- Background (muslin)
- Medium (goldenrod)
Block No. 102 · nine-patch
Sweet Gum Leaf Quilt Block
Part of: Nine Patch Quilt BlocksQuilt Blocks For BeginnersLeaf Quilt BlocksTwo Color Quilt Blocks
Sweet Gum Leaf builds a pointed leaf from four three-triangle units on a simple nine-patch grid, with a plain background row below. Add an embroidered stem if you like; the pieced block leaves room for it.
Version note: The reference stem is a narrow appliqued or embroidered strip; it is left off here because every block on this site is pieced with straight seams. Layout confidence: medium.
- Level
- Confident Beginner
- Grid
- 3 × 3
- Pieces
- 19
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 | Square | 2 | 4 1/2" square | Use as cut | 2 |
| Background | Rectangle | 1 | 4 1/2" × 12 1/2" | Use as cut | 1 |
| Background | Quarter-square triangle | 1 | 5 1/4" square | Cut twice diagonally (4 triangles each) | 4 |
| Medium | Quarter-square triangle | 3 | 5 1/4" square | Cut twice diagonally (4 triangles each) | 12 |
Method
Piecing steps
Step 1: Cut every patch listed in the cutting chart for your size. Plain areas are cut as the larger squares and rectangles shown; do not subdivide them. Columns count from the left and rows from the top, starting at 1, in grid cells.
Step 2: Make 4 quarter-square triangle units: cut the QST parent squares twice diagonally, sew the triangles in pairs, then join the pairs. Square each unit to 4 1/2".
Step 3: Make four QST units, each with three medium triangles and one background triangle. Sew the triangles in pairs, then join the pairs, and square each unit to 4 1/2".
Step 4: Turn each unit so its background triangle sits on the outer edge of the leaf, as in the diagram.
Step 5: Make section 1: sew the background square at column 1, row 1, the QST at column 2, row 1 (top background, right medium, bottom medium, left medium) and the background square at column 3, row 1 side by side, left to right. Press and check it measures 12 1/2" wide by 4 1/2" high.
Step 6: Make section 2: sew the QST at column 1, row 2 (top medium, right medium, bottom medium, left background), the QST at column 2, row 2 (top medium, right medium, bottom background, left medium) and the QST at column 3, row 2 (top medium, right background, bottom medium, left medium) side by side, left to right. Press and check it measures 12 1/2" wide by 4 1/2" high.
Step 7: Complete the block: sew section 1, section 2 and the background rectangle at column 1, row 3 in a column, top to bottom. Press and check it measures 12 1/2" wide by 12 1/2" high.
Step 8: Press the finished block. Every join above runs edge to edge, with no set-in or Y-seams.