How to Make the E-Z Quilt Block: a Beginner-Friendly 10" Finished Block Tutorial

By: Elaine Huff

Love a quick and easy quilt block? Meet the E-Z Quilt block! This 10" finished block sews up quickly and works beautifully whether you're using scraps for a colorful, improvisational vibe or planning your color placement for a more polished look. Like the classic Sister's Choice block, it creates a striking secondary pattern once multiple blocks are joined into a quilt top. Ready to sew your own? Let's dive into the tutorial!

e-z quilt block

Fabric Requirements for a 10" Finished E-Z Quilt Block:

  • Light/White: 4 - 3" squares, and 5 - 2.5" squares
  • Medium/Blue: 4 - 3" squares, and 4 - 2.5" squares
  • Dark/Pink: 4 - 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles
ez quilt fabric requirements

Sewing Directions:

Half Square Triangle Units:

Step 1:

Using the Light/White 3" squares and the Medium/Blue 3" squares, make Half Square Triangle (HST) units as shown. Here are the steps corresponding to the images in the picture below going from top to bottom, left to right.

  • Match up a Light/White square and a Medium/Blue square right sides together.
  • Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of the Light/White square and sew 1/4" (or a little less) on each side of the line.
  • Cut along the diagonal line.  You will have 2 half-square triangle patches.
  • Open up the patch and press the seam allowance toward the Medium/Blue fabric.
  • Square up/trim the units to 2.5" square. 
  • You can find my tutorial for making HST units at https://fabric406.com/blogs/fabric406-blog/how-to-sew-a-basic-half-square-triangle-block
ez quilt 1

Step 2:

Repeat Step 1 for a total of eight Half Square Triangle units like the ones in the picture below.
 
ez quilt 2

Corner Units:

Step 3:

Lay out two Step 2 HST units with Medium/Blue 2.5" square, and a Light/White 2.5" square as shown in the picture below.
 
ez quilt 3

Step 4:

Sew the patches together like a typle Four Patch block. Here are the steps corresponding to the images in the picture below going from top to bottom, left to right.
  • Sew the units into two rows.
  • Press the seam allowances away from the Half Square Triangle units as shown.
  • Sew the two rows together.
  • Press the seam allowance. As you can see I've used the tweak/twirl/furl method for pressing.
ez quilt 4

Step 5:

Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for a total of four Corner units.
 
ez quilt 5

Putting It All Together:

Step 6:

Lay out the Corner units, the four Dark/Pink 2.5" x 4.5" rectangles, and the remaining Light/White 2.5" square as shown in the picture below. From here the block goes together like an uneven Nine Patch block.
 
ez quilt 6

Step 7:

Sew the units into three rows as shown below.
 
ez quilt 7

Step 8:

Press the Seam allowances toward the Dark/Pink rectangles as shown in the picture below.
 
ez quilt 8

Step 9:

Sew the three rows together.
 
ez quilt 9

Step 10:

Press the seam allowances away from the center of the block as shown below. By pressing this way, when sewing multiple blocks together, all you have to do is rotate every other block 90 degrees and all the seams will nest. E-Z, peazy!
 
ez quilt 10

Layout Ideas:

This is the basic 4 x 4 layout using colors similar to the tutorial.
 
quilt 1
This also the basic layout but with the addition of another color.
 
quilt 2
This scrappy version has a different color for each star point (Corner unit).
 
quilt 3
Another scrappy option has each block in a different color but the rectangle units are all the same throughout the quilt.
 
quilt 4
This layout is really scrappy with the star points in all sorts of colors and narrow (1") sashing and cornerstones in a complementary color.
 
quilt 5
This is an alternating layout where every other block is a modified version of the main block.
 
quilt 6
For this alternating design a diamond shaped block is used for the alternate block.
 
quilt 7
Here is an alternating on-point design using the modified main block for the alternate block and extending it into the setting triangles.
 
quilt 8
This on-point design had a "connecting" design in the large setting triangles.
 
quilt 9

Conclusion:

I had too much fun with the E-Z Quilt block! This simple block is so versatile. There are so many ways to change the look of the block to make unique quilts to call your own! The block was first published in the Kansas City Star.
 

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial. If you like it and want to see more, just click HERE to sign up for my newsletter and receive a free PDF quilt pattern called "Chained Weathervane".

Happy Quilting!

Elaine

P.S. Looking for more star blocks? Take a look at these tutorials: https://fabric406.com/blogs/fabric406-blog/tagged/eight-pointed-star-blocks

P.P.S. Check out my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/fabric406