Hi fellow quilters! Today we’re going to sew the Big T quilt block the easy (and scrappy) way. This charming traditional block goes back to 1927 when it was published in the Dakota Farmer. Of course, it goes by other names too – Imperial T, Capital T, and Tea for Four (my favorite). The Big T is fairly quick to sew together too as it is made entirely of Half Square Triangle units. Dive into your stash and let’s get sewing!
Fabric Requirements for a 12″ Finished Big T Quilt Block:
- Light/White: 4 – 5″ squares (the picture only shows 2 – oops), and 12 – 3″ squares
- 4 Prints: For EACH print: 1 – 5″ square, and 3 – 3″ squares
Sewing Directions:
Half Square Triangle Units:
Step 1:
- Using a Light/White 5″ square and a Print 5″ square, sew together two Half Square Triangle (HST) units like the one on the left side of the picture below. You only need one of the HST units – the other could be used in another block or some other project.
- You can find a detailed tutorial for sewing Half Square Triangles (HST) at https://quiltembroiderypdf.com/how-to-sew-a-basic-half-square-triangle-block
Step 2:
- Using three Light/White 3″ squares and three Print 3″ squares (same color as the larger HST) repeat Step 1 to make a total of six HST units (you only need five so you get a bonus HST).
Step 3:
- Press the seam allowance of the larger Half Square Triangle toward the Light/White fabric as shown below. Trim/square up the unit to 4.5″ square.
- Press ONE of the smaller HST’s seam allowance toward the Light/White fabric. Press the remaining fours’ seam allowances toward the Print fabric. Trim/square up the units to 2.5″ square.
Two-Patch Units:
Step 4:
Using the four small HSTs that have their seam allowances pressed toward the Print fabric, sew together 2 Two-Patch units as shown in the picture below.
Step 5:
Press the seam allowances as shown below. Note that the left unit is pressed toward the Print fabric and the right unit is pressed toward the Light/White fabric.
Corner Units:
Step 6:
Lay out the larger Half Square Triangle unit, the 2 Two-Patch units, and the remaining small Half Square Triangle unit as shown in the picture below.
Step 7:
Stitch the units into two rows as shown below.
Step 8:
Press the seam allowances away from the Two-Patch units.
Step 9:
Sew the two rows together as shown below.
Step 10:
Press the seam allowance toward the larger Half Square Triangle as shown.
Step 11:
Repeat Steps 1 through 10 with EACH of the remaining colors for a total of four Corner units. Lay them out as shown in the picture below.
Putting It All Together:
Step 12:
Sew the units into two rows as shown below. If you’ve pressed according to the instructions, all the seam allowances will nest together and be less bulky.
Step 13:
Press the seam allowances in opposite directions as shown in the picture below.
Step 14:
Sew the two rows together to complete the block and…
Step 15:
Press the seam allowance. I’ve used the tweak/twirl/furl method for pressing so that the block lays flatter.
Layout Ideas:
Here’s the basic 4 x 4 layout.
Traditionally, this block is done with just a dark and a light fabric.
Same layout just more scrappy and using black for the background to make those jewel tones really pop.
In this example, I’ve changed up the coloring in the center of the block.
And here’s a scrappy version with an alternating chain block.
Here’s an example of a large Hourglass block being used as an alternating block.
