🦅 No Fowl Play Here: Conquer the Buzzard's Roost Quilt Block 🏆

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Go to: Traditionally pieced
Buzzard's Roost
quilt block tutorial

The Buzzard's Roost quilt block may have a name that raises eyebrows 🤨, but don't let that scare you off 🙅‍♀️.

This quirky design is a perfect opportunity to spread your quilting wings 🦅 and try something new ✨.

Whether you're a paper piecing pro or prefer to keep your feet on solid ground with traditional methods, this block offers a flight path for every skill level 🛫🛬.

The Buzzard's Roost quilt block is circling overhead 🦅💨, and it's time to sink your talons into this feather-ruffling design!

🧭 Quick Navigation 🔍

Find what you need:

📚 Abbreviations used in this tutorial

🎨 Coloring page (download & print)

📏 Cutting chart & block design (5 sizes)

📄 Printable paper piecing patterns in all sizes

🧵 Step-by-step instructions

Cut. Sew. Press. Transform your fabric from chicken scratch to a roosting masterpiece! 🐔➡️🦅

🏠 Homing In On Tried-and-True Methods?

Yearning for familiar territory? Migrate to our traditional piecing tutorial and watch your Buzzard's Roost come together with classic craftsmanship!

General Instructions

If you need help printing this tutorial, you'll find it here.

Several abbreviations are used on this page. They are:

SA - seam allowance
RST - right sides together
HST - Half Square Triangle
QST - Quarter Square Triangle
FG - Flying Geese

A 1/4" SA is used in this tutorial.

Highlighted in yellow, pressing instructions are easy to spot.

To press, first press the patches in the closed position as they came off your sewing machine. This sets the seam, melding the fibers of the threads into the fibers of the fabric.

Then press the SA to the dark unless otherwise noted.

Download and print the paper piecing pattern

To download the pattern, use the most current version of Adobe.

For accurate results, on Adobe's Print Menu page, under 'Page Size and Handling' set 'Custom Scale' to 100%. Then print.

Click here to see what it looks like on the Print Menu page.

Find your finished block size from the chart below. For each block you plan to make, print the following units:

2 Side units
2 FG units

Download and print paper piecing patterns
Finished Block Size	Pattern Download Links
Finished Block Size	Side Units	FG
4"	1" x 4"	1" x 2"
5"	1¼" x 5"	1¼" x 2½"
6"	1½" x 6"	1½" x 3"
8"	2" x 8"	2" x 4"
10"	2½" x 10"	2½" x 5"

After printing, use the 1" square graphic on the printed page(s) to double check that your patterns printed at the correct size.

Then cut out the required number of patterns from your copies. A rough cut is good enough—an 1/8"-1/4"-ish away from the outside dashed square.

Read my review of 6 paper piecing papers available on the market

Not sure which paper to use?

Take a look at my review of several of the most popular brands available to us quilters on the market.

You want a super-easy paper to tear away—less stress on the stitches.

✂️Cutting patches for a Buzzard's Roost quilt block

Buzzard's Roost quilt block design

Sample Block Size: 8" finished / 8½" unfinished

Grid: 4×4

Attribution: Yvonne Khan

Design Type: Paper piecing

Label your patches. 🏷️ We'll reference these throughout.

To print a copy of the block design and cutting chart to use at your cutting table, click here.

			Cutting Chart for a Buzzard's Roost Quilt Block ~ Paper Piecing ~
Patch	Fabric	Qty	Finished Block Size					Sub Cut
Patch	Fabric	Qty	4''	5 ''	6''	8 ''	10''	Sub Cut
1	Bac	1	3⅝'' x 3⅝''	4⅛'' x 4⅛''	4⅝'' x 4⅝''	5⅝'' x 5⅝''	6⅝'' x 6⅝''
2, Goose.1	A	2	3⅝'' x 3⅝''	4⅛'' x 4⅛''	4⅝'' x 4⅝''	5⅝'' x 5⅝''	6⅝'' x 6⅝''
3, Sky.1	Bac	4	2⅜'' x 2⅜''	2⅝'' x 2⅝''	2⅞'' x 2⅞''	3⅜'' x 3⅜''	3⅞'' x 3⅞''
4	Bac	1	2½'' x 2½''	3" x 3"	3½'' x 3½''	4½'' x 4½''	5½'' x 5½''	---
Unfinished Block Size			4½''	5½''	6½''	8½''	10½''	na
Grid Size			1 ''	1¼''	1½''	2 ''	2½''	na

Subcutting

The #1, #2, and Goose.1 squares are subcut twice on the diagonal to create QSTs.

