How to Sew a Sailboat Quilt Block

This charming pattern uses blocks of color to create the image of a simple sailboat adrift on the water. Although perfect for a vacation home or a child's room, this quilt design has a significant place in the history of the Underground Railroad. The innocuous sailboat quilt was displayed to advise fleeing slaves to make their way to the water where a boat would carry them across.

Things You'll Need

• Cotton fabrics in red, white and blue
• Scissors
• Ruler and straight edge
• Quilting and sewing threads
• Quilting and sewing needles
• Straight pins
• White marking pencil
• Rotary cutter and mat
• Iron and ironing board

Instructions

Preparing the Pieces

1. Choose 100 percent cotton fabrics in complementing red, white and blue. Launder the fabrics and press well.

2. Create two square templates from plastic or tin. Make one template a 3 1/2 inch square and the other a 3 7/8 inch square.

3. Use the templates with a rotary cutter to cut out the squares for one block. Organize the squares and triangles by shape and color.

4. Match each red triangle with a white triangle. Line up the edges and pin. Stitch along the long angled side. Press open to create a two-colored square in red and white. Make a total of six squares.

5. Repeat Step 4 with the blue and white triangles. Make two two-colored squares in blue and white.

Assembling the Block

1. Assemble the four rows of the block on a flat work surface. Consider the top row of the block "Row 1."

2. Create Row 1 with two white squares and two red/white triangles. Position the white squares at either end. Place the two red/white squares side-by-side in between with the red portion of each down and to the right.

3. Make Rows 2 and 3 the same as Row 1. Note how the red "sails" form down the center of the rows.

4. Place two solid blue blocks side-by-side in the center of Row 4. Set a blue/white square at either end of Row 4. Position the blue/white square so that the blue portion aligns with the solid blue block to create the shape of the base of the boat. (The white portion forms the corner of the block.)

5. Work row by row and stitch the blocks together. Sew Row 1 to Row 2 and then Row 3 to Row 4, carefully lining up the seams of each block. Sew Rows 1/2 to 3/4 four to complete the block.

6. Add a blue/white or red/white small print border to the quilt block. Layer with batting and backing fabric and quilt through all three layers by hand or by machine.

Tips & Warnings

• Cut six 3 1/2 inch squares from the white fabric. Cut four 3 7/8 inch squares from the white and then cut them diagonally to create 8 triangles.

• From the blue fabric, cut two 3 1/2 inch squares. Cut one 3 7/8 square and cut corner to corner to create two triangles.

• Cut three 3 7/8 inch squares from the red fabric. Cut them on across the diagonal to make eight triangles.

• Press the seams as the work progresses, blocking the seams in the direction of the darker color when possible.

Resources

• Sailboat quilt block