Today we’re going to sew together this modern-looking traditional quilt block called Interlocking O’s. The pattern is attributed to Doris Dace but I couldn’t find any more information about it other than that. Let’s get to it!
Fabric Requirements for a 16″ Traditional Interlocking O’s Quilt Block:
- Light/Yellow: 4 – 2.5″ x 4.5″ rectangles
- Medium/Blue: 4 – 2.5″ squares, 2 – 2.5″ x 4.5″ rectangles, 4 – 2.5″ x 6.5″ rectangles, and 2 – 2.5″ x 8.5″ rectangles
- Dark/Black: 4 – 2.5″ squares, 2 – 2.5″ x 4.5″ rectangles, 4 – 2.5″ x 6.5″ rectangles, and 2 – 2.5″ x 8.5″ rectangles
Sewing Directions:
Step 1:
Sew together a Light/Yellow 2.5″ x 4.5″ rectangles and a Medium/Blue 2.5″ square and press the seam allowance toward the Medium/Blue fabric as shown in the picture below. Repeat to make 2 of these Step 1 units. If you are making a lot of these blocks, this step could be done with the strip-piecing method.
Step 2:
Repeat Step 1 using the Medium/Blue 2.5″ x 4.5″ rectangles and the Dark/Black 2.5″ squares.
Step 3:
Sew together one Step 1 unit and one Step 2 unit as shown in the picture below.
Press the seam allowance away from the Light/Yellow fabric as shown below. Repeat Step 3 for a total of two units.
Step 4:
Sew a Dark/Black 2.5″ x 6.5″ rectangle to both long sides of the Step 3 unit as shown in the picture below.
And press the seam allowances toward the Dark/Black fabric as shown below. Repeat Step 4 for a total of two units.
Step 5:
Sew a Dark/Black 2.5″ x 8.5″ rectangle to side of the Step 4 unit with the Medium/Blue fabric as shown in the picture below and press the seam allowance toward the center of the unit. (Forgot to take a picture of the back of this unit so you could see the pressing direction – sorry!) Repeat for a total of two units.
Step 6:
Repeat Steps 1 through 5 using the Light/Yellow 2.5″ x 4.5″ rectangles and Dark/Black 2.5″ squares;
The Dark/Black 2.5″ x 4.5″ rectangles and the Medium/Blue 2.5″ squares;
Sew together;
Add the Medium/Blue 2.5″ x 6.5″ rectangles; and
The Medium/Blue 2.5″ x 8.5″ rectangle.
Putting It All Together:
Step 7:
Lay out the four Step 6 units as shown in the picture below.
Step 8:
Now you can sew the units together like a simple Four Patch block. First sew the units into two rows as shown in the picture below.
Step 9:
And press the seam allowances in opposite directions as you can see in the picture below.
Step 10:
Sew the two rows together and you are done!
Step 11:
Press the seam allowance. I used the tweak/twirl/furl method as you can see in the picture below.
In Conclusion:
While this Interlocking O’s quilt block is very easy to stitch, I got totally confused with the color placement! I highly recommend laying out all the pieces to make sure they are in the right spot. I think this is a great block for a guy’s quilt or baby quilt. I used 2.5″ strips and so the block turned out 16″ square (finished) or 16.5″ square (unfinished). If you wanted a smaller block, I would try using 2″ strips and that would make a 12″ block – just adjust the length of the rectangles accordingly.
So what do you think of this block? If you give it a try, I’d love to see a picture of it!
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Until next time,
Happy Quilting!
Elaine