Quick Piece Herringbone Block Tutorial

I must thank an anonymous Japanese paving block manufacturer for this design. I spotted it on a footpath in Sendai last September and it has been haunting me ever since, demanding to be made into a quilt block. It’s perfect to make as planned or as scrappy as you like, and as few or as many as you need! I will provide the instructions to make a block like mine with 4 colours, but you can obviously change them up as you want.

Finished size – 8 1/4″ square

What you will need for each block

Fabric A – 2.5″ x 14″
Subcut into:
1 – 2.5″ x 5″
1 – 2.5″ x 6.5″
Fabric A – 3″ x 3″*

Fabric B – 2.5″ x 12.5″
Subcut into:
1 – 2.5″ x 7.5″
1 – 2.5″ x 5″

Fabric C – 2.5″ x 15.5″
Subcut into:
1 – 2.5″ x 6.5″
1 – 2.5″ x 9″

Fabric D – 2.5″ x 15.5″
Subcut into:
1 – 2.5″ x 6.5″
1 – 2.5″ x 9″

*If you are doing a scrappy version or want to use jelly roll strips like I have done, a 2.5″ square will suffice, but be aware that it won’t line up perfectly when piecing the rows together. Just adds to the scrappy effect! Use a 1/4″ seam through out and press all seams open. It’s important that the top edges of your pieces align when sewing your pieces together. You will always be sewing pieces on to the right side first, followed by the left side.

1. Sew Fabric A 2.5″ square and Fabric B 5″ long pieces together, making sure the top edges align. Press seam.

2. Sew Fabric B 7.5″ long on as shown in the above image. Press seam.

4. And repeat again for Fabric D – 6.5″ long piece first, then the 9″ long piece, pressing seams. Sew on Fabric A 6.5″ long piece like previous. Press seam.

7. Align your ruler 1/4″ from the top of the Fabric D seams and trim.

8. Place Fabric A 5″ long right side down on Fabric D 9″ long so that 1/4″ excess is hanging over the edges like in the image above. Sew and press seam.

If you make any blocks from this tutorial, please feel free to add them to my Flickr group!