EIGHT HANDS AROUND QUILT BLOCK PATTERN

Eight hands around quilt block

Isn’t that an enchanting name for a quit block?  I’m always complaining that I don’t have enough hands to cope and now I find that there’s a quilt block pattern that just covers my feeling!  I have made this as a 16″ quilt block.

Cutting requirements

cream:  one 4.1/2″ square, four 2.1/2″ squares, four 2.7/8″ squares

red:  six 4.7/8″ squares

floral:  four 2.7/8″ squares, six 4.7/8″ squares

Making the eight hands around quilt block 

Mark all the squares at once

Use your ruler to mark all the diagonals

There are quite a few half square triangles in the eight hands around quilt block and I always find it simplest to make them all at once before anything else.  Lay each 4.7/8″ red square against a floral square with right sides together.  Do the same with all the cream and floral 2.7/8″ squares.  Mark a line along the diagonal of all these pairs of squares.

Make half square triangles

Sew a seam 1/42 either side of the marked line and then cut along the diagonal marked line.  This will produce two half square triangles from each pair of squares.  Press the seam allowance towards the darker fabric and trim the corners of the triangles.

Begin with the cream and floral squares

Sew the half square triangles together

Lay the 4.1/2″ cream squares down and place the smaller cream squares and the cream/floral half square triangle units around the square as shown.  Sew together the two half square triangles for the top and sew them to the square.  Do the same for the bottom two half square triangles and then sew together the four patchwork squares for the sides and sew them to the quilt block.

Eight hands around quilt block layout

Sew the half square triangles together

Place all the red/floral half square triangle units around the central star block, checking as you go that you have the triangles pointing in the right direction.  As before, sew the two half square triangles to the top and the bottom and then sew the four squares together for the sides.  Sew these to the edges of the block and that completes the eight hands around quilt block.