How to Sew the Mosaic #16 Quilt Block: a Free Tutorial
The Mosaic #16 quilt block is a classic square-and-diamond design from the Ladies Art Company's popular Mosaic series, loved by quilters for its versatility and eye-catching geometry. This 12" finished block is easy to piece yet delivers a striking look and it pairs beautifully with other Mosaic blocks for endless layout options. In this tutorial, we'll walk through piecing your own Mosaic #16 block step by step.
Fabric Requirements for a 12" Finished Mosaic #16 Quilt Block:
- Light/White: 1 - 6.5" square, 2 - 4" squares, and 4 - 3.5" x 6.5" rectangles
- Medium/Teal: 8 - 3.5" squares
- Medium/Purple: 2 - 4" squares
- Dark/Burgundy: 4 - 3.5" squares
Sewing Directions:
Half Square Triangle Units:
Step 1:
Using the two Light/White 4" squares and the two Medium/Purple 4" squares, make four Half Square Triangle (HST) units as shown in the picture below. 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
Square in a Square Unit:
Step 2:
Using the Light/White 6.5" square and four Dark/Burgundy 3.5" squares, "snowball" the corners of the Light/White square to create a Square in a Square unit. You can find my detailed tutorial for making a basic Square in a Square block at https://fabric406.com/blogs/fabric406-blog/how-to-sew-a-basic-square-in-a-square-block
Flying Geese Units:
Step 3:
Using eight Medium/Teal 3.5" squares and four Light/White 3.5" x 6.5" rectangles, sew together four Flying Geese units. For a detailed tutorial of my no-trim method for making perfect Flying Geese blocks check out https://fabric406.com/blogs/fabric406-blog/how-to-sew-a-basic-flying-geese-block.
Putting It All Together:
Step 4:
Lay out the Step 1 Half Square Triangle units, the Step 2 Square in a Square unit, and the Step 3 Flying Geese units in an uneven Nine Patch configuration as shown in the picture below.
Step 5:
Sew the units into three rows as shown below.
Step 6:
Press the seam allowances toward the Flying Geese units as shown in the photo below.
Step 7:
Sew the three rows together.
Step 8:
Press the seam allowances away from the center of the block as shown below. You're done!
Tip:
Because the Square in a Square and Flying Geese are larger size units, I also sewed another seam about 1/2" away from the marked line so I can get bonus half square triangles to use in another project! You can see detailed instructions for this tip in the Mosaic #2 tutorial.
Layout Ideas:
As usual, here's the basic 4 x 4 layout using colors similar to the tutorial.
This layout is the same as the one above but with colored sashing and cornerstones added. It really changes the look!
This is an alternating design where every other block is a modified Mosaic #19 block.
The traditional coloring for the Mosaic #16 is for just a light and a dark fabric. So this shows that coloring in an alternating layout using the Mosaic #1 block for the alternating block.
For a less busy alternating layout, I used a Snowball block for the alternating block and added in 2" wide sashing and cornerstones.
This is a monochromatic on-point layout. It is also an alternating layout using a simple Chain block with narrow (1") sashing and cornerstones. Additionally, the background color is used in the setting triangles.
This is also an alternating on-point design using a Snowball block for the alternate block that extends into the setting triangles.
Conclusion:
The Mosaic #16 was quick and easy to sew together - working with larger pieces really makes a difference! It is similar to many of the other Mosaic blocks, just different color and/or unit placement.
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. Are you looking for some beginner-friendly quilt blocks? Check these out at https://fabric406.com/blogs/fabric406-blog/tagged/tutorials_beginning-blocks
P.P.S. Check out my Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/fabric406