When instructed to press, first press the patches in the closed position just 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.

Starching your fabric before cutting makes it easier to cut and your sewing more accurate. Learn more about how to do it here.

I use a 50/50 mix of StaFlo Liquid Starch and water.

Step 1: Cut fabric for an Oklahoma Twister

Oklahoma Twister block design

Sample Size: 12" Finished / 12-1/2" Unfinished

Grid: 6x6

Design Type: 4-patch, Pinwheel

Attributed to: Aunt Kate's Quilting Bee

This two-color block requires fabrics with very strong contrast.

It's this contrast that makes the design visible as you look at the block.

If the fabrics are too close in value, it'll be harder to see the pattern that emerges.

Click here to download a coloring page of this 2-fabric option.

For a more traditional approach to this block, click here to find the instructions for a three fabric block.

			Cutting Chart for an Oklahoma Twister Quilt Block ~Traditional Piecing ~
Patch	Fabric	Qty	Finished Block Size
Patch	Fabric	Qty	6"	9"	12"
1	L	2	4¼" x 4¼"	5¼" x 5¼"	6¼" x 6¼"
2	D	2	4¼" x 4¼"	5¼" x 5¼"	6¼" x 6¼"
3,4	L	8	1½" x 1½"	2" x 2"	2½" x 2½"
5	L	4	1½" x 3½"	2" x 5"	2½" x 6½"
Unfinished Block Size			6½"	9½"	12½"
Grid Size			1"	1½"	2"

Step 2: Assemble the units for your Oklahoma Twister

Half Square Triangles (HSTs)

Make 16

We use the 8-at-a-time to make our HSTs. If you plan on making tons of these blocks, you may want to consider using triangle paper for even more efficiency.

To start, on the backside of either the #1 or #2 patches draw a diagonal line from each pair of corners. (You'll just barely be able to see my lines on the photo below.)

Mark whichever fabric is easier to see the lines on. I love my Bohin Mechanical Chalk Pencil for this.

With your favorite quarter inch foot installed, stitch a 1/4" away from both sides of both lines.

Due to their larger size, I chose to pin the patches together to keep them for shifting during sewing.

Here, I've already stitched a pair of lines (blue arrows)

Repeat for the second pair of #1/#2 squares. Press the units flat to set all the seams all at once.

Blue arrows point to the stitches—they're there, just hard to see in this picture.

Now it's time to cut these patches in HST. I like to use a small rotating rotary mat for this next bit. You're less likely to disturb the patches as you cut.

From the chart below, find the "Center Measurement" for the block you cut.

Hst Dimensions
Finished Block Size	Center Measurement	Trim HST to…
6"	2⅛	1½"
9"	2⅝	2"
12"	3⅛	2½"

For our sample 12" Oklahoma Twister the center measurement is 3-1/8".

Align that mark on your ruler (blue arrow) with the edge of your block. Since I'm righthanded that's the lefthand edge. If you're a lefty, that'll be the righthand edge.

With your rotary cutter, cut through the center of the block.

Cutting the patches into individual units

Without moving the patches, turn your mat a quarter turn. Using the same measurement, cut through the center again.

You've now got four equal pairs of sewn square like this.

With either a scissor or rotary cutter, cut each pair in half along the original mark you drew.

Here are your 8 HST from just 2 patches.

Press the units with the SA towards the darker fabric.

The pad that my pressing on in the picture below is my new favorite quilting tool—The Magic Pressing Mat—read my review on it here.

It's really helped me up my pressing game...by simply pressing on it! :D

Half of the needed HST, now to repeat the process for the second pair of #1/#2 patches.

And finally trim the HST to size. Use the chart in this Step 2. Find "Trim HST to..." dimension. For this 12" sample it's 2-1/2" x 2-1/2".

Perfectly sized HST for our Oklahoma Twister quilt block—now to trim the final eight.

Finish trimming the remaining HST units.

Quarter Blocks

Make 4

To construct the blocks, we'll need to assemble the units into quarter blocks—it's impossible to stitch rows of 6 units together for this patchwork design.

With RST, join a #1/#2 HST to both sides of a #3 square.

Press the SA towards the #3 square to reduce bulk.

Press SA in the direction of the arrows.

Repeat for a total of four units.

With RST, add a #1/#2 HST and a #3 square to each side of a #1/#2 HST paying particular attention to the orientation of the HSTs.

SA are pressed in the direction of the arrows, out from the center.

Repeat for a total of four units.

To complete the quarters, arrange the sewn and cut units into rows.

Stitch them together, pressing the SA out from the center (blue arrows).

Here it is from the back side so that you can easily see the pressed SA.

That's it. We're just 3 seams away from a finished Oklahoma Twister!

Step 3: Assemble your Oklahoma Twister quilt block

Arrange the quarters to create the Oklahoma Twister design.

Starting from the upper left corner, as you place the units rotate them a quarter turn clockwise from the previous one.

Stitch the pairs in each row together.

If you followed the pressing instrucgtions, the SAs nest to make matching the seams easier, but you still may want to use a couple of pins. (I do—but choose what matches YOUR quilting style!)

Press the SAs you just stitched in opposite directions.

Sew the two rows together to complete the block.

And here it is!

The finished Oklahoma Twister quilt block

And from the backside for one final check to see how the SAs are pressed.

Oklahoma Twister block from the back so show the seam allowances

NEXT: 3-fabric
Oklahoma Twister

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: