Use it All Quilt Block Tutorial: 8", 10", and 12" finished blocks

Stop searching, start sewing. Add some serious star power with our Use it All quilt block tutorial.

Download the cutting charts in three sizes, a block design page for coloring and planning your fabric placements, and detailed step-by-step instructions.

This Sawtooth Star variation is constructed with a Square in a Square and 3-patch quarter square triangles that are paper pieced—for the most accurate results.

The design is finished off with 4-patches in the corners.

Ready? Time to Cut and Sew!

			Cutting Chart for a Use It All Quilt Block ~ Paper PLUS Traditional Piecing ~
Patch	Fabric	Qty	Finished Block Size			Sub Cut
			8''	10"	12''
SS1	Light	1	1½'' x 13''	1¾'' x 15''	2'' x 17''	---
SS2	Bac	1	1½'' x 13''	1¾'' x 15''	2'' x 17''	---
Center.1	Bac	1	3⅜'' x 3⅜''	4⅛'' x 4⅛''	4¾'' x 4¾''	---
C.2, C.3 C.4, C.5	Dark	2	3⅜'' x 3⅜''	3⅞'' x 3⅞''	4⅜'' x 4⅜''
QST.1	Bac	2	3¾'' x 3¾''	4¼'' x 4¼''	4¾'' x 4¾''
QST.2.A	Light	1	3¾'' x 3¾''	4¼'' x 4¼''	4¾'' x 4¾''
QST.2.B	Medium	1	3¾'' x 3¾''	4¼'' x 4¼''	4¾'' x 4¾''
QST.3	Medium	4	3⅜'' x 3⅜''	3⅞'' x 3⅞''	4⅜'' x 4⅜''
Unfinished Block Size			8½''	10½''	12½''	---
Grid Size			1"	1¼"	1½''	---

With RST, center the long bias edge of a #2 triangle even with one edge of the #1. The point of the triangle is directly opposite the printed solid corner lines on the pattern. at the top of the photo.

Hold everything together. Fingers or pins—Flower head pins are great for this job because their heads are flat and don't distort that pattern as much.

Sewing from the printed side of the pattern, start and end your stitches 1/4" before and after the solid line between #1 and #2.

Press.

Repeat for the opposite side.

For this 6" sample SiaS, it's big enough to add both the C.2 and C.3 patches before pressing. I prefer to minimize the jumping up and down to iron, as long as I get a good press job on those SAs.

Press.

Repeat for the C.4 and C.5 patches.

After the stitching is complete, the SiaS looks kind of like a hot mess...but we're close!

Trim by lining up the 1/4" mark on your ruler (red arrow) with one side of the solid square that surrounds the block.

Trim away the excess.

Repeat for the remaining three sides.

We are left with an accurately sized block whose points are exactly 1/4" from the edge. 

This will be a cinch to piece into our Use It All quilt block.

On all eight of the QST patterns, position a background QST.1 on the unprinted side of the pattern.

Use a dab of Elmer's Washable Glue Stick to hold it in place.

For the A QSTs, with RST, layer a light (turquoise) QST.2.A on top, matching the cut edges.

Sew on the line between QST.1 and QST.2, starting and stopping a generous 1/4" before and after the solid line. Repeat for all 4 A's.

For the B QSTs, with RST, layer the medium (green) QST.2.B unit on top of the QST.1 background, matching the raw edges.

Sew the seam as before and repeat for all four B's.

Press all 8 units.

And finally, all 8 of the QSTs you're making for your Use It All block get the same medium QST.3 added to them.

With RST and aligning the long edges, sew this second seam the same as before, starting and stopping past the outside dashed edges of the printed block pattern.

Since the seam runs from edge to edge, this is a candidate for chain piecing.

Press.

Your pairs of QSTs will look like this.

At your cutting mat, align the 1/4" line on your ruler with the solid line of the outside square and trim away the excess. You now have a perfect 1/4" SA. 

Repeat for all sides of all the QSTs.

A trimmed pair looks like this.

Since all the outside edges—for both the QSTs and Sias—are on the straight of grain and there is no bias or stretch to worry about, you can remove the paper pattern now.

I use a pin in the seam (red arrows) there to hold things in position and have had good luck with this technique.

WARNING: Because this pin is at a diagonal to our sewing line, it's a much bigger target to hit with our needle. Don't want to do that!

Remember to stop with your needle down in the patches just before you come to the pin, remove the pin, then continue stitching.

This is the completed Side from the front (top) and the back (bottom) with the SA pressed open to reduce bulk.

From the chart above, find the 'Subcut Width' that corresponds with your chosen Finished Size.

For our 12" finished sample block, the Subcut Width is 2".

Square up one short side of your strip set, and then subcut 8 units from it.

From these patches, stitch together four 4-patch units. The seams nest which makes matching a breeze. Feed the patches through your sewing machine with the darker patch on top, moving under the presser foot first.

To reduce bulk, undo the stitches in the center of the 4-patch so that you can twirl or fan the SAs clockwise around the patch. DO NOT clip away these threads that you undo. They preserve the integrity of the SA.

After twirling these SAs you should have a tiny four-patch in the center on the backside (above, right).

Step 3: Assemble the Use It All quilt block

Arrange the cut center and stitched units to create the Use It All quilt block design. 

A background square in the 4-patch is in the outside corner. On the sides, the background is on the outside edge, too.

Sew the units into rows. SAs in the top and bottom rows are pressed toward the 4-patches. In the middle, they are pressed towards the center.

Sew the rows together. 

These last two seams are pressed away from the center.

Our Use it All quilt block from the front side...

You get a good look at how the seams joining the QSTs looked after pressing them open and the fanned or twirled SAs on the 4-patches.