Woven Heart Quilt Block Pattern in 3 sizes: 6", 9", and 12" finished

From our Free Quilt Block Patterns Library

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Our Woven Heart quilt block pattern uses simple piecing techniques--folded corners and a bit of strip piecing.

With a dash twirled seam allowances added for good measure.

Quick to whip up with beginner-friendly instructions.

In this tutorial, you'll find:

A cutting chart in three sizes with downloads of the chart and block pattern

A coloring page to download and print

Step-by-step illustrated instructions

It's time to cut up and sew!

📋 General Instructions

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

These abbreviations are used on this page:

SA - seam allowance

RST - right sides together

BAC - background fabric

SA are 1/4" and pressed towards the darker fabric unless noted otherwise.

Pressing instructions are highlighted in yellow throughout these pattern instructions to make them easy to spot.

I like to use starched fabric when using the Connector Corners technique.

Starch makes fingerpressing easy as pie. And there's less chance for tucks at the seams. Always a good thing.

My favorite is StaFlo Concentrate that I mix 50/50 with water.

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!)

Dutchy Blues Batiks fabric collection by Jacqueline de Jonge for Anthology Fabrics

Dutchy Blues Batiks
Jacqueline de Jonge
Anthology Fabrics

Deco Glow II fabric collection by Giucy Giuce for Andover

Deco Glow II
Giucy Giuce
Andover

Magnolia
Andover

Step 1: Cutting your patches for a Woven Heart

Woven Heart design

Sample Size: 9" finished / 9½" unfinished

Grid: 6x6

Please label all your patches. We refer to their numbers throughout this tutorial.

The fabrics in the sample block are from Tula Pink's True Colors line, and the background is from Kimberbell's Winter Basics.

As you choose your fabric for this heart pattern, stand back and squint.

Can you see the two different fabrics?

Remember, we want to see the 'woven' effect. To be enough contrast, you should be able to easily see them both.

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

			Cutting Chart for a Woven Heart Quilt Block ~ Traditional Piecing ~
Patch	Fabric	Qty	Finished Block Size
Patch	Fabric	Qty	6''	9''	12''
1	Bac	4	1½'' x 1½''	2" x 2"	2½'' x 2½''
2	Dark	1	2½'' x 4½''	3½'' x 6½''	4½'' x 8½''
3	Light	1	2½'' x 4½''	3½'' x 6½''	4½'' x 8½''
4	Bac	1	2½'' x 2½''	3½'' x 3½''	4½'' x 4½''
5	Light	1	1½'' x 13''	2'' x 17''	2½'' x 21''
6	Dark	1	1½'' x 13''	2" x 17''	2½'' x 21''
Unfinished Block Size			6½''	9½''	12½''
Grid Size			1''	1½''	2''

Step 2: Assemble the units for a Woven Heart

Woven Heart Tops

Make 1 of each

We'll use the Connector Corner technique to make the tops of our Woven Heart. (This technique is also known as Sew-n-Flip or Folded Corners.)

On the wrong side of all four #1s, draw a diagonal line from corner to corner. I like to use a mechanical pencil for this because the width of the line never changes. (below, left)

Draw with a light touch—only a dark as you need to see the line at your sewing machine.

Draw a diagonal line on the backs of all #1 patches

I prefer a mechanical pencil for this—light touch—because the line is always the same thickness.

With RST, align two edges of a #1 with the top corner of the #2 and #3 rectangles. Repeat for the opposite top side.

The ends of your markings touch the top and sides edges.

Pin to hold the patches in place.

Since I'll sew up the left side and down the right, the pins are inserted in opposite directions making them easy to pull out while sewing.

Stitch on the line, just ever so slightly off its center toward the outside corner. This gives you a bit of room for the 'turn of the cloth' captured in the seam.

An open toe applique foot is perfect for this stitching. It's easy to see the light pencil mark.

Press flat to set the seams.

With your rotary cutter and ruler (or scissors if you prefer) cut away the excess fabric between the sewn line and the outside top corners leaving behind a 1/4" SA.

Below, purple top is after sewing and pressing flat.

Below turquoise heart top, after trimming away the excess. Its right side has had its final pressing.

Complete for all four top corners.

4-Patches

Make 4

4-patch unit made from #5 and #6 patches

4-patches

Next up is a bit of strip piecing for the 'woven' part of our Heart pattern.

With RST align the long edges of#5 and #6 and stitch. There's a bit extra for straightening the ends.

Press flat to set the seams, pressing a second time with the SA towards the darker #5.

Use the chart below to check the accuracy of your stitching.

StripSet Widths
Finished Block Size	Stripset Width after stitching	SubCut Width	4-Patch Dimensions
6"	2½"	1½"	2½" x 2½"
9"	3½"	2"	3½" x 3½"
12"	4½"	2½"	4½" x 4½"

For our 9" sample the strip set should measure 3½" wide. From the picture below, you can see that it does.

Straighten one short end of the strip set by aligning a straight line on your ruler with the seam line.

Straighten one short edge of your strip set.

The white arrow points to the line on the ruler that aligns with the seam.

Find your Finished Block Size in the chart above and the corresponding SubCut Width.

Cut a total of eight patches.

We're after seams that nest because it makes matching them so much easier.

Align a pair of patches, RST, so that the #5s (turquoise) and #6s (purple) alternate.

Group the subcuts into four pairs with alternating #5s and #6s.

THIS NEXT PART IS IMPORTANT.

Stitch them together so that the #6 (purple) patch is on top and feeds under your presser foot first—ALWAYS—for all 4 pairs.

The cut edges of your SA should feed into the sewing machine before the seam does. (white arrow)

Check that you're satisfied with the match at the center, then press the 4-patches flat as they were sewn.

Now we're going to 'twirl' or 'fan' the SAs in the center of each one.

Undo the few stitches in the SA at the center match—do not rip or cut these threads—they are needed to maintain the stability of the block.

Now twirl or fan the SAs clockwise around the center (from the wrong side of the block).

Press.

I fingerpress these first; it makes the job easier.

Front and back of a four patch with a twirled SA.

SA twirl or fan clockwise around the unit

With RST, pin two of the four patches together so that the #6 patch (purple) feeds through your sewing machine first.

If you look closely at the white arrow below, you can see that the threads in the center SA have been undone BUT NOT cut or trimmed away. Again, we need them for the stability in the unit.

From this vantage point, you can see after the SAs are twirled or fanned, two of them are pressed toward the dark, two are pressed toward the light.

This is correct.

With RST, sew the two pairs together to finish the field of squares.

Four 4-patches are sewn together to create a field of squares.

Take a peek at the backside to see how the SA alternate all through this unit.

Our field of squares from the backside to show how the seams alternate.

So why did we bother with all this twirling and fanning?

Simple. It makes for an incredibly flat block after pressing.

If you're doing the quilting yourself, and are ditch quilting this unit, once you feel where the thick side of the SA is, you know that the ditch alternates sides with every square. You don't have to hunt for it.

Furthermore, if you're using the technique making scrappy 4-patches, by twirling the SA, all your patches can be pressed as they are made. The SAs will always nest correctly with lights and darks alternating to create a checkerboard pattern.

Again, the secret is to feed all the patches through your machine exactly the same, remembering to UNDO the stitches and NOT cut them.