Souvenir Quilt Block

Skill Level: Beginner

The Souvenir quilt block is a simple block, perfect for framing a favorite focus fabric.

Better yet, use it to showcase your hand-stitched redwork or a special machine embroidery collection.

With nothing more than squares and half square triangles, it's quick to piece with little matching to worry about.

My instructions include center squares that measure 3", 4-1/2", 6" and 9" finished for blocks that finish 5", 7-1/2", 10" and 15".

Let's get started!

Stitch on the line. I prefer an open toe applique foot for this because it's easier to see the marking.

No Quick Quarter Ruler? No problem.

With your everyday rotary ruler, mark a single diagonal in each direction with a mechanical pencil following the directions included on our Techniques Page—Make 8 Triangle Squares in a Jiffy. (Steps 1 & 2)

Press the sewn patches flat.

Now find the 'Center or Midpoint' measurement in the Cutting Chart below.

HST Dimensions
Finished Block Size	Center or Midpoint Measurement	Trim HST to…
5"	2-1/8"	1-1/2"
7-1/2"	2-5/8"	2"
10"	3-1/8"	2-1/2"
15"	4-1/8"	3-1/2"

For this 7-1/2" sample block, this measurement is 2-5/8".

Cut the sewn #1/#2 into four squares equal to this midpoint measurement. Then cut these squares apart between the stitching lines to create 8 HST units. (See Steps 4-6 on the Technique Page for a quick review.)

Press.

We started with slightly oversized patches, so we need to cut these HSTs down to the 'Trim HSTs to' measurement in the chart.

After trimming, these HST are ready for the next step.

Step 3: Assemble your Souvenir quilt block

Arrange the sides and top and bottom units and center square into rows.

With RST, stitch the side units to the center square. Press SA in the direction of the white arrows.

Stitch the rows together, pinning if it helps you make good matches at the seams. (There's no shame in being a pinner...I know...I am one!) The SA nest to make matching easier.

Give your block a good press. Check out our best pressing technique. It can tame the lumpiest of patchwork.

And your finished Souvenir quilt block looks like this.

Which came first?

The block or the embroidery?

If you choose 'Souvenir' to showcase a machine embroidery collection or your own redwork stitches, you'll need to decide when to do the fancy stitching.

My personal preference has always been to stitch out the embroidery design first on a piece of fabric larger than needed. Then trim to the exact size needed. The risk is that you accidentally cut the block too small.

The alternative is to piece the block first and then embroider it. The risk, then, is that the embroidery distorts the block. Or perhaps the stitchout somehow goes awry.

Now you've got no wiggle room. The block is un-salvageable and you must start over.

Choose the order that works best for your needs.