Dutch Rose Quilt Block Tutorial
Folk Sampler Sew Along Block 19
Dutch Rose is featured in our sampler quilt example which you can view here. Traditionally this Block is pieced with diamonds which require special cutting and y-seams but I broke the diamonds up into half square triangles to simplify the instructions and construction. When pieced this modern way the block is made from rectangles, squares, and a whole lotta HST’s.
The finished size of this block is 12” (the unfinished size is 12 1/2”) because that’s what we’re working with in the Folk Sampler Sew Along. As with all quilt blocks you can change the size of the block by changing the size of the pieces within which is explained in this post. Throughout the following instructions I will refer to my colors in parentheses (white, light indigo blue, and olive green). Since there are so many pieces in this block it will be helpful to number each color: color 1 = white, color 2 = olive, color 3 = light blue. As you plan your block, number your colors and swap my colors for yours.
For the natural dyers you can find my recipe for olive green here, and my recipe for light blue here.
Finished Block Size 12”
1/4” seam allowance
Cut List
For the Squares:
Cut 8 color 1 (white) squares: 2”
Cut 4 color 3 (light blue) squares: 2”
For the Rectangles:
Cut 4 color 1 (white) rectangles: 3 1/2” x 2”
For the HST’s:
Cut 16 color 1 (white) squares: 2 1/2”
Cut 12 color 2 (olive) squares: 2 1/2”
Cut 16 color 3 (light blue) squares: 2 1/2”
Make the HST’s
Gather all the 2 1/2” squares you cut for the HST’s. There are 3 different HST color combinations in this block. When making pairs it’s best to put the darker square on bottom and the lighter square on top simply because the top square will be marked with a pencil and it’s easier to see a pencil mark on a light colored square. Make pairs as follows:
6 pairs: color 1 (white) + color 2 (olive)
10 pairs: color 1 (white) + color 3 (light blue)
6 pairs: color 2 (olive) + color 3 (light blue)
With these 22 pairs, head over to my HST tutorial to make a total of 44 HST’s. Begin the tutorial at the part where it says ASSEMBLE. When you get to the TRIM part, trim all 44 HST’s to 2”.
At the end of the HST tutorial you will have:
12: color 1 (white) + color 2 (olive) HST’s
20: color 1 (white) + color 3 (light blue) HST’s
12: color 2 (olive) + color 3 (light blue) HST’s
Arrange the pieces on your work surface as shown below. So many pieces right?! I made a mistake when constructing my block! The circled HST should be color 2 (olive) and color 3 (light blue) not olive and white.
There are a lot of pieces so be careful to keep them oriented correctly as you work. Sew the pieces together to form 8 horizontal rows as shown below. Press the seams open or to the side if you prefer.
The block is looking funny in an elongated way at this point. Sew the rows together one at a time being careful to take your time and match the seams by pinning. Press the seams open or to the side if you prefer.
And there we have a beautiful Dutch Rose block! Totally worth the effort of making 44 HST’s and sewing 60 patchwork pieces together am I right? I only had time to make one block this week so I don’t have a dark background block to share.
Only 1 more block to go and then we’ll have some design decisions to make! Thanks for sharing your beautiful work over on IG. Our #folksamplersewalong hashtag is now a gallery of your beautiful work. Please continue to share for all to see. I’ll see you back here next week for our final block.
