- Background (muslin)
- Dark (indigo)
Block No. 03 · Nine-patch
Churn Dash Quilt Block
Also known as Monkey Wrench, Hole in the Barn Door, Sherman's March
Part of: Nine Patch Quilt BlocksHalf Square Triangle Quilt BlocksEasy Quilt BlocksQuilt Blocks For Beginners
The Churn Dash quilt block pattern takes its name from the paddle used in a butter churn. Also known as Monkey Wrench or Hole in the Barn Door, it combines corner triangles and narrow bars in a traditional nine-patch layout.
- Level
- Beginner
- Grid
- 3 × 3
- Pieces
- 15
Chart
Cutting for a 12" block
3 × 3 grid. All cuts fall on 1/8" ruler marks. Unfinished block: 12 1/2".
| Fabric | Shape | Cut | Size | Then | Pieces used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Rectangle | 1 | 4 1/2" × 8 1/2" | Use as cut | 1 |
| Background | Rectangle | 2 | 2 1/2" × 4 1/2" | Use as cut | 2 |
| Background | Half-square triangle | 2 | 4 7/8" square | Cut once diagonally (2 triangles each) | 4 |
| Dark | Rectangle | 4 | 2 1/2" × 4 1/2" | Use as cut | 4 |
| Dark | Half-square triangle | 2 | 4 7/8" square | Cut once diagonally (2 triangles each) | 4 |
Method
Piecing steps
Step 1: Cut the squares and rectangles exactly as grouped in the chart. Large plain patches replace the former smaller squares; do not subdivide them.
Step 2: Prepare any HST units by joining the indicated contrasting triangles along their long edges. For QST units, join triangle pairs first, then join the pairs. For flying geese, attach a sky triangle to each short side of the goose triangle. Match the fabric orientation in the diagram and square each unit to its finished dimensions plus 1/2 inch.
Step 3: Lay out the prepared units and plain patches as shown. Grid columns count from the left and rows from the top, starting at 1. The section numbers below refer to completed subassemblies, not individual fabric pieces.
Step 4: Make section 1: join the dark rect at grid column 1, row 2 on the left of the muslin background rect at grid column 1.5, row 2, using a 1/4-inch seam. Press and check 4 1/2" wide by 4 1/2" high.
Step 5: Make section 2: join section 1 above the dark/muslin background hst at grid column 1, row 3, using a 1/4-inch seam. Press and check 4 1/2" wide by 8 1/2" high.
Step 6: Make section 3: join the dark/muslin background hst at grid column 1, row 1 above section 2, using a 1/4-inch seam. Press and check 4 1/2" wide by 12 1/2" high.
Step 7: Make section 4: join the muslin background rect at grid column 2, row 1.5 above the dark rect at grid column 2, row 3.5, using a 1/4-inch seam. Press and check 4 1/2" wide by 10 1/2" high.
Step 8: Make section 5: join the dark rect at grid column 2, row 1 above section 4, using a 1/4-inch seam. Press and check 4 1/2" wide by 12 1/2" high.
Step 9: Make section 6: join the muslin background rect at grid column 3, row 2 on the left of the dark rect at grid column 3.5, row 2, using a 1/4-inch seam. Press and check 4 1/2" wide by 4 1/2" high.
Step 10: Make section 7: join section 6 above the dark/muslin background hst at grid column 3, row 3, using a 1/4-inch seam. Press and check 4 1/2" wide by 8 1/2" high.
Step 11: Make section 8: join the dark/muslin background hst at grid column 3, row 1 above section 7, using a 1/4-inch seam. Press and check 4 1/2" wide by 12 1/2" high.
Step 12: Make section 9: join section 5 on the left of section 8, using a 1/4-inch seam. Press and check 8 1/2" wide by 12 1/2" high.
Step 13: Make section 10: join section 3 on the left of section 9, using a 1/4-inch seam. Press and check 12 1/2" wide by 12 1/2" high.
Step 14: Press the completed block flat. All joins above run from edge to edge; no set-in or Y-seams are required.