With the release of my new fabric line, Flutter and Shine for Riley Blake Designs, I thought I’d start sprinkling in some new project tutorials on the blog! This first one, a one-block mini quilt, uses three piecing techniques: Half-Square Triangles (HSTs), Quarter-Square Triangles (QSTs), and Snowball corners, that are wonderful to have in the quilting skill arsenal! This 12″ mini is a quick project, and adorable to boot!
To begin, you’ll need the following fabric cuts:
(1) 8″ x 8″ Main in Pink
(4) 3 7/8″ x 3 7/8″ Berries in Dark Pink
(2) 4 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ Ditsy Dot in Aqua
(4) 3″ x 3″ Trellis in White
(4) 3 7/8″ x 3 7/8″ Trellis in White
1) 4 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ Trellis in White
(4) 3″ x 3″ Riley White
(1) 4 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ Riley White
(1) 18″ x 18″ Main in White for backing
(2) 2 1/2″ x WOF strips Flight Path in Aqua for binding
For the HSTs: Begin by pairing the 3 7/8″ Trellis squares and 3 7/8″ Berries squares, marking the wrong side of the Trellis print along the diagonal. Do the same with the 4 1/4″ Ditsy Dot print and the 4 1/4″ Trellis and White squares, marking the wrong side of the Trellis and White squares along the diagonal. Sew 1/4″ from each side of the marked line on all the marked sets.
Trim along the marked line, and press toward darker prints. For only the Berries HSTs, square up the blocks so they are 3″ x 3″. I use a Bloc Loc ruler for faster and more accurate trimming.
For QSTs: With the Ditsy Dot HSTs, pair them up again, one with a Trellis print and one with the solid white. Place them right sides together, nestling the seam so they line up against each other perfectly.
Mark along the diagonal, perpendicular to the current seam. Sew along either side of the marked line, and press seam open.
Using a ruler, square up the block so it is 3″ x 3″. The center point should be 1 1/2″ from each side, perfectly centered in the Quarter Square block.
For snowball corners: Mark the 3″ white squares along the diagonal, and place in each corner of the 8″ x 8″ Main center square. Sew along the marked line, and trim extra fabric, leaving 1/4″ seam allowance. Press corners out, towards white fabric.
Arrange your block units around the center unit, with a 3″ x 3″ Trellis square in each corner. Taking care to match seams, sew side units together and press, and then sew the sides to the center unit. Press toward side units. Sew the top and bottom rows and press, and then sew them to the center unit. Press toward top and bottom rows.
Finish the mini quilt by making a quilt sandwich, and quilt as desired. Trim and bind, and you are done!
Such a cute 12″ mini quilt!
To make a bigger block, just increase the size of the units- you can refer to my triangle cheat sheet for quick quilt math!