Winging It with Precision: Master the Pigeon Toes Quilt Block

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Hey quilters, don't settle for sad little nubs when you can be rocking razor-sharp points instead!

The Pigeon Toes quilt block tutorial will have you stitching effortless pointy goodness right off the bat. It's as easy as stitching on a printed line. No specialty rulers required.

Unruffle those feathers. Perfect points are just clicks away.

Several abbreviations are used on this page. They are:

• SA - seam allowance
• RST - right sides together
• HRT - half rectangle triangles

1/4" SA are used through this tutorial. 

Pressing instructions are highlighted in yellow throughout this tutorial to make them easy to spot.

To press, set the seam first by pressing the patches in the closed position just as they came off your sewing machine. This melds the fibers of the threads into the fibers of the fabric for a flatter block.

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✂️Cutting patches for your Pigeon Toes

Pigeon Toes design

Sample Block Size:  10" finished / 10½" unfinished

Grid:   10x10 

Attribution: Beth Gutcheon

Design Type:  Uneven 9-patch  |  5 patch  |  Paper Piecing

This block looks a lot like the Farmer's Daughter quilt block, except that pairs of HRTs are swapped for the HSTs and reversed. While the spiky HRTs look like they'd be harder to piece, the paper piecing technique makes them effortless.

Set yourself up for success by labeling all patches.

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

			Cutting Chart for a Pigeon Toes Quilt Block ~ Paper PLUS Traditional Piecing ~
Patch	Fabric	Qty	Finished Block Size
			10"	12½"	15"	20"
1, 3	Dark	8	3'' x 2¾''	3½'' x 3"	4" x 3¼''	5" x 3¾''
2, 4	Light	8	3'' x 2¾''	3½'' x 3"	4" x 3¼''	5" x 3¾''
5	Dark	4	2½'' x 2½''	3 '' x 3''	3½'' x 3½''	4½'' x 4½''
6	Light	13	2½'' x 2½''	3 '' x 3''	3½'' x 3½''	4½'' x 4½''
Unfinished Block Size			10½''	13''	15½''	20½''
Grid Size			1''	1¼''	1½''	2 ''

Subcutting patches 1-4

Layer your dark #1/#3 patches in pairs of RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER rectangles. Do the same for your light  #2/#4 patches.

It's this layering of our patches that creates the mirror image patches that we need.

For accuracy, we're cutting through only 4 layers of fabric at a time.

At your cutting mat, use a pencil and make a tiny mark 5/8" in from the top-left side and 5/8" in from the bottom-right side.

I'm showing the light #2s and #4s first because it's easier to see the pencil marks.

Make a tick mark on the short edges 5/8" in from the top left and bottom right. These are #2s and #4s layered RST.

Align your ruler with the top and bottom edges at the mark and cut the rectangles in two.

REMEMBER to position the rectangles with the shorter edges at the top and bottom.

Repeat for all the pairs of RST pairs.

This shows how pairs of darker #1 and #3 rectangles are layered RST.

#1s and #3s layered in pairs right sides together

Now even up all the edges. Mark the layered pairs, right sides together.

After subcutting, this stack of #1 and #3 patches looks like this. (There's another stack of these to subcut.)

Mark and cut the remaining #1-#4 patches in the same way.

🪡Create the units for a Pigeon Toes block

Half Rectangle Pairs Unit

Make 4 each       

Half Rectangle Triangles, mirror-image pairs
Unit A (right) and Unit B (left)

Use a dot of Elmer's Washable Glue stick on the unprinted side of the pattern to position the #1s on the A and B versions of the HRT units.

The dashed placement guide (red arrow) makes it easy to quickly position these patches.

Align the #1 and #2 along the bias cut. Since I'm adding a light over a much darker fabric, I nudge the lighter one a thread or two past the edge of the dark. This prevents the dark from shadowing through on the front of my quilt.

The very edge of the light #2 is noticeably lighter than the rest of it. This is where it was nudged over a bit.

After pressing, check that the #2 patch covers the #2 space plus SAs. This does.

At your cutting mat, pattern side up, fold the paper back along the line between #2 and #3. I use my ruler and crease the fold with my thumbnail.

The pattern will tear away from the stitches a bit. This is normal.

If the tear distorts the pattern, you can use a piece of Scotch Brand Magic Tape® to mend it.

Position the 1/4" mark on your rule over the fold and trim away the excess fabric, which creates the exact placement line for #3.

Layer #3 and #2 RST. The wide bottom of #3 is on the same side as the wide bottom of #1.

Press.

Back to your cutting mat. Trim the SA as before. 

With RST, add #4.

After stitching these are an A and a B HRT. Of course, I didn't notice until the block was completely pieced that the one on the right is upside-down. <blushing!>

Trim each side of the HRT by positioning the 1/4" line on your ruler with the solid inner square around each HRT.

Finally, all the completed A and B HRTs are trimmed and pressed. All that's left is to remove the paper pattern. 

We cut our patches so that every outside edge is on the straight of grain. There is no bias to worry about stretching out of shape. Remove the paper now.

Sides

Make 4 each       

Side units

With RST, sew an HRT-A to the left side of #6 and an HRT-B to the right side.

Do take a second and flip these open after pinning (or while they're in hand if you don't pin) to make sure they're oriented correctly.

I ripped one side three times while making this sample block. (That'll learn me for watching old 50's sci-fi movies while I was sewing. <Blushing again! Twice in one tutorial!>)

Press with the SA away from the HRTs to reduce bulk. 

9-Patch Unit

Make 1   

9-patch unit

With RST, sew 3 pairs of #6 and #5.

Press SAs toward the dark #5s.

With RST, add a #6 to 2 of the pairs of squares, and a #5 to the other to form these three units.

Again, pressing the SA to the light #6s.

With RST, sew the units together so the light #6's are in the outside corners. The SAs are pressed toward the light corners.

📏Check for accuracy

Use the chart below to check the accuracy of your 9-patch. Make adjustments as needed.

🧩Assemble the Pigeon Toe Quilt Block

Lay out the sides, #6 corner squares and center 9-patch to create the Pigeon Toes quilt block design.

With RST, sew the units in each row together.

SAs are pressed away from the HRTs to minimize bulk.

Finally, sew the rows together. Pin as needed.

I try to avoid shoving the pin through all the layers of the SAs. Rather I pin through the block and NOT the SAs when I can.

Press these last two seams towards the center of the block.

You'll love my favorite pressing technique if you haven't tried it yet. For something so simple, it does a remarkable job of flattening those SA. All without the cost of a clapper.

And here is our Pigeon Toes quilt block from the back side, so you can see how everything was pressed.

Toe-tally Awesome!

You've mastered the Pigeon Toes block with precision and flair. Let this be just the beginning of your quilting adventures. Spread your creative wings and soar to new heights with your designs! 🌈🦅

Until our next quilting journey, may your points be sharp and your seam ripper idle! 👣✨

📌Don't wing it later

 Pin this tutorial now and soar through your next quilting project! 🚀📌

For even MORE blocks to make... 🧩🎨

...visit our Free Quilt Block Pattern Library, with over 230+ blocks to choose from in multiple sizes.

Free downloads are included in all sizes for any blocks require paper piecing patterns or templates.

This article was printed from Generations-Quilt-Patterns.com

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