Spool Quilt Block Tutorials. Block 6 ~ DIY Tutorial Ideas!

How to Make the Spool Quilt Block. 12 free Tutorial

Are we having fun yet? We’re going to shake things up a bit this month and make a block with not one, but two mini spools. So dig into your fabric stash for some fabulous scraps and let’s get started!

Tip: Have any unfinished projects you can incorporate into your spool blocks? This little applique flower may have started out as a class demo but makes a marvelous appliqued embellishment on one of my mini spools.

Of course stripes are always a fine choice for Spool-Along blocks, but you could also try throwing in a few favorite prints of other types. If you have enough stripes, the others will still read as thread just fine. See below.

Let’s get started. If you’ve been spooling along you know the drill. Below is the tutorial for one block. Scroll a little further for the four-block tutorial if you’re swapping Spool-Along blocks or just want to make a bunch of them.

Block size is 5-1/2″ x 12-1/2″ (5″ x 12″ finished).

To make one block:

Cut the following:

(2) 3-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ fabric for “thread” – 2 different fabrics
(4) 4-1/2″ x 1-1/4″ fabric for “spools” – 2 each of 2 different fabrics
(1) 5-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ background fabric
(4) 1″ x 3-1/2″ background fabric
(2) 1-1/2″ x 5″ background fabric

Instructions:
(all seams are 1/4″, sew right sides together.)

1). Sew a 1″ x 3-1/2″ background fabric piece to the left and right sides of each of the 3-1/2″ thread fabric squares. Press toward the thread fabric. (below left)

2). Sew a 4-1/2″ x 1-1/4″ spool fabric piece to the top and the bottom of each of the thread-background units. Press toward the spool fabric. (below right)

3). Sew a 1-1/2″ x 5″ background fabric piece to each of the thread-background-spool units. Sew one on the left and one on the right. Press toward the spool fabric. (pic below, top left)

Note: If your thread fabric has a definite top and bottom, make sure to place the background fabric piece on the side that you desire. In the pic below, top right, I wanted the clamshells to be upright and the flower to be in the upper part of the square so I had to make sure that I was sewing the background piece on the side I needed it to be on.

4). Sew the two units one on top of the other. Either block can be on top. Press in either direction as desired. (pic above, bottom left)

5). Sew the 5-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ background fabric piece to the top of the spool stack. Press in either direction as desired. (pic above, bottom right)

To make four blocks:

Cut the following:

(8) 3-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ fabric for “thread” – 8 different fabrics
(16) 4-1/2″ x 1-1/4″ fabric for “spools” – 2 each of 8 different fabrics
(1) 3-1/2″ x 25″ strip – background fabric
(2) 1″ x 29″ strips – background fabric
(2) 1-1/2″ x 21″ strips background fabric (If your fabric is 41″ wide you can fit them all on one width-of-fabric strip.)

Instructions:
(all seams are 1/4″, sew right sides together.)

1). Sew the eight 3-1/2″ thread fabric squares to one of the 1″ x 29″ background fabric strips. Stripes should be perpendicular to the strip. Place the strip right side up and line up the first square right side down along the edge and sew. When you come to the end of one square, stop sewing and place the next square with about 1/2″ between it and the first square. (below left) Repeat until you have sewn all eight squares to the strip.

2). Sew the other side of the eight 3-1/2″ thread fabric squares to the remaining 1″ x 29″ background fabric strip as shown below right. Place the strip right side up and line up the squares right side down along the edge and sew as in step one.

3). Cut the strips in between the eight 3-1/2″ thread fabric squares (below left), press towards the thread fabric, and trim strips even with the thread fabric (below right).

4). Sew a pair of 4-1/2″ x 1-1/4″ spool fabric pieces to each of the eight thread-background units, one on the top and one on the bottom as shown in the pic below. Press toward the spool fabric.

5). Sew the thread-background-spool units to the 1-1/2″ background strip(s), using the same technique as in step one. spool fabric pieces to each of the eight thread-background units, one on the top and one on the bottom. (pic below, top)

On four of the blocks, sew the strip to the left side and on the other four, sew the strip to the right side.

Note: If you sew the thread-background-spool unit to the strip top first as in pic below, top, the strip will be on the left and the block will be on the right. See pic below, bottom. If you sew the unit bottom first, the strip will be on the right and the block will be on the left.

Cut the strip in between the units, press toward either side as desired, and trim each strip even with the top and bottom of the unit. (pic below, bottom)

6). Sew a left spool unit and a right spool unit to each other, one on top of the other. Either one can be on top. Repeat with the three remaining pairs of left and right spool units. Press in either direction as desired. (below left)

7). Sew the top of the four two-spool units to the 3-1/2″ background fabric strip using the same technique as in step one. Cut apart, trim, and then press in either direction as desired. (below right)