The Modern Plaid Block

Here it is! For our third tutorial, we’ll be showing you this graphic bold block. Download the PDF of this here.

This block causes you to practice making your corners line up, but don’t worry about perfection. Even with mistakes, the bold plaid grid that develops when you put these blocks together will stand out. Making small changes to the fabric choices or the cutting when you make this block makes big differences in the quilt the blocks will lead to.

Cut List:

Makes one 12.5" block
Fabric A (white – background fabric) Three 2.5” x 6” pieces
Fabric B (yellow): Two 2.5” x 6” pieces
Two 1.5” x 6” pieces
Fabric C (light gray): Three 2.5” x 9.5” pieces
Fabric D (dark gray): Two 2.5” x 9.5” pieces
Two 1.5” x 9.5” pieces
This fabric is the one used where the stripes in your plaid meet, so we recommend it being the darkest fabric in your blocks.

When picking your fabrics consider mixing in one patterned fabric - or using mostly patterns. Why not make blocks in the same colors, but with different mixes? Remember that the plaid blocks, once assembled will create a pattern of their own, so loud large scale patterns might be a bit much for this block. Note that for all of the blocks I’ve kept the white fabric. This will make the blocks all link together, even when using different fabrics otherwise.






Step 1: Sew together grays as follows:

1.5” Light Gray
2.5” Dark Gray
2.5” Light Gray
2.5” Dark Gray
2.5” Light Gray
2.5” Dark Gray
1.5” Light Gray



Step 2: Sew together white and yellow as follows:

1.5” Yellow
2.5” White
2.5” Yellow
2.5” White
2.5” Yellow
2.5” White
1.5” Yellow





Step 3: Trim the yellow and white down to 5.5” wide by trimming either edge.

Step 4: Trim the grays down to 9” wide.

Step 5: Cut the yellow & white into three strips:

Two 1.5” wide
One 2.5” wide

Step 6: Cut the grays into two 4.5” strips

Step 7: Assemble the rows, trim up to 12.5” square and your block is finished!



In this slight variation (below), I cut the grays in a 3” and a 6” piece, rather than into two 4.5” pieces.

If you were to make a quilt top of these blocks, you’d want to make a whole row in the variation so that your plaid grid that you’re creating still lines up.
 
This digital quilt shows you bold pattern of the block when it is repeated. All but one row of blocks are the same. Making small changes in cutting can make strips and columns in the quilt you’re making change drastically and add interest to the quilt. Why not do one stripe with a different color? There are so many ways to make this block your own!

We can't wait to see all of the different plaids you come up with! Remember to put them in the Block Party Quilt Along flickr group!

We'll be back next week with a look at variations on the block!