HOW TO MAKE PATCHWORK HOUSE BLOCK

Today I’m going to show you how to make a patchwork house block using my pattern. This is a fabulous pattern for using scraps from previous projects and having some fun with fussy cutting.

This pattern is just a guide to help you start thinking about how to make a house and then how to add your own embellishments. You can make this block your own through your choice of fabric and deciding whether you want to add any additional details to it.

It is best to read the instructions first and then decide how you’ll approach putting your house together so you can take into consideration any customization you might want to do.

This pattern will give you a 3″ high and 2″ wide house in a 6½” block.

Things to consider before you start

Read through the pattern and think about what fabrics you’re going to use and any tweaks you’re going to make.

I used a 70/10 needle and a 50wt thread to try and reduce seam bulk. It’s up to you whether you’d like to do this or not.

Seam allowance is the standard ¼ inch. You may do a scant ¼ inch if you like, again this is up to you. I sometimes move my needle position over one or two spots to make a scant ¼ inch if I’m doing small piecing.

All seams are pressed to your liking. I found it easier to press all to one side, but you can press them open if you like.

Making the house is supposed to be fun and organic – this pattern should give you a 3″ high x 2″ wide house at the end, but if it’s over or under it doesn’t matter. The beauty of having so much negative space around the house is that you can add extra length or width to your side pieces (A, B, F, G, O, P) and trim down to the desired 6½” block at the end.

How to make a Patchwork House Block

This diagram shows the pieces required and their end positions. The diagram is not to scale and is for demonstration purposes.

This pattern will give you a 7″ block to trim to 6.5″.

Fabric Requirements

Background: 10″ x 10″

House: 7″ x 2″

Window: 1″ x 1″

Door: 1″ x 1½”

Roof: 3″ x 1½”

Pieces to cut:

Format is Length x Width

A (background) = 7″ x 2″

B (background) = 2½” x 1½”

C (background) = 1½” x 1½”

D (roof) = 3″ x 1½”

E (background) = 1½” x 1½”

F (background) = 2½” x 1½”

G (background) = 2¾” x 2½”

H (house) = 2½” x 1¼”

I (house) = ¾” x 1″

J (window) = 1″ x 1″

K (house) = 1¾” x 1″

L (house) = 1½” x 1½”

M (door) = 1″ x 1½”

N (house) = 1″ x 1½”

O (background) = 2¾” x 2½”

P (background) = 7″ x 2″

1. Cut out all the pieces required. Lay the pieces out in the formation of how you’re going to assemble the block.

Assembly:

2. I + J

3. L + M

4. (I + J) + K

5. (L+ M) + N

6. (I + J + K) + H

7. (I + J + K + H) + (L + M + N)

The above joined pieces will now be referred to as HOUSE

9. G + HOUSE

10. (G + HOUSE) + O

11. (G + HOUSE + O) + P

The above joined pieces will now be referred to as BOTTOM

How to Make a Flying Geese Block

The following unit is called a Flying Geese block. You will need one rectangle (piece D) and two squares (pieces C and E).

On the wrong side of your fabric draw a diagonal line from one corner to the other on both your squares (pieces C and E).

Place one square (C) atop the left corner of the rectangle, right sides together.

Sew on the diagonal line that you drew on the wrong side of your fabric.

Using your ruler, trim the excess seam allowance. (Use your ¼ inch line marking on your quilters ruler and place this line along the top of your stitch line. The edge of the ruler should be facing out from the middle of the rectangle.) Trim the excess and press the remainder towards the outer edge.

Repeat with the other square (piece E) on the opposite end of the rectangle.

12. D + C

13. (D + C) + E

The above joined pieced will now be referred to as ROOF

Please note: the way this block has been designed you will lose the point of your flying geese block. This is intentional to help give the roof the flat peak that most roofs have.

14. B + ROOF

15. (B + ROOF) + F

16. (B + ROOF + F) + A

The above joined pieced will now be referred to as TOP

17. TOP + BOTTOM

18. Trim block to 6½” squared – making sure to leave a 1″ border of negative space around the house and any embellishments you may have added.

Adding Embellishments

If you would like to add some extra detail to your house block (such as fussy cut motifs – like fire hydrant, cars, people, gnomes, trees, etc.) you can do this by breaking down the background blocks (pieces A, B, F, G, P and Q) into a grid and applying the patchwork principles to the pattern.

As long as the finished grid measurements equal the block requirement in the pattern (and leave the 1″ border of negative space required for the House Quilt Block Swap) you’ll be ok.

Cassie Madge is sharing a quick lesson in how to amend the flying geese block to add a chimney: you can find Cassie’s tutorial here.

House Quilt Block Swap Details

If you’d like to be a part of the House Quilt Block Swap you can find information out about it here by clicking this link.

You can access the Australia Only swap here: Australia House Quilt Block Swap

You can access the International swap here: International House Quilt Block Swap

You can sign up to both swaps if you’re currently living in Australia.