Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Square in a Square/ Economy Patch

 Hello quilters! Someone mentioned that they wouldn't know how to make the economy patch by using my Electric Quilt cutting pattern.  I thought I'd show you how I would make a 3" finished economy patch block.

I'd cut the center square a tad smaller. It seems like I always lose my 1/4" seam allowance on this block.
Center square- cut (1) 2 1/2" square
background (a tad oversized) - cut (2) 2 1/2" squares, then cut on the diagonal to make 4 triangles. 

Find the center of your square and the center of you triangle. Sometimes you can just fold it then pinch, but sometimes you cannot see the line where you pinched it. 

Line up the centers on opposing sides.

And sew with 1/4" seam allowance.
Press before adding the other 2 triangles. 

Line them up the same way. 

And sew. Trim off the extra dog ears. 


Press. 

You want your block to be unfinished 3 1/2". So I line up my ruler at 1 3/4" which is half of 3.5. I line it up on the top and the right side. My blue arrows are faint. Trim the right side and the top.
Then trim the other 2 sides for an accurate 3 1/2"

Ta-da!

This is such a simple block but I've never been a big fan of assembling this one! For me the key is making the center square a scant smaller and the outer triangles a scant larger. 

I hope that helps any new quilter/piecers.

Have a terrific Wednesday.






16 comments:

  1. I love these instructions. Cutting the center a bit smaller is genius! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. I agree. I haven't tried the center cut smaller; I will next time. I always make the corners larger because I know I need to . But I still end up short of the 1/4" at the corners. Thanks.

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  3. It's deceptively tricky because the diagonal measurement is a tad smaller. A specialty ruler can be helpful. (I've tried a couple of them and prefer Studio 180.)

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  4. Thank you for the great tutorial! I can’t wait to try it out. xxoo

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  5. You have given clear, concise directions in a manner that should be easy to follow.
    I find I have to do the same alterations when I make these blocks.

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  6. Thanks for the tutorial, I'll give it a try. I wonder if the same principle would apply for flying geese.

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  7. Excellent tutorial. So you say "a smidge smaller/ larger" which means these are the dimensions you actually cut or for ex do you cut the 2 1/2" center 2 3/8'' etc?

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  8. I agree! I avoid making this block for the same reasons! I will use your tutorial and try again! Thanks so much!

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  9. Thank you for the tutorial! Will definitely try this method. I love square in a square but have never tried making one. I will now. Jan in MA

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  10. Thanks for the tutorial. This is perfect for all the 2.5" scrappy squares I have cut up and no plans for.

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  11. This is a nice tutorial. I love the economy block! Somehow it's very satisfying to trim to the right size.

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  12. The green fabric is my absolute favorite! Do you know the maker?

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  13. Great tips on making this supposedly simple block, Lori. Thanks!

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  14. Thank you for the visual, makes sense.

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  15. I always over size cut the triangle units and then trim the block to size. You can also paper piece the blocks but I am not a big fan of paper piecing.

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