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Tile Puzzle Variation Quilt Block – a Free Tutorial

    This variation of the Tile Puzzle block makes an awesome looking quilt and is beginner friendly! It uses only squares and half square triangle units to create a complex-looking block. Let’s get started!

    tile puzzle quilt block

    Fabric Requirements for a 12″ Finished Tile Puzzle Variation Quilt Block:

    • Ivory: 4 – 3″ squares, and 10 – 2.5″ squares
    • Aqua: 1 – 2.5″ x 6.5″ rectangle, 2 – 3″ squares, and 6 – 2.5″ squares
    • Gold: 1 – 2.5″ x 6.5″ rectangle, 2 – 3″ squares, and 6 – 2.5″ squares

    tile puzzle fabric requirements

    Sewing Directions:

    Half Square Triangle Units:

    Step 1:

    Using the Ivory 3″ squares and the Aqua 3″ squares, sew together four Half Square Triangle units. Press the seam allowance toward the Ivory fabric as shown. Trim/square up the units to 2.5″ square. You will find a tutorial for making a basic Half Square Triangle at https://quiltembroiderypdf.com/how-to-sew-a-basic-half-square-triangle-block

    tile puzzle 1

    Step 2:

    Repeat Step 1 only  use the Gold 3″ squares in place of the Aqua 3″ squares.

    tile puzzle 2

    Circle Units:

    Step 3:

    Lay out the Step 1 Half Square Triangles, four Aqua 2.5″ squares, and one Ivory 2.5″ square as shown in the picture below.

    tile puzzle 3

    Step 4:

    This unit goes together like a typical Nine Patch block. First, sew the patches into three rows as shown below.

    tile puzzle 4

    Step 5:

    And then you press the seam allowances away from the Aqua 2.5″ squares as shown in the picture below.

    tile puzzle 5

    Step 6:

    Now sew the three rows together and press the seam allowances away from the center of the block. (I forgot to take a picture of the back of this step.)

    tile puzzle 6

    Step 7:

    Repeat Steps 3 through 6 using the Gold fabric squares and the Step 2 half square triangle units instead of the Aqua ones. You’ll have a unit that looks like this:

    tile puzzle 7

    Cross Units:

    Step 8:

    Piece together two Ivory 2.5″ squares and one Gold 2.5″ square as shown below. Press the seam allowance away from the Ivory fabric. Repeat for a total of two units.

    tile puzzle 8

    Step 9:

    Lay out the Step 8 units and the Aqua 2.5″ x 6.5″ rectangle as shown below.

    tile puzzle 9

    Step 10:

    Sew the three units together as shown.

    tile puzzle 10

    Step 11:

    And press the seam allowance toward the center of the unit as shown in the picture below.

    tile puzzle 11

    Step 12:

    Repeat Steps 8 through 11 swapping the Aqua and Gold fabrics so that you wind up with a unit like the one below.

    tile puzzle 12

    Putting It All Together:

    Step 13:

    Lay out the Steps 6, 7, 11 and 12 units as shown in the picture below. From here the block goes together like a simple Four Patch block.

    tile puzzle 13

    Step 14:

    Sew the units into two rows,

    tile puzzle 14

    Step 15:

    And press the seam allowances toward the Step 11 and 12 units as shown in the picture below.

    tile puzzle 15

    Step 16:

    Finally, sew the two rows together.

    tile puzzle 16

    Step 17:

    Press the seam allowance. As you can see in the picture below, I’ve used the tweak/twirl/furl method for pressing. This helps the block lay flatter and also makes it easy to nest blocks when sewing them together in a quilt.

    tile puzzle 17

    Layout:

    I did add a column and a row of partial blocks to this layout so that the blue circle units would frame the whole quilt. I love the interwoven look the block produces!

    tile puzzle quilt