#3 and Sky.1 squares are subcut just once on the diagonal to make HSTs.

After the block is finished, you'll have two each of the #1, #2, and Goose.1 QSTs.

🧵Creating the FG and Side units

Use a dab of Elmer's Washable Gluestick to hold the Goose.1 and #1 QSTs in position between the dashed guidelines.

Position Goose.1 with a dab of gluestick

Flying Geese

Position #1 on the Side paper piecing patterns

Side Units

We need to make a few adjustments to our sewing machine settings to paper piece.

Reduce your stitch length to 16–20 stitches per inch (1.3-1.6 mm). This perforates the paper and stabilizes the seam when you remove the pattern. [Learn more about stitch length here.]

Reduce your machine's speed or just plain slow down. Sew only as fast as you can and stay on the solid stitching line.

Install an open toe appliqué foot (sometimes called an 'embroidery' or 'satin stitch' foot) if you have one (it's easier to see where you're stitching with one installed).

Use a larger needle (90/14) IF you have problems removing the pattern. Personally, I use an 80/12 Microtex Sharp for paper piecing without any problems.

Flying Geese (FG)

Make 2

With RST, match Sky.1's long bias edge to one side of Goose.1.

From the paper side, sew the seam starting and ending past the dashed outside lines of the FG. If you experience any problem sewing on the solid line, slow down, especially when you get to the outside corner.

Press.

Position the second Sky.1.

Helpful Hint

While stitching these FGs, my sewing machine was having quite the hissy fit. At the start of each seam, it simply didn't want to make a stitch.

My remedy? Hold both thread tails between my thumb and finger and out to the left behind the presser foot, and then sew the seam. That bit of tension resolved the problem.

Sew the second seam just like the first, pressing after you've finished.

To trim these FGs to perfection. At your cutting mat, pattern side up, line up the 1/4" mark on your ruler with one of the solid lines surrounding the block.

Cut away the excess fabric and any pattern with your rotary cutter.

Rotate the FG a quarter turn and trim again. Continue until all four sides of both FGs are trimmed.

Here you can see the untrimmed versus the trimmed FG.

How easy was that?!!

An untrimmed FG (left) versus a trimmed one (right)

Side Units

Make 2

Position the first #2 with #1.

Match the edges with the point of the QST right at the solid line on the pattern (blue arrow).

This simple use of a 'landmark' will save you from having to trim away excess seam allowance before adding the #3s.

Sew the seam, starting and ending past the outside dashed lines, pressing before adding the second #2.

Use the same landmark (blue arrow) to position the second #2.

Stitch the seam and press.

After adding the second #2, your Side should look something like this..

Position the first #3 by lining up its long bias edge with a #2.

Sew the seam.

Helpful Hint

The unsewn edge of #2 can get a bit 'floppy' for the bigger block sizes. Don't hesitate to bring out the gluestick and use a tiny dot of glue to hold the #2 in place on the pattern.

The operant word is 'tiny dot'.

Repeat for the final #3.

After pressing one final time, trim all four sides of both units, just like we did for the FGs.

After trimming a Side unit to the perfect size

A trimmed Side unit

Return your sewing machine to your everyday settings.

We stitch the remainder of the block with traditional techniques.

Install your favorite quarter inch presser foot. Adjust the needle position if needed. Return to your normal piecing stitch length.

Go ahead and remove all the paper now. Since we took care cutting our patches, all those outside edges are on the straight of grain and in no danger of stretching out of shape.

Similar to any block we'd pieced using traditional methods!

🧩 Final Assembly: Watch your Buzzard's Roost take shape!

Paper pieced or traditional? No worries—their assembly is identical.

Arrange your patches into the Buzzard's Roost design, the Background fabric forms the "sky" on all outer edges.

Arrange the units into the Buzzard's Roost design

Units from our paper pieced tutorial

Units from the traditionally pieced tutorial

NOTE: From this point forward, regardless of which technique you used, the assembly instructions are the same.

We're flipping the script from our usual block construction in rows. This time we work with columns.

Think "spine before wings" as you assemble your Buzzard! 🦅

Use pins as needed to keep those edges lined up. For our 8" finished sample, both sides can be pinned and stitched. The SAs are pressed away from the FGs.