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Beginning Quilting

How to Sew a Four-patch Quilt Block | Step-by-step Guide

January 11, 2025

A four-patch quilt block is a classic and easy-to-make block that’s perfect for beginners. It is all straight sewing with no angles or curves. It consists of four small squares, arranged in a 2×2 grid to form a larger square block. This block is useful to hone your straight sewing and seam matching skills, as well as your perfect 1/4 inch seam. Follow along with today’s post for a  a step-by-step guide to sewing a four-patch quilt block.

Why I’m Qualified

Hi, I’m Mary Beth Krapil, Handi Quilter National Educator. I’ve been making quilts for more than 40 years! My very first quilt was crafted from log cabin blocks. I didn’t start simple, I jumped right in with a king-size bed quilt!  Log cabin blocks are more challenging and not a great block for beginners, but I didn’t know any better. I should have started with a four-patch block. But I had fun and learned a lot from that first quilt, and that’s what counts in the long run. If you want a tutorial on log cabin blocks you can read THIS previous post.

Sew a Four-patch Quilt Block

Supplies Needed

  • Sewing machine (or go old school and use a needle and thread)
  • Iron – for pressing seams flat
  • Rotary Cutter, Ruler, and Mat – You can use scissors but accuracy is important in quilting. Invest in rotary cutting supplies. Worth every penny!
  • Fabric
    • You need a total of 4 squares all the same size. Choose fabrics that contrast. It can be lights with darks, or contrasting colors for example: red and blue. In my example, I have 4 fabrics, a light red and a dark red and a light blue with a dark blue. Four-patch blocks can also be made with just 2 fabrics (two squares of each).
    • The size of your squares depends on the finished block size you desire. My finished block will be four inches. That is the size it will be when sewn into the quilt. The unfinished size measures 4.5 inches. The extra half inch is the seam allowance (1/4 inch all the way around). To figure the size of your fabric squares, take the desired finished size of your block. Divide it by 2 and add 1/2 inch. So in my case, 4 divided by 2 = 2, plus 1/2 = 2.5. Therefore, I need 2.5 inch squares for my four-patch.
  • Thread – a neutral thread works great for piecing. I like grey and use a light grey for lighter fabrics and a darker grey for darker fabrics. My preference is a cotton 50 wt thread like Superior’s PIMA or Connecting Threads’ Essential.

Step #1 – Cutting

This is the first step in creating an accurate block. Always measure and cut your fabric carefully to ensure your blocks come out the correct size. If you are off on your cutting, you have little-to-no chance of consistently making a block that comes out the right size and square!

photo of a bumch of 2.5 inch fabric squares
Assorted 2.5 inch squares for scrappy four-patch blocks

I like to make scrappy quilts, so I cut leftover fabrics from other projects into usable pieces. These are some assorted 2.5 inch squares I have on hand. You can also see I have some 2.5 inch charm packs. These little packs of pre-cut squares are great for making four-patches!

If you don’t have some squares already cut, use your rotary cutter, ruler, and mat to cut some squares. Measure twice, cut once.

photo of fabric to be cut with a rotary cutter. riler and mat/

photo of a clock shaped like a sewing machine and a sign that reads,"measure twice, cut once"

Take your time and make accurate cuts.

Step #2 – Arrange your squares

Lay out the four squares in a 2×2 grid. The arrangement is up to you. You do want contrast between adjacent squares. I put the light red and the dark red together.

Photo of 2 squares of fabric. One is dark red and the other light red.

For the other 2 squares, I placed the dark blue next to the light blue. So the light colors will be in opposite corners and the dark colors will be in opposite corners.

Photo of 4 fabric squares arranged in a 2x2 grid. Light red and dark red over dark blue and light blue

You can choose to arrange your squares however you like. Using the principle of contrast makes your blocks sing.

Step #3 – Sewing Units of 2

Start by sewing the two squares together. Place the right sides of the fabric together. Sewing accurate, consistent 1/4 inch seams is the second important part of getting good results.

getting ready to sew 2 red fabric squares together

And sew along the edge with a quarter-inch seam allowance.

Squares sewn together with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Pressing is as important as sewing when it comes to quilting. It is the third important thing in achieving excellent results. 1. Cutting, 2. Sewing, 3.Pressing.  Press your seams flat to one side to help the block stay square. Avoid ironing back and forth, as it can stretch the fabric. Press the seam allowance to the dark side. I like to finger press first. That way I can feel that everything is nice and flat with no ridge at the fold.

Finger pressing the seam flat.

Then I press with a hot dry iron to set the seam.

Pressing a seam with an iron

Sew and press the other two squares in the same manner.

sewing 2 blue squares using a 1/4 inch seam allowance

pressing seam on blue unit

Step #4 – Sewing Four-patch

Now you have 2 two-patch units. Arrange them the way you want your final block to look.

