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Block of the Month II

January 1999 - 12" Block

 Thirteen Squares

Fabric

The Thirteen Squares Block uses three different fabrics.

 Fabric - A

 Fabric - B

 One background fabric


Cutting the fabric

This Block requires:

 one strip of fabric B 2" wide and at least 8-1/2" long
 one strip of background fabric 2" wide and at least 8-1/2" long
 four 2" squares of fabric B
 one 3-1/2" square of fabric B
 eight 2" x 3-1/2" rectangles of background fabric
 eight 3-1/2" squares of fabric A
 sixteen 2" squares of background fabric


 Piecing the Block

 1) Take the 2" strip of fabric B and the 2" strip of background fabric and piece together using a scant 1/4" seam allowance. Press the seam allowance toward fabric B.
 2) With a rotary cutter, straighten the short end of the strips sewn together in Step 1. Then cut four 2" x 3-1/2" rectangles from the sewn strips as shown.
 3) Take two of the rectangles completed in Step 2 and piece together with two of the 2" x 3-1/2" background fabric rectangles, being sure to place the fabric B square in the upper right hand side as shown. Press the seam allowances toward the background fabric rectangle. The completed squares should measure 3-1/2".
 4) Take the two remaining rectangles completed in Step 2 and piece together with two of the 2" x 3-1/2" background fabric rectangles, being sure to place the fabric B square in the upper left hand side as shown. These squares are the mirror image of the squares completed in Step 3. Press the seam allowances toward the background fabric rectangle. The completed squares should measure 3-1/2".
 5) Lightly mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of the sixteen 2" squares of background fabric as shown.
 6) Place one of the marked 2" background fabric squares, right sides together, on the upper left corner of one of the 3-1/2" squares of fabric A with the diagonal line placed as shown. Sew on the marked diagonal line. Repeat with the seven remaining 3-1/2" squares of fabric A and seven more of the 2" marked background fabric squares.
 7) Trim 1/4" away from the sewn line and press the seam allowances toward the background fabric.
 8) Take one of the units completed in Step 7 and place one of the 2" marked background fabrics, right sides together, in the lower right hand corner with the diagonal line placed as shown. Sew on the marked diagonal line. Repeat with the seven remaining Step 7 units and the seven remaining 2" marked squares.
 9) Trim 1/4" away from the sewn line and press the seam allowances toward the background fabric. The eight completed squares should measure 3-1/2".
 10) Take two of the 2" squares of fabric B and piece together with one of the 2" x 3-1/2" rectangle of background fabric as shown. Repeat with the two remaining 2" fabric B squares and one 2" x 3-1/2" background fabric rectangles. Press the seam allowances toward fabric B.
 11) Take the two remaining 2" x 3-1/2" rectangles of background fabric and piece to the 3-1/2" square of fabric B as shown. Press the seam allowances toward the fabric B square.
 12) Take the two units completed in Step 10 and the unit completed in Step 11 and pice together as shown to complete the center of the quilt Block. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 11 unit. The completed square should measure 6-1/2".
 13) Take two of the units completed in Step 9 and piece together as shown. Repeat with the remaining Step 9 units. The seam allowance can be pressed to either side. These completed units should measure 3-1/2" x 6-1/2"
 14) Take two of the rectangles completed in Step 13 and the center square completed in Step 12 and piece together as shown to complete the center row of the quilt Block. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 12 unit. The completed row should measure 6-1/2" x 12-1/2".
 15) Take one of the squares completed in Step 3 and one of the squares completed in Step 4 and piece with one of the units completed in Step 12 being sure to have the units placed as shown. Repeat with the remaining Step 3 and Step 4 squares and the Step 12 unit. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 3 and Step 4 squares. This completes the top and bottom rows of the quilt Block. The rows should measure 3-1/2" x 12-1/2".
 16) Take the center row completed in Step 14 and the top and bottom rows completed in Step 15 and piece together as shown to complete the Thirteen Squares quilt Block. Press the seam allowances toward the center of the Block. The completed quilt Block should measure 12-1/2" square which includes a 1/4" seam allowance on all sides.

WWQP Quilt Coloring Book page for the Thirteen Squares Block

© Susan E Traudt 1999
 World Wide Quilting Page * Block of the Month II