Friday, October 18, 2019

Free and Easy Kimono Quilt Block

Who's got Asian fabrics in their stash? Wondering what to do with them? How about making kimono blocks for a quick and easy quilt??

I found a stack of these kimono blocks while looking through my stash.

Most of the blocks were made by fellow guild members years ago, and unfortunately, there weren't enough to complete a quilt, which is a bit of a draw back and probably why they were stored so long.

After deciding on a layout, I needed to make up four more blocks. Having no instructions, I whipped out the ruler to get an idea of the size HST's needed, and thought I'd share a tutorial on making a kimono block.

The following instructions will make 2 (two) 9.5" unfinished kimono blocks, 9" finished. Make as many as desired!!

Kimono Block Instructions

Cut squares for HST's (half-square triangles)

From BOTH print and background fabrics, cut 1 (one) 7" square.
Also cut 5 (five) 4" squares from each fabric.

7 inch squares

4 inch squares

Make HST's

Draw diagonal lines on all squares of either the print or background, whichever is easier to see.

draw diagonal lines

Pair together a print and background square - 1 (one) 7" pair, and 5 (five) 4" pairs. Stitch a scant 1/4" on either side of the diagonal line.

stitch a scant 1/4 inch on each side of the line

Cut on the line, press seams open. This will help reduce fabric layer buildup when the HST's are joined together.

two HST's

Place a ruler's diagonal mark on the seam, and trim the large HST's to 6.5", and the small HST's to 3 .5". There are a total of 2 (two) 6.5" HST's, and 10 (ten) 3.5" HST's.

Assemble the Kimono Block

Follow the layout below for the Kimono block.

Stitch 2 (two) 3.5" HST's together on the side, and 3 (three) together along the bottom, being sure to rotate the last HST.
Press seams open.

Stitch the pair along the side, pressing seam open. Then add the threesome along the bottom, again, pressing seams open.