T-Block Quilt Tutorial

T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainAs promised from my last post, here is a tutorial for this quilt top. This is one of my favorite quilts! I love the colors, and it’s a very interesting pattern. Try focusing on only the white background – do you see the upside down T’s? This quilt features the popular “T” block – this is a great block because it’s simple to make (it’s made up of half square triangles), and it can be arranged in several different ways (scroll down to Step 7 to see!).

I made this quilt for my cousin Paola who has a baby girl on the way. Paola is due August 28th!

This baby quilt measures about 48”x43”finished, and is made with a total of 30 “T” blocks (shown below). A single block measures 6.5”x6.5”. If you want to make a larger quilt, keep in mind that the materials listed below will make you 30 blocks so simply double the materials for a larger quilt.

T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The Rain

(Above: 5 stacks of 6 matching T-blocks. A total of 30 T-blocks)

Materials for quilt top:

  • 6 fat quarters , assorted colors for the main block (used for the multi-colored T’s; leftovers used for the border).
  • 5 fat quarters for the background (I used white)

Step 1 – Cut fabric for your main blocks
From your 6 fat quarters (assorted colors) choose 5 for the main T-blocks. Set aside the 6th fat quarter; it will be used for the border of your quilt top. Prior to cutting, press all your fabrics with an iron for a wrinkle-free cutting surface.

From each fat quarter, make the following cuts with your rotary cutter and ruler:

  • Three 4 7/8 inch squares. (Quick cutting tip: Cut one 4 7/8 x 15 inch rectangle, and from that rectangle cut three 4 7/8 inch squares)
  • Fifteen 2 7/8 inch squares. (Quick cutting tip: Cut three 2 7/8 x 15 inch rectangles, and from each rectangle cut five 2 7/8 inch squares)

To speed up this process, I layered my fabrics so I only had to make the above cuts once. Prior to cutting, press your layered fabrics with an iron (it can help keep them in place for cutting).

Note: Get the most out of your fat quarter! When cutting your squares, make your cuts on the left or right-most side of your fat quarter (a fat quarter measures 18×22 inches). You should have roughly 7×18 inches of remaining fabric from each fat quarter. You will use these for your quilt border later.
Step 2 – Cut your background fabric

This step is similar to Step 1, except use your background fabric (5 fat quarters).
From each fat quarter, make the following cuts with your rotary cutter and ruler:

  • Three 4-7/8 inch squares. (Quick cutting tip: Cut one 4-7/8 x 15 inch rectangle, and from that rectangle cut three 4-7/8 inch squares)
  • Fifteen 2-7/8 inch squares. (Quick cutting tip: Cut three 2-7/8 x 15 inch rectangles, and from each rectangle cut five 2-7/8 inch squares)

Same as the previous step, you can layer your background fabrics to speed up the cutting process.

Step 3 – Pair, cut in half, and pin

At this point, you should have the following cuts:

  • Small squares (2-7/8 in.) – 75 squares (assorted colors) and 75 squares (background fabric)
  • Large squares (4-7/8 in.) – 15 squares (assorted colors) and 15 squares (background fabric)
T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The Rain

Take 2 corresponding squares (same size), one from your colored pile and the other from your background pile. With right sides facing together, align the corners and cut a diagonal line across the middle using a rotary cutter and ruler (Figure 1, below). Pin each triangle half to keep them in place for sewing later. Continue this step until you’ve paired and cut all small and large squares in half (Figure 2, below).

T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 1 T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 2

Step 4 – Start sewing!

Sew a ¼” seam along the length of all your triangles (figure 3, below). You can do this quickly by chain piecing (figure 4, below).

Chain piecing is where you continuously sew a ¼” seam, piece after piece, without stopping to clip the thread. Simply stitch a seam on the piece you are sewing. Then, without removing or clipping that piece from your sewing machine, insert the next piece to be stitched. Simply clip the thread between each piece after all the seams have been stitched. It’s an efficient way to sew repetitive pieces.

T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 3 T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 4 – chain piecing

Step 5 – Press open the triangles to form squares

At this point, you should have a pile of small and large triangles, each with a ¼” seam stitched along the length. The right sides of the triangles should be facing together, with the seam stitched on the wrong side of the fabric.

Using an iron, press all of your triangles open (figure 5, below) so that the right side of the fabric is now facing up. Pressing the triangles open will form a finished square (figure 6, below). When you press open the triangles, press the seams toward the darker fabric (i.e. I pressed toward the colored fabric to prevent the seam from showing through the white background fabric).

As shown in figure 6 (below), cut the corner tags off for a clean-cut square.

T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 5 – press open triangles T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 6 – snip off tags

Step 6 – Piece together your blocks!

To make one block, you will need 5 small finished squares and 1 large finished square, as shown below (figure 7).

Note (for beginners): When sewing 2 pieces together to form a single unit, use the same method for when you stitched the half square triangles together (i.e. with right sides facing together, align and pin, then sew a ¼” seam. Press open, making sure the seams are pressed in one direction).

