- Background (muslin)
- Light (faded chambray)
Block No. 21 · nine-patch
Snowball Quilt Block
Part of: Nine Patch Quilt BlocksEasy Quilt BlocksQuilt Blocks For Beginners
Snowball turns a plain square into an eight-sided shape with four contrasting corners. Its open center makes it a useful companion to busy chain blocks and a place to feature a favorite fabric.
- Level
- Beginner
- Grid
- 3 × 3
- Pieces
- 5
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 | Corner square | 4 | 4 1/2" square | Stitch and flip; trim seam allowance to 1/4 inch | 4 |
| Light | Square | 1 | 12 1/2" square | Use as cut | 1 |
Method
Piecing steps
Step 1: Cut one light base square and four background corner squares.
Step 2: Mark one diagonal on each small square. Align a square with a base corner, sew on the diagonal, and fold it outward to check coverage.
Step 3: Trim the excess base and corner layers to 1/4 inch from the seam. Press outward and repeat on the other three corners.
Step 4: Join the sections with a consistent 1/4-inch seam, pressing between seams. Check that the unfinished block measures 12 1/2" square.