Spool Quilt Block Tutorials. Block 4 ~ DIY Tutorial Ideas!

How to Make the Spool Quilt Block | a Fabrics Quilting Tutorial

Hope you’re having fun and keeping up with your Spool-Along blocks. I’m loving trying out all the different stripes in my stash and shopping for more! Now that we’re up to four blocks, you can start to see how all the different spool blocks will work together. I can’t wait to show you the entire quilt!

October’s spool block uses a big piece of striped fabric for the “thread,” perfect for fun large-scale prints. It’s easier to make than it looks. (no triangles!) Just be sure to sew the larger 1-3/4″ background snowball squares to the thread fabric rectangle and the smaller 1-1/2″ background snowball squares to the spool fabric strip, not the other way around!

There’s a tutorial below for making a single block and a tutorial for quick-piecing four blocks.

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Tip: At tricky intersections, line up the pieces (pin if desired) and sew a few long stitches over each seam intersection. Check to make sure the points line up to your satisfaction. If they don’t, it’s easy to remove the stitches, adjust, and try again. When you get it right, set your machine back to regular length stitches and sew the entire seam.

To make one block:

Materials:

Light, neutral background fabric: two 1-1/2″ x 9″ rectangles, two 1-1/2″ squares, one 8″ x 1-3/4″ rectangle, two 1-3/4″ squares, and two 2-3/4″ x 1-1/4″ rectangles
Striped “thread” fabric: one 6″ x 9″ rectangle with the stripes going across the 6″ side
Contrasting “spool” fabric: one 8″ x 2″ rectangle and one 3-1/2″ x 1-1/4″ rectangle

Instructions:
(all seams are 1/4″ unless noted otherwise)

1. Draw a 45° diagonal line from corner to corner on the reverse side of each of the 1-3/4″ and 1-1/2″ background squares.

2. Stitch on the diagonal lines to sew the 1-3/4″ background squares to the thread fabric as shown in A, thread fabric right side up and background square right side down. One square on the top left and the other on the top right side. This will make the thread unit.

3. Stitch on the diagonal lines to sew the 1-1/2″ background squares to the 8″ x 2″ spool fabric as shown in A, spool fabric right side up and background square right side down. One square on the top left and the other on the top right side. This will make the bottom unit.

4. Press all background squares toward the corners as shown in B. If desired, trim away the excess fabric behind the top layer to reduce bulk, leaving a 1/4″ allowance.

5. Sew a 1-1/2″ x 9″ background rectangle to each 9″ side of the thread unit to make an 8″ x 9″ middle unit as shown in C. Press seams toward the thread fabric.

6. Sew a 2-3/4″ x 1-1/4″ background rectangle to each side of the 3-1/2″ x 1-1/4″ spool rectangle to make an 8″ x 1-1/4″ spool-background unit as shown in C. Press seams toward the spool fabric.

7. Sew the 8″ x 1-3/4″ background rectangle to the top of the 8″ x 1-1/4″ spool-background unit to make an 8″ x 2-1/2″ top unit as shown in D. Press seams toward the side with the spool fabric.

8. Sew the middle unit to the bottom unit as shown in D. Press seams toward the middle unit.

9. Sew the top unit to the middle-bottom unit as shown in E. Press toward the seams middle unit. Block size: 8″ x 12-1/2″ unfinished (7-1/2″ x 12″ finished)

To quick-piece four blocks:

Materials:

• Light, neutral background fabric: 1/3 yard
1) Cut two 1-1/2″ x width-of-fabric strips, one 1-3/4″ x width-of-fabric strip, and two 2-3/4 x 5-1/2″ rectangles
2) From the remainder of the fabric, cut eight 1-3/4″ squares and eight 1-1/2″ squares

• Striped “thread” fabric: four 6″ x 9″ rectangles with the stripes going across the 6″ sides (can be the same or different fabric)

• Contrasting “spool” fabric: one 3-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ rectangle and one 2″ x width-of-fabric strip, subcut into four 8″ x 2″ rectangles

Instructions:
(all seams are 1/4″ unless noted otherwise)

1. Draw a 45° diagonal line from corner to corner on the reverse side of each of the 1-3/4″ and 1-1/2″ background squares.

2. Stitch on the diagonal lines to sew the 1-3/4″ background squares to each of the four thread fabric pieces as shown in F, thread fabric right side up and background squares right side down. One square on the top left and the other on the top right side. This will make the thread units.

3. Stitch on the diagonal lines to sew the 1-1/2″ background squares to each of the four 8″ x 2″ spool fabric pieces as shown in F, spool fabric right side up and background squares right side down. One square on the top left and the other on the top right side. This will make the bottom units.

4. Press all background squares toward the corners as shown in G. If desired, trim away the excess fabric behind the top layers to reduce bulk, leaving a 1/4″ allowance.

5. Sew the four thread units to one of the 1-1/2″ fabric strips, right sides together as shown in H. Place the first thread unit right side up and line up the strip right side down along one of its 9″ sides. Sew all the way to the end of the thread unit, stop, line up the next thread unit under the strip with about 1/2″ in between the two thread units and sew. Repeat until all four thread units are sewn to the strip.

6. Sew the remaining 1-1/2″ strip to the other 9″ side of the four thread units in the same way as step #5.

7. Cut the pieces apart from each other. Press seams toward the thread fabric and then trim to 8″ x 9″ to make the middle units as shown in I.

8. Sew a 2-3/4″ x 5-1/2″ background rectangle to each side of the 3-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ spool rectangle along the 5-1/2″ sides to make a unit 8″ x 5-1/2″ as shown in J. Press seams toward the spool fabric and then subcut into four 8″ x 1-1/4″ spool-background units as shown in K.

9. Sew the four 8″ x 1-1/4″ spool-background units to the 1-3/4″ strip along one of their 8″ sides, right sides together with approximately 1/2″ in between, same technique as in step #5.

10. Cut the spool-background units apart from each other and press seams toward the side with the spool fabric. Trim to 8″ x 2-1/2″. These are the top units.

11. Sew the top, middle, and bottom units to each other as shown in the finished block. Press seams toward the middle unit. Block size: 8″ x 12-1/2″ unfinished (7-1/2″ x 12″ finished)