Sew this beautiful quilt block fast with my free and easy sewing tutorial. Even though there are lots of little squares in this block, I used a method for sewing the 9-patches that is really fast and easy – so you can stitch one or more of these up in an afternoon – trust me!

The Grandmother’s Cross block really appeals to me, but all of the versions I looked at were made up of 4-patch squares and I really wanted more squares in mine – so I came up with a version with 9-patches.

Let’s get sewing!

Grandmother’s Cross (variation) Quilt Block tutorial

Finished size: 12”

Cutting

1. Prepare:

9 print strips 1 7/8” x 10” (I used 9 different fabrics, but you don’t have to)
1 square 7 3/8” x 7 3/8”
2 squares 3 1/2” x 3 1/2”

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2. Sub-cut the larger square into 4 quarter square triangles and the 2 smaller squares into 4 half square triangles.

Sewing:

Note: technically, the cutting measurements for this block will produce a 12 1/2” (12” finished) block. But all of the piecing involved, combined with the tiny bit of fabric lost every time you press a seam to the side will make it very difficult to end up with the right sized block at the end. So I strongly encourage sewing this block with scant 1/4” seam allowance. If you plan on making lots of Grandmother’s Cross blocks, I suggest sewing one first and measuring it to check how your seam allowances are making it turn out.

1. Group the print fabric strips into sets of 3 and stitch the groups together.

2. Sub-cut each strip set into 5 pieces, each one 1 7/8” wide. You will have a little bit left over.

3. Sew one piece from each strip set together to make a 9-patch square. Repeat to make 5 9-patch squares.

4. Arrange the 9-patches and background triangles as shown above.

5. Sew the 9-patch blocks and background triangles into diagonal rows.

6. And then stitch the rows together! Press your block and trim to 12 1/2”.

This block would be an adorable addition to a sampler, or sew lots together make a beautiful quilt of Grandmother’s Crosses!

See more of my easy quilt block tutorials on this Pinterest Board.

Happy sewing,

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