- Background (muslin)
- Dark (indigo)
Block No. 105 · other
Tree Everlasting Quilt Block
Part of: Half Square Triangle Quilt BlocksEasy Quilt BlocksQuilt Blocks For BeginnersTree Quilt BlocksTwo Color Quilt Blocks
Tree Everlasting is one of the oldest strip designs, dating to about 1830: columns of triangles climb between solid bars like evergreen boughs. As a block it is three triangle columns and two plain bars; repeated, the bars become long stripes.
Version note: Usually a two-color bar quilt where the bars run the full length; the block version follows Quilter's Cache.
- Level
- Beginner
- Grid
- 5 × 5
- Pieces
- 32
Chart
Cutting for a 10" block
5 × 5 grid. All cuts fall on 1/8" ruler marks. Unfinished block: 10 1/2".
| Fabric | Shape | Cut | Size | Then | Pieces used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Rectangle | 1 | 2 1/2" × 10 1/2" | Use as cut | 1 |
| Background | Half-square triangle | 8 | 2 7/8" square | Cut once diagonally (2 triangles each) | 151 spare |
| Dark | Rectangle | 1 | 2 1/2" × 10 1/2" | Use as cut | 1 |
| Dark | Half-square triangle | 8 | 2 7/8" square | Cut once diagonally (2 triangles each) | 151 spare |
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 the half-square triangles: cut each HST parent square once diagonally, sew contrasting triangles along the long edge, press toward the darker fabric and square up (15 at 2 1/2"). Keep each fabric pair and size in its own stack.
Step 3: Make fifteen HSTs and sew them into three columns of five, keeping each column's triangles pointing the same way.
Step 4: Cut the dark bar and the background bar as single 2 1/2" by 10 1/2" strips and join the five columns side by side.
Step 5: Make section 1: sew the background/dark HST at column 1, row 1 (background in the upper-left), the background/dark HST at column 1, row 2 (background in the upper-left), the background/dark HST at column 1, row 3 (background in the upper-left), the background/dark HST at column 1, row 4 (background in the upper-left) and the background/dark HST at column 1, row 5 (background in the upper-left) in a column, top to bottom. Press and check it measures 2 1/2" wide by 10 1/2" high.
Step 6: Make section 2: sew the background/dark HST at column 3, row 1 (background in the upper-right), the background/dark HST at column 3, row 2 (background in the upper-right), the background/dark HST at column 3, row 3 (background in the upper-right), the background/dark HST at column 3, row 4 (background in the upper-right) and the background/dark HST at column 3, row 5 (background in the upper-right) in a column, top to bottom. Press and check it measures 2 1/2" wide by 10 1/2" high.
Step 7: Make section 3: sew the background/dark HST at column 5, row 1 (background in the upper-left), the background/dark HST at column 5, row 2 (background in the upper-left), the background/dark HST at column 5, row 3 (background in the upper-left), the background/dark HST at column 5, row 4 (background in the upper-left) and the background/dark HST at column 5, row 5 (background in the upper-left) in a column, top to bottom. Press and check it measures 2 1/2" wide by 10 1/2" high.
Step 8: Complete the block: sew section 1, the dark rectangle at column 2, row 1, section 2, the background rectangle at column 4, row 1 and section 3 side by side, left to right. Press and check it measures 10 1/2" wide by 10 1/2" high.
Step 9: Press the finished block. Every join above runs edge to edge, with no set-in or Y-seams.