T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 7
  1. As shown in figure 8 (below), first sew the three small squares (on the left) together to form a single unit. Next, sew the two small squares (right bottom corner) together to form a single unit. Press open.
    T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 8
  2. As sown in figure 9 (below), sew the right bottom unit to the larger square. Press open.
    T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 9
  3. As shown in figure 10 (below), sew the right unit to the left unit to create a finished T-block.
    T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 10

Repeat this process until you have a total of 30 T-blocks (you will have 5 stacks of 6 matching T-blocks).

Step 7 – Arrange your blocks

Here’s the fun part! Arrange all 30 blocks however you want them to look for the quilt top. Below (Figure 11a,b) are a couple examples of different ways the T-block can be arranged:

T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 11a T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 11b

For my quilt, I arranged all 30 blocks as shown below (figure 12), in 6 rows of 5 blocks each.

T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 12

Step 8 – Sew your blocks together to form the quilt top

In each row, sew all five blocks together using a ¼” seam, and press open (as shown in figure 13, below). After you’ve sewn the blocks together in each row, sew the rows together, then press open.

T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The RainFigure 13

Step 9 – Combine scraps from Step 1 to create a border

Referring back to Step 1, you should have roughly 7×18 inches of remaining fabric from each of your five assorted fat quarters. Trim each of the remaining fabric scraps into 5×18 inch strips. Also, cut your one remaining fat quarter (mentioned in Step 1) into three, 5×22 inch strips. This will give you enough fabric to create a border that is 5” in width.

Use the diagram below (click to enlarge) to create a border using the 5×18 inch and 5×22 inch strips.

T-Block Quilt Tutorial - Quilting Tutorials and Fabric Creations - Quilting In The Rain

Sew together enough strips (should take 2) to create the length of the right and left border pieces (panels A, in diagram). Sew panels A (left and right borders) to the quilt top first, using the same piecing method as above (with right sides facing together, align the fabric and pin along the length to keep it in place, and then sew a ¼” seam. Press open). Lastly, sew together enough strips (should take ~2.5) to create the width of the top and bottom border pieces (panels B, in diagram). Sew panels B (top and bottom borders) to the quilt top, using the same method as above (with right sides facing together, align the fabric and pin along the length to keep it in place, and then sew a ¼” seam. Press open). For a printer friendly version, please click here.

8 Responses to T-Block Quilt Tutorial

  1. Tita Nina from Manila May 21, 2010 at 11:29 am #

    This blog is so awesome! And I am so proud of you dearest Jera for such wonderful talent. I am amazed and so happy at the same time. Thanks so much, I'm sure baby Sjöfn will love it! Mommy Paola loves it, we talked about your quilting over lunch today. Miss ya! Love and Kisses.

  2. Kristin July 13, 2010 at 4:26 pm #

    I love this quilt design! My daughter is Taylor and I think it would be just perfect for her!! Thanks for the Tutorial! Is there any way to make it into a PDF (printer friendly) file to make it easy to download and print?

  3. Jera July 13, 2010 at 6:11 pm #

    Hi Kristin – not sure how to reply to you directly, but hoepfully this find you. 🙂 I posted a link to a printer friendly version at the end of the tutorial above. Thank you for the request – i'd love to see your finished quilt! Take care, and lmk if you ahve questions.

  4. Evita May 10, 2011 at 9:10 am #

    I just found your Blog, and I already love it.
    Thank you so much for sharing your creativity with me but also I double appreciate that you have " printer friendly". It makes much easier for me to print.G'd Bless you. Evita

  5. B. Diederich March 9, 2014 at 4:47 am #

    Just came across this! I've made this quilt (twin size) in 1980 for my son when he was born: Tegan, and again last year (baby size) when HIS son was born. The first time I used white for the background and random fabrics because I was poor and had to use scraps…this time I used bright colors and black print for the background. Still like the row arrangement the best. I do like this pattern and don't see it very often!

  6. Cheryl July 19, 2016 at 4:17 pm #

    I recently came across this quilt and fell in love with it. The blog was beautifully done. The instruction was easy to understand and I think if I was a beginner I would have been able to make this quilt. I will be making it very soon. Thank you for providing the pattern so we can all enjoy making this quilt.

  7. Toby Thompson August 27, 2017 at 9:56 pm #

    I am new to your blog & love your fabric & quilt designs! I have a question in this post where you note, “When cutting your squares, make your cuts on the left or right-most side of your fat quarter (a fat quarter measures 18×22 inches).” I’m not sure what you mean by the right-most side — Does that mean to lay the fat quarter out in a wide rectangle so you’ll cut shorter strips, or visa versa (tall rectangle for longer strips)? Thx!!

  8. Gayle Moreland June 17, 2018 at 3:57 am #

    I’ve just come across your blog and love it. The link to the printer friendly version does not work.

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