Arrowhead Block Tutorial

The Arrowhead block is a very simple block to sew as long as you are careful to sew SCANT 1/4" seams, you cut accurately and you match seams carefully. This block finishes at 8 ½”. If you are making the scrappy version, layer two contrasting pieces of fabric, right sides together (RST), starch and press. Then cut an 8” square from the stack. Repeat with other scrap fabrics so you have sets of two 8” squares for each block. For the two-fabric version, layer the two contrasting fabrics RST, starch and press. Cut sets of two 8” squares for each block. Pin the stacks so the fabrics don’t shift. You can click on the photos to enlarge them.

Measure 2” down from the top right corner of one set of squares. Sew a SCANT ¼” seam down the right side, pivot ¼” from the bottom, and sew across the bottom to the end. Backstitch at the beginning of the stitching.

Turn the square so that the bottom of the square is now at the top. Measure 2” down from the raw edge at the top right corner of the square. Sew a second SCANT ¼” seam down the right side, pivot ¼” from the bottom, and sew across the bottom to the end.

Lay the square on your cutting mat as shown in the photo at right below, with the unsewn sections at the top right and lower left. Cut the square in half diagonally through the sewn corners. Be sure you do not cut through the unsewn corners.

Lay one of the sewn triangles on top of the other, with the sewn and raw edges matching. Wrong sides of the top fabric should be facing up in both triangles.

Cut a 2” strip along the left sewn side of the triangle. Without moving the pieces, cut another 2” strip from the other sewn side of the triangle. See photos above right and below right.

Open the sewn pieces and finger press the seam allowances. As you lay out and sew the pieces together, you may need to switch the direction of the seam allowances, so do not press with the iron yet.

Lay out the sewn pieces and the triangles as shown in the photo below left. Notice that opposite fabrics touch each other on all adjacent sides. Pinwheel the seam allowances of the small center 4-patch by removing the two or three stitches within the seam allowance at the seam intersection. See photo at right below.

The pieces are sewn back together on the diagonal. See photo at left below. Press seam allowances as shown in the photo at right below. Sew the three diagonally pieced sections together, matching seams. Press the seams as shown in the photo below right.

Photo below shows detail of seam allowance pressing directions.

You will notice that the outer edges of the block are uneven. That is how it should look. You will trim the edges after you sew all the blocks. Square up the blocks to 9” using the “true-up guide” to mark lines on your ruler (using narrow tape or a marker). The "true-up guide" is available in the book "Rotary Revolution." If you do not have access to the book, you can square up the block by marking off a 9" square on a square-up ruler. Then mark a diagonal line from corner to corner in both directions across the 9" square. Align the two diagonal lines across the center of the center 4-patch, with the corners of the 9" square aligned at the center of the four points at the corners of the block. Trim excess fabric away on all four sides.

When you sew the blocks together, you can sew them all with the same orientation or you can rotate alternate blocks 90 degrees.

Going to Road to California quilt show in Ontario tomorrow so will have loads of pictures to post in a couple of days. Happy Quilting!