How to Sew a Broken Dishes Quilt Block

The "Broken Dishes" quilt design is one of the seventeen considered part of the system of communication used by the Underground Railroad. Quilts hung on a clothesline or over a porch rail to convey messages to fleeing slaves. The "Broken Dishes" pattern suggested that assistance or refuge could be found near the site that involved broken crockery, perhaps a kiln or ceramics manufacturer. The pattern is striking when worked simply in two contrasting fabrics, or worked up in number of cotton fabrics.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric
• Quilting and sewing thread
• Quilting and sewing needles
• Straight pins
• Template
• Scissors
• Rotary cutter and mat
• Ruler and straight edge
• Pencil
• Disappearing marker
• Iron and ironing board
• Sewing machine

Instructions

Cutting and Piecing

1. Choose two 100 percent cotton fabrics in contrasting solid colors. Refer to them as Fabric A and Fabric B. Launder the fabrics and press.

2. Create a template for the right triangle quilt piece. Adjust the size of the template depending on the desired size of the finished block.

3. Stack the fabric and use the template to lightly draw the triangle on the fabric. Position the triangle to draw squares on the fabric to make maximum use of the yardage.

4. Use the rotary cutter and a straight edge to cut out the triangular pieces. Organize the pieces by color.

5. Take one triangle of each of the two colors and place them right sides together, carefully matching up the edges. Stitch down the long side of the triangle. Open the square and press flat. Make four matching two-colored squares.

Assemble the Block

1. Place four two-colored squares on a flat work surface. Position them in two rows of two each.

2. Turn the upper left and lower right squares with Fabric A pointing outward. Turn the upper right and lower left squares so that Fabric B is pointing outward. (See Resources)

3. Stitch the two blocks in the upper row together and repeat with the other two blocks. Check the positioning (as described in Step 2) and seam the two strips together to complete the block.

4. Add a complementing border to all four sides of the finished block. Layer the batting and backing fabric and pin to secure.

5. Quilt the block to enhance the pattern. Use the completed block as a pillow top or bind the edges and frame as fabric art.

Tips & Warnings

• Press and block the seams in the direction of the darker colored portion of the block. Use 1/4 inch seam allowance throughout.

• When assembling the blocks to create a larger quilt top, alternate the blocks so that like colors are not adjacent.

Resources

• Triangle template