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Penny Patch: Sew Blocks

This post is part of a series Penny Patch: a Beginner’s Quilt-Along, circa 2013. Please see this page for links to all posts.

All the preparation is complete. It’s time to start sewing!

There are two kinds of 4-patch blocks in the Penny Patch quilt: simple 4-Patch blocks and Penny Patch 4-patches.

Sew Penny Patch block

In the original sew-along, I wrote a detailed tutorial for how to sew the Penny Patch 4-patch. Let me know if you have any questions!


Sew Simple 4-Patch

As for the simple 4-Patch, it’s super straightforward. Select 2 sets of 3.5” squares. Arrange them in checkboard formation. Join the two blocks above and the two blocks below, in order to make rows. Then join rows to complete the block.

Sewn Block Count

How many blocks do you need to sew? That depends on your quilt.

  • Baby quilt needs 20 simple 4-patches and 12 Penny Patch 4-patches.

  • Throw quilt needs 30 of each type.

  • Twin quilt needs 48 simple 4-patches and 35 Penny Patch 4-patches. 

Have fun with this process. There is no wrong way to combine your fabrics! If you like it, it’s good!

Be sure to celebrate the process - the sewing, the pressing, the excitement of each finished block. I’d love to see your work in progress on Instagram with #PennyPatchQuilt. Happy patching!

P.S. My current Penny Patch is made entirely from a fat quarter bundle of Rifle Paper Holiday Classics.

See this gallery in the original post