" strips | Yes |
| 8 | Half-square triangle | Sewing a diagonal | 2 squares make 2 units | 6⅞" squares for four 6" units | No (a piece, not a block) |
| 9 | Pinwheel | Matching points at a center | 4 HSTs | 6⅞" squares | Yes |
| 10 | Bowtie | Sew-and-flip corners | 4 squares, 2 corners | 6½" and 3½" squares | No (a piece) |
| 11 | Flying geese | Goose units | 8 rectangles, 16 squares | 3½" × 6½" and 3½" | Yes |
| 12 | Churn dash | Mixing HSTs and strip units | 4 HSTs, 4 strip units, 1 square | 4⅞", 2½" × 4½", 4½" | No |
| 13 | Friendship star | Turning HSTs into points | 4 HSTs, 5 squares | 4⅞" and 4½" squares | Yes |
| 14 | Sawtooth star | Flying geese as star points | Center, 4 corners, 4 geese | 6½", 3½", 3½" × 6½" | Yes |
| 15 | Ohio star | Quarter-square triangles | 5 squares, 4 QST units | 4½" and 5¼" squares | Yes |
Which quilt blocks are easiest for a first project?
Blocks made only of squares are the easiest. The skill here is a steady ¼" seam, and seams that nest. Nesting means pressing the seams in neighboring rows in opposite directions, so they lock together and the corners match.
1. Four patch. Four squares, two light and two dark, in a 2 × 2 grid. New skill: sewing an accurate ¼" seam. Common mistake: a seam that drifts wider, so the block comes out small. Sew a test seam and measure it.
2. Checkerboard. Sixteen squares in a 4 × 4 grid, lights and darks taking turns. New skill: nesting seams. Common mistake: pressing every row the same way, so the seams stack up instead of locking. Press one row left, the next row right.
3. Plus sign. A nine patch with the four middle-edge squares and the center in the plus color, and the corners in background. New skill: placing color on purpose. Common mistake: laying the squares out wrong after sewing a few. Lay out the whole block before you sew.
4. Nine patch. Nine squares in three rows, darks in the corners and center. New skill: matching four corners where seams cross. Common mistake: skipping pins at the seams. See the nine patch quilt pattern for strip piecing and quilt ideas.
Which strip blocks should you learn next?
Strips teach you to cut long, straight pieces with a rotary cutter and to press without stretching.
5. Bricks. Rectangles set in rows, each row shifted half a brick. New skill: offsetting rows. Common mistake: forgetting the half bricks at the ends of every other row. Count them before you cut.
6. Rail fence. Three strips sewn side by side, then turned in a zigzag. New skill: sewing and cutting strip sets. Common mistake: strip sets that curve like a rainbow. Sew each new strip in the opposite direction from the last. Zigzag Rail Fence shows the classic layout. See the rail fence quilt pattern.
7. Log cabin. A center square with strips added around it in rounds. New skill: pressing each strip away from the center before adding the next. Common mistake: trimming strips to length before sewing, so they come out short. Sew a longer strip on, then trim. See the log cabin quilt pattern.
When should a beginner start sewing triangles?
Once your squares and strips come out the right size. Triangles add the bias edge: the diagonal of a square, which stretches when you handle it. Every block in this stage is about keeping that edge in check.
8. Half-square triangle. A square made of two triangles. Pair two squares, draw a diagonal, sew ¼" on both sides, and cut on the line. New skill: sewing next to a diagonal. Common mistake: pressing with the iron moving side to side, which stretches the bias. Press straight down.
9. Pinwheel. Four half-square triangles turned so the darks spin around the center. New skill: matching eight points in the middle. Common mistake: a lumpy center. Press the last seam open, or swirl the seams so they lie flat.
10. Bowtie. Four squares, with a small square sewn onto two of them on the diagonal and flipped. New skill: sew-and-flip corners. Common mistake: sewing on the wrong side of the line, so the corner flips the wrong way. Sew just outside the line, toward the corner.
11. Flying geese. A wide triangle (the goose) with a small triangle on each side (the sky). New skill: making goose units. Sew a square onto each end of a rectangle on the diagonal and flip. Common mistake: cutting off the goose’s tip. Leave ¼" above the point.
12. Churn dash. Half-square triangles in the corners, two-strip units on the sides, a plain center. New skill: mixing triangle units and strip units in one block. Common mistake: turning the corner triangles the wrong way. The background triangles go toward the center.
For more on how triangle blocks fit together, see quilt blocks.
What is the first star block to learn?
The friendship star, because its points are plain half-square triangles you already know how to make. Stars put triangle units together so their points meet, which is the last big skill.
13. Friendship star. Four half-square triangles around a center square, with plain corners. New skill: turning triangle units so they read as star points. Common mistake: turning one point the wrong way. Lay out the block and stand back before sewing.
14. Sawtooth star. A big center square with four flying geese for points and plain corners. New skill: using flying geese as star points. Common mistake: points cut off when the geese come out short. Trim every goose to 3½" × 6½".
15. Ohio star. Plain squares and four quarter-square triangle units, which are squares made of four triangles. New skill: quarter-square triangles. Common mistake: stretching the units when you trim them. See how to make an Ohio star for the full method. When you are ready for blocks that look harder than they are, try easy quilt blocks that look difficult.
What can you make with your practice blocks?
Sew all your practice blocks into a sampler quilt, with sashing (strips of fabric) between them. If every block is 12", fifteen of them set 3 across and 5 down, with 2" sashing, make a top about 44" × 72". Add a border to reach a throw or twin size.
Window Box Sampler shows how a set of different blocks can look planned: framed squares in greens, peaches and blues set in cream sashing. The Farmhouse Sampler palette ties mixed blocks together with warm, muted colors.
- Farmhouse Sampler#F5EFDF · #DE7F64 · #424158 · #86B39E · #F0CB8ETry it on a quilt
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the easiest quilt block?
- The four patch: four squares in a 2 × 2 grid. It has one seam to match. The nine patch comes next, with four corners to match.
- What size should beginner blocks be?
- 12" is forgiving. The pieces are big enough to handle easily, and a small seam error is hard to see. Smaller blocks have more seams for the same quilt, so small errors add up faster.
- Should I start with a block or a whole quilt?
- Make one or two practice blocks first, then a small quilt. A baby quilt of squares teaches the whole process, from cutting to binding. See free quilt patterns for beginners for whole quilts to start with.