Economy Block tutorial

Recently I shared my Vintage Halloween Economy Blocks on the blog, and I promised you there would be a tutorial. So today I’ll be sharing some information on how I made my blocks, including tools, tips, measurements and basic assembly instructions. This post is not a pattern for a full quilt, so there will not be fabric requirements. But the great thing about the Economy Block is that it fun, easy and a great way to use up your scraps and stash. Let’s get started!

 

 

Vintage Halloween Economy Block
Size:
4 1/2” (unfinished);  4” (finished / when sewn with other blocks)

Rulers:
You don’t need any special rulers to make Economy Blocks, but these were handy for me:

A square 2 1/2” Creative Grids ruler (for fussy cutting the centers).

A ruler with clear 1/4” markings. (I used my 4 1/2” x 8 1/2” Creative Grids ruler that has the best 1/4” markings.  I used gingham Lori Holt washi tape to mark off a 3 1/4” square on the ruler, which will be used for one of the trimming steps. You could use painter’s tape also.)

The Cute Cuts 4 1/2” Trim It Ruler by Lori Holt. (Again, I could have used another ruler and some washi tape. But this Trim It Ruler has fantastic markings for finding the right trimming spot to complete the 4 1/2” block.)

 

Cutting:
For each Economy Block, you will need to begin with three squares:

2 1/2” center square
3 1/2” square
4 1/2” square

Begin by fussy cutting the 2 1/2” center square. (Note, you do not have to fussy cut. You could use a mini charm pack or cut 2 1/2” squares from any pretty fabric. The end result will still be lovely.)

 

Then cut a 3 1/2” square and a 4 1/2” square from coordinating fabrics.

 

I cut several squares and laid them together in groupings to see which combinations I liked.

 

Next, cut both the 3 1/2” square and the 4 1/2” square on the diagonal twice, so that you have (4) triangles each.

 

Assembly:

Begin with the triangles yielded from the 3 1/2” square. Sew triangles to the left and right of a fussy cut square. I used my Bernina’s quarter inch foot for exact piecing.

Press toward the triangles and trim off the dog ears.

 

Next, sew triangles to the top and bottom. Press toward the triangles.

Using your tape-marked ruler, trim the block to 3 1/4” square.  Do not skip this trimming step. Look closely at the photo below. The key is to have 1/4” of seam allowance on all four sides. Position the ruler so that the corners of the fussy cut square do not extend into the 1/4\” seam allowance. Trim two sides. Rotate the block and trim the remaining two sides.

 

 

 

Now repeat those same steps using the triangles yielded from the 4 1/2” square.

Here’s a creative tip.  Flip your units over and sew from the other side.  This will allow you to see the seam intersection that you want to meet precisely.

 

 

Again, press toward the triangles.

 

Using a 4 1/2” trimming tool or ruler, square up your block to 4 1/2”.

Look closely at this photo. There is shading around the perimeter that indicates the seam allowance area. Make sure none of the points are in that shaded area. The ruler also has guidelines for the center square, helping you position the ruler correctly.

 

 

Place your finished blocks under a ruler and weight. This will keep them nice and flat while you sew. I do this often with small blocks. Sometimes I even weight press them overnight.

 

I hope this tutorial will inspire you to begin making Economy Blocks from your favorite fabrics. My goal is to make as many blocks as I can with the focal fabric at center. When I run out of little characters to fussy cut, I will continue to make Economy Blocks from just the coordinating fabrics until I have enough blocks to make a baby or lap sized quilt.

I plan to take my time with these blocks, sewing them when the mood strikes . . . sewing for fun.  I hope you’ll do the same!

~Taunja

 P.S. I have other free tutorials on my blog. Check them out when you have a chance.