Master the Crow's Foot Quilt Block

From our Free Quilt Block Patterns Library

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The Crow's Foot quilt block is quite dynamic!

Not because the piecing is difficult, but rather due to its use of color.

Other than that, all there is to it are half square triangles (which we'll make 8 at a time to streamline the process) and a simple four patch.

Truly, it's that straight forward. Just as the crow flies.

Let's begin!

The Crow's Foot quilt block tutorial starts here

Click the picture to Pin this for later!

📋 General Instructions

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

1/4" seam allowances are used throughout.

Seams are pressed toward the darker fabric unless other wise noted.

Several common abbreviations are used in this Crow's Foot tutorial:

SA - seam allowance
HST - half square triangle
RST - right sides together

HSTs can get a bit lumpy. You may want to try out my favorite pressing technique to bend them to your will!

It's simple. It's quick.

And you'll have the flattest quilt blocks with virtually no effort!

The newest quilt fabrics to tickle your fancy...

Click the images below to see the full collection. We share any commercial and/or free patterns that showcase them, too. (For inspiration, of course!)

Elliot fabric collection by Julie Hendricksen for Windham

Elliot
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The Flower Fields fabric collection by Maureen Cracknell for Art Gallery Fabrics

The Flower Fields
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Love Birds fabric collection by Debbie Monson for P&B Textiles

Love Birds
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Step 1: Cutting for a Crow's Foot block

Crow's Foot design

Sample Size: 6" finished / 6½" unfinished

Grid: 6x6

Attributed to: Nancy Page

AKA: Large Star (Ladies Home Journal)

Design Type: 4-patch

Choose two fabrics with nice contrast.

For this sample's red and black fabrics, shadowing of the black fabric through the top of the red wasn't a problem.

However, if you're using a white or other light-neutral, you may want to grade the seam allowances a bit to ensure the darker fabric doesn't show through the top—especially where the seams are 'twirled'.

			Cutting Chart for a Crow's Foot Quilt Block ~Traditional Piecing ~
Patch	Fabric	Qty	Finished Block Size
Patch	Fabric	Qty	6"	9"	12"
1	D	2	2½" x 2½"	3½" x 3½"	4½" x 4½"
2	L	2	2½" x 2½"	3½" x 3½"	4½" x 4½"
3	D	2	1½" x 1½"	2" x 2"	2½" x 2½"
4	L	2	1½" x 1½"	2" x 2"	2½" x 2½"
5	D	2	4¼" x 4¼"	5¼" x 5¼"	6¼" x 6¼"
6	L	2	4¼" x 4¼"	5¼" x 5¼"	6¼" x 6¼"
Unfinished Block Size			6½"	9½"	12½"
Grid Size			1"	1½"	2"

Step 2: Create the units for the Crow's Foot quilt block

Four Patch

Make 1

With RST and your favorite quarter inch foot installed, stitch a #1 to a #2.

Repeat for the second pair.

Press each pair as stitched, then open and press again with the SA to the dark.

Sew a #1 and #2 square together, press the SA to the darker fabric

With RST, sew the pairs together alternating the colors.

I prefer to feed my patch into the machine with the SA on top pointing into the needle area (white arrow). There's less chance of it flipping over that way.

Pin if it helps you get a nice match where the seams meet.

Feed the dark square of the four patch into the machine first.

To reduce the bulk, loosen the few stitches on the backside of the block in the SAs. (Don't cut off their thread tails, they are just a 1/4" long and won't be in the way. You need them for the stability of the block.)

Press again with the SA 'twirling' around the center in the same direction. Twice it goes to the light fabric—that's where you'll need to check if the darker fabric shadows through to the top.

The SA of the four patch is twirled to reduce bulk

The Crow's Foot four patch is complete.

Half Square Triangles (HST)

Make 16

Make 16

For blocks like our Crow's Foot with multiples of 8 HSTs, the 8-at-a-time method is my hands-down favorite. [For more detailed instructions on this technique click here.]

Draw a diagonal line through both pairs of corners on the back side of the two #6 squares.

With your favorite quarter inch foot installed, stitch a quarter inch away from both sides of both lines for both pairs of #5/#6 patches.

After stitching your patches look like this.

If you're using a white/light chalk marker, it's easier to mark the diagonals on the darker #5 patches.

Give the patches a quick press to set the stitches.

Now from the chart below find your Center Measurement for the finished block size you choose.

Finished Block Size	Center Measurement	Trim HSTs to...
6"	2⅛"	1½" x 1½"
9"	2⅝"	2" x 2"
12"	3⅛"	2½" x 2½"

Align that ruler mark with the edge of the #5/#6 patch. Cut the unit in half from top to bottom.

For our 6" sample block, the measurement is 2⅛ (white arrow).

Cut the sewn HST patches in half once top to bottom

Now cut the #5/#6 in half using the same measurement from side to side.

If you can turn your mat, excellent. If you can walk around your cutting table, even better. If you must move your patches to turn them, just be careful lining them back up again before cutting in half again.

After this second cut, you now have four pairs of sewn #5/#6 squares that are equal to the Mid Point Measurement. (For the 6" sample that means four 2-1/8" squares.)

Cut each in half between the two diagonal lines of stitching to create 8 half square triangle units.

HSTs, half before and half after trimming to size

Repeat for the second #5/#6 pair for a total of 16 HST.

Referring back to the chart just above, find the 'Trim HSTs to' dimension that corresponds to your finished block size and trim all 16.

For the 6" sample that number is 1½".

Top, Bottom and Side Units

First we need to join pairs of HST together.

Use the diagram to join them correctly. It's easy to mistakenly get them swapped around.

Make 8

After stitching, press toward the dark #5 patch.

Next join two pairs as shown below. The one on the right below is flipped from its position above.

Put these aside for the sides of your four patch.

Join the remaining four pairs in the same manner. Press.

Add a #3 dark square to the #6 HST. Add a #4 light square to the #5 HST. (The colors are alternating all the way across this unit.

Press with the SA toward the outside edges

Step 3: Assembling the Crow's Foot block

Arrange your patches into the design. The smaller outside corner squares are the same fabric as the corresponding corner of the inner four patch.

With RST, stitch the units in the center row together.

Use pins to help hold the patches together for perfect points.

Press the center unit, SA toward the center to reduce bulk.

HSTs can be a bit lumpy in the seam allowance. This is the perfect time to try my secret pressing technique.

Click here to see how easy it is to make your seams lie wickedly flat!

Stitch the rows together, pinning as needed—there's lots of points to match.

I chose to press these final two seams in towards the center, too.

From the front, this is our completed Crow's Foot quilt block.

Isn't it amazing how simply playing with the color placement can have such a big impact?!!

Crow's Foot quilt block

Another block that plays with color in much the same way is the 'Massachusetts'.

Massachusetts block

Again, nothing but standard units. This time it's HSTs, quarter square triangles and two cut squares. Click here for the instructions to make it.

Easy Peasy!

And finally.

Just because the sample was set up as a two fabric block doesn't mean you can't make all your blocks totally scrappy.

Simply make sure that's there's plenty of contrast between your light and dark fabric selections.

It'll be stunning.

What about a different quilt block?

For a list of all the 220+ quilt block patterns on this site, start here.

If you know the name of the block, shorten your search by using these links:

A-D

E-M

N-Z

Click here if you're looking for blocks with at least some paper piecing.

Click here if you're looking for the basic building blocks of quilting, i.e., Flying Geese, half square triangles, quarter square triangles, etc., along with several techniques to make each.

And finally, use these links to find blocks in these finished sizes: