Thursday, February 14, 2013

Wonky House Quilt Block Tutorial

wonky  (ˈwɒŋkɪ) 
— adj  , -kier -kiest
1.shaky or unsteady
2.not in correct alignment; askew





Happy Valentine's Day!

(OK, now that we've gotten that out of the way...) I have wanted to make a "Wonky House" block for quite a while- I think they are so cute and fun!  I have made just two blocks so far- I just LOVE how they came out! I would love to make a whole pile for a quilt. But if I don't have time, I think this would make a really cute pillow or wall hanging.

I like the extra scrappiness that the Log Cabin block adds to my little house. The Log Cabin Block can be just a little wonky, or super-wonky, whichever you prefer.

This tutorial will show you how to make the Wonky Log Cabin, and then how to turn it into a house block. Let's get started!

This will make a 12 1/2" block (12" finished size.) You will need various scraps of fabric. I used fabric from my Happy Town fabric line. You will also need fabric for the background- I used white but you can use any solid or tonal.


  • Scraps- strips should about 2-3" wide. (You can cut the strips ahead of time, or just cut them as you go.)
  • Background- 2 pieces 3 1/2 x 7 1/2"
  •                       1 piece 7 x 15"
  • Roof fabric- 4 1/2 x 8 1/2"


Start with a square about 2 1/2" big- it doesn't even have to be a perfect square. Trim one side off on an angle. (The bigger the angle, the "wonkier" the block will be.)


Sew a strip of fabric to the angled side. Press and then trim excess fabric.


Turn block 90 degrees and sew another strip to the side.

Trim excess fabric, following the edge of the existing block.

I wanted the yellow strip to be a little narrower, and I wanted my block to be a little more wonky, so I trimmed it off at an angle.

Continue turning the block 90 degrees and sewing on strips, cutting edges at an angle as desired.

Continue until block is at least 7 x 8" big. When you get to this point, don't worry about the excess fabric because we will be trimming the block anyway. (At this point- you could just trim it to the desired size and use it as a Log Cabin block, or continue to make the House block.)

Trim the block to 6 1/2 x 7 1/2".

Sew background fabric (3 1/2 x 7 1/2") to either side of the block.

For the roof, start from the bottom corner and cut up to top, then make another cut from remaining bottom corner. (The angle doesn't matter as long as your cuts go from the bottom corners to the top edge.)

Place 7 x 15" piece of background fabric right side up on table. Place roof triangle right side up on background fabric.

Cut the background fabric, using the roof as a guide.


Discard the background triangle under the roof fabric.
Place shape A right sides together with roof triangle and sew together.

Press. Sew shape B to other side of roof.

Press. Trim bottom edge so it is even with roof bottom.

Sew roof to block. Trim block to 12 1/2".













PS Please stop by A Quilt & A Prayer blog- Teresa is giving away Happy Town Fabric- and look what she's been making (didn't it come out cute??):


8 comments:

  1. Everything I make comes out wonky, so if I make something wonky it comes out straight, lol.

    Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am going to try this block this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you SOOOOO much. I want to start making wonky blocks and found you via facebook - Free Quilt Pattern page. I am a new quilter and am learning all the basics and really need to - but these "wonky" blocks really call my name.

    Your newest follower and happiest too!

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was looking for a fun way to use a big stash of scraps and left-overs. This block is perfect for the quilts my friends and I make quilts for kids who go into emergency foster care. We want them all to have a quilt to snuggle up with and keep for their very own. It's quick and it's fun to make. Thank you. Diana

    ReplyDelete

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