Two 2-patch units arranged side by side for final four-patch

 

Flip the right over the left.

Placing the right unit over the left unit

 

Align the seams where the seam allowances meet.

aligning two units so the seams match

Because you pressed each one to the dark side, they will nest together nicely. This creates a “lock” at the intersection, making it easier to align the rows. You can feel it with your fingers when the two are locked together. If you want, you can place a pin at the seam. With small pieces like this, I feel confident stitching without using pins. But you do you.

feeling the seam allowances lock together

Stitch using a 1/4 inch seam allowance.

stitching the units together into a four-patch

Step #5 – Twirl and Press

I like to twirl the seam allowances on the back of the block. This results in the flattest block possible. Because I quilt with a longarm machine, I love flat and square quilt tops. It makes my quilting job easier.

The green arrows indicate the direction the seam allowances should be pressed on the back of the four-patch block. Note that 2 of the seams have already been pressed.

Arrows indicating the direction the seam allowances should go on the back of a four-patch block

 

To do this you must twist the two non-pressed seam allowances at the center.

twisting the seam allowances at the center

Sometimes you may have to snip a stitch at the very center of the block to get the center to lay flat.

Snipping a stitch at the center back of the four-patch

Finger press the center and the seam allowances in the direction you want them to go. Then Press with a hot dry iron.

prsssin seam allowances with an iron

You should see a tiny four patch in the center formed by the pressed seam allowances.

Tiny four-patch in the center of the back of the block formed by the pressed seam allowances

Turn the block over and press flat from the front. Your four-patch block will be nice and flat with perfectly matching corners!

pressing the front of the four-patch

 

Step #6 – Trim block if needed

Once your block is sewn together, it’s time to check it for the correct size. If needed, use a ruler and rotary cutter to square up your block. Remember that the un-finished block needs to be 1/2 inch larger than the finished size. Mine came out quite nice. 🙂

checking size of finished four-patch block using a rotary cutting square ruler

 


Fast Method Four-patch

When you need many of the same four-patch units to make a quilt, this is a faster way to create them. This easy four-patch quilt block uses a strip piecing method. I needed lots of four-patch blocks for a quilt I’m making for my granddaughter.

Step #1 – Cut Strips

Just like the single patch method, the size you want your four patch quilt blocks to be will determine the size of strips you need to cut. For this quilt I needed 5 inch finished blocks. So I cut my strips 3 inches. You can either cut these strips from full width of fabric, from fat quarter widths, or from widths that you have in your stash. There’s no rule to how long the widths need to be, but the longer the width, the more two patch units you’ll get.

photo of fabric to be cut with a rotary cutter. riler and mat/

I cut a bunch of strips for this quilt! The light color patches for these for-patch blocks will all be the same.

Many strips cut for sewing four-patch blocks

Step #2 – Sew Strips

Match two strips and sew them together with an accurate 1/4 inch seam.

Choose 2 strips to sew togethter

sewing 2 long strips together

Step #3 – Press

Press to the dark side.

Pressing long sewn strip

Step #4 – Sub-cut Strips into Units of 2

Use a rotary cutter and ruler to sub-cut the strips into two-patch units. They will be the same width as your original strips.

Cutting strips into two-patch units

A faster way to sub-cut your two-patch units is to use a Stripology ruler from our friends at GE Designs. Be sure to align the middle seam with a line on the ruler to keep everything going straight. It makes cutting these units a breeze!

Sub-cutting strips using the Stripology ruler.

Step #5 – Sew Four-patch

Just like the single patch method, match 2 two-patch units the way you want your four-patch block to look.

2 two patch units matched up for sewing

 

Match the seams carefully by nesting.

seams matched and ready to sew
Seams matched by nesting and ready to sew

Sew the units together.

Sewing the four-patch
Sewing the four-patch

 

To make this step go even faster chain piece the units by sewing one pair right after another without cutting your thread between each pair.

Photo of chain-piecing at the sewing machine

 

Twirl the seam allowances and press.

twirling the seam allowances on a four-patch block

pressed four-patch block back

You’ll have a bunch in no time at all!

Many four-patch blocks

Next steps

Incorporate your four-patches into lots of different quilt top designs. The sky’s the limit!

The four-patch quilt block may be simple, but its versatility makes it a staple of many quilting designs. By mastering the basics of piecing this block, you’ll open the door to endless possibilities. Whether you’re making a classic quilt or exploring new techniques, the four-patch block is a great foundation to build on.

Watch this video for some quilting ideas for four-patches:

And read this blog post for even more ideas:

Grid Designs – Free Motion Quilting for Beginners

Remember to quilt Every Day!

by Mary Beth Krapil

 

 

 

Written by

January 11th, 2025

A four-patch quilt block is a classic and easy-to-make block that’s perfect for beginners. It is all straight sewing with no angles or curves. It consists of four small squares, […]

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