Flying Squares - free block

Last month, I shared a 5-patch block with you called Four-X Star block. This week, I have another 5-patch block, but this one is a little trickier to construct. I love the name of this block - Flying Squares.

The pieces are easy and you only need two fabrics. The background fabric is cut into squares and rectangles, the contrast is cut into squares - that is, unless you want to make a lot of blocks in which case I'd use strip piecing instead. Let's talk about that in a moment.

So here's what you need to cut:

	Amount	5" finished	7.5" finished	10" finished
Background Fabric	FIVE FOUR	1-1/2" sqs 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" rects	2" sqs 5" x 2" rects	2-1/2" sqs 6-1/2" x 2-1/2" rects
Contrast Fabric	EIGHT	1-1/2" sqs	2" sqs	2-1/2" sqs
Note: sqs=squares; rects=rectangles

Start by making the nine-patch block in the middle. Lay out the squares and then join them together into rows. Press toward the contrast squares.

Then join the rows together to make the nine-patch.

To make a lot of these join strips together in sets. Background-contrast-background for one set and contrast-background-contrast for the other.

From these, you can cut the rows. For more information about this technique, see my nine-patch tutorial.

Add the remaining contrast squares to one end of the rectangles. You'll need four of these. Again, press toward the contrast squares.

You can strip piece these units too if making a lot. This speeds things up tremendously.

Now lay them out on the board. Take a careful look. How are you going to piece these easily?

The solution is easy. We start by sewing the first section using a partial seam. In the photo above, I will start with the piece at the top and sew from the contrast square, but stop midway along the strip. You can see this on the wrong side in the photo below. It's the top seam, and I've sewn through the first two squares on the nine-patch block leaving the remainder of the seam unsewn.

Here you can see the front side pressed in place with the next piece ready to add. Now it will be easy to add that to the right side of the block. No need to do a partial seam here.

Add the other two strips now, starting with the bottom one and then the left one.

The last step is to finish off that partial seam. Now you have a completed block.

That was fun! I think I'll make another using blue and gold fabrics. What color will you make yours?