Hour Glass Block Tutorial

I have made good progress with my Hour Glass Quilt top, and have especially enjoyed the piecing.  I absolutely love the Half Square Triangle block, it is such a simple and versatile block with countless different layouts making endlessly different quilts.  Similarly, the Hour Glass block is an effective traditional block that is not difficult to piece.

The Hour Glass Block is really just an extension of the Half Square Triangle block in terms of piecing.  What follows is a short tutorial showing you how I have pieced the Hour Glass Blocks in this quilt top.

 

Hour Glass Block Tutorial

Step 1  -  Cut two 6 inch squares - one printed fabric, one solid fabric.

With a pencil mark a diagonal line on the solid fabric.

Step 2 -  Place fabrics right sides together.

With a 1/4 inch presser foot stitch on either side of the marked line from edge to edge.  I do suggest you use a  neutral thread (when using white solid fabric I suggest using white thread), having used blue thread just for better contrast in this image.

Step 3

Using a rotary cutter cut on the marked diagonal line.  Up to this point this tutorial is no different to piecing Half Square Triangles. 

Step 4

Without moving the fabrics on your cutting mat, swing your ruler or mat around to cut your fabric in the opposite diagonal direction.  You now have four separate units each one made up of a solids triangle and a printed triangle.

Step 5

Press all seams towards the darker (printed) fabric for all four units and match correct set of triangles together to form two Hour Glass blocks (as above). If using all printed fabrics be consistent with the direction you press the seam allowances for all units ~ press all seams towards the same fabric.

Step 6

Sew units together matching the center seams, stitching from edge to edge.  Press seams together in one direction.  

Step 7

Now for a little housekeeping and to ensure that your blocks are all square, use a ruler with a diagonal line (match diagonal line on your ruler with the diagonal line on your block), and  make sure you measure from the center intersecting point out (2 1/2" on your ruler) to square up your blocks.  Trim back each block to 5 inches exactly.

You will now have two Hour Glass blocks, each measuring 5 inches square.  Piece as many blocks as required.   For my quilt top I have made 120* Hour Glass blocks pieced together in 12 rows of 10 blocks each.  The quilt top measures 45.5 x 54.5 inches with borders still in the planning stages.

*  To piece 120 Hour Glass blocks, cut 60 solid fabric squares and 60 printed fabric squares.  I have used many different Liberty fabrics as well as fabrics from the Little Folks range by Anna Maria Horner.  The solid contrast fabric I have used is Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton in White.

What's more, the Hour Glass block is ideal for using up all of your scrap fabric, as well as those charm packs you just could not resist stashing.  Happy piecing!


RELEVANT LINKS:
Hour Glass Quilt ~ A Finished Quilt
Tickled Pink - Another Hour Glass Quilt

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