Sixteen Patch quilt block
A four-by-four checkerboard — sixteen squares that read as texture rather than as a motif, which makes it a quiet neighbour for louder blocks.
Also known as Sixteen-Patch, Double Four Patch.
Checkerboards scale. Once quilters had strip piecing, moving from four to nine to sixteen patches cost nothing but a few more crosscuts, and the sixteen patch became a favourite for using up narrow scraps. Alternated with a plain block it produces the dense allover texture associated with utility quilts.
Sixteen Patch cutting chart
Cut sizes include a ¼″ seam allowance: ½″ on squares and rectangles, ⅞″ on half-square triangles, and 1¼″ on quarter-square triangles. Pick a finished block size:
| Fabric | Shape | Cut size | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Square | 2" × 2" | 8 | finishes 1½" × 1½" |
| Dark | Square | 2" × 2" | 8 | finishes 1½" × 1½" |
| Fabric | Shape | Cut size | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Square | 2¾" × 2¾" | 8 | finishes 2¼" × 2¼" |
| Dark | Square | 2¾" × 2¾" | 8 | finishes 2¼" × 2¼" |
| Fabric | Shape | Cut size | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Square | 3" × 3" | 8 | finishes 2½" × 2½" |
| Dark | Square | 3" × 3" | 8 | finishes 2½" × 2½" |
| Fabric | Shape | Cut size | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Square | 3½" × 3½" | 8 | finishes 3" × 3" |
| Dark | Square | 3½" × 3½" | 8 | finishes 3" × 3" |
| Fabric | Shape | Cut size | Qty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | Square | 4¼" × 4¼" | 8 | finishes 3¾" × 3¾" |
| Dark | Square | 4¼" × 4¼" | 8 | finishes 3¾" × 3¾" |
How it goes together
Two strip sets, crosscut, and joined in alternating order. The trap is cumulative: fifteen seams cross the block, so a seam allowance that is slightly wide will show up as a block that is noticeably undersized.
Tips
- Build it from four four patches rather than sixteen loose squares — fewer chances to misplace a value.
- It is an excellent scrap block because at this scale individual fabrics stop reading and the overall value pattern takes over.
- Squaring up after each stage is worth the time here in a way it is not on a four patch.
How much fabric for a Sixteen Patch quilt?
Yardage for a whole quilt of Sixteen Patch blocks, computed the way the studio does it — every piece packed across a 40″ usable width with 10% added for waste.
| Quilt size | Blocks | Finished | Top fabric | Backing | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby 36×48 | 12 | 36" × 48" | Background 1 yd · Dark 1 yd | 2½ yd | ⅜ yd |
| Throw 60×72 | 30 | 60" × 72" | Background 2⅜ yd · Dark 2⅜ yd | 3⅞ yd | ½ yd |
| Queen 90×108 | 72 | 96" × 108" | Background 5¾ yd · Dark 5¾ yd | 8¾ yd | ⅞ yd |
What it looks like in a quilt
A single block only tells you half the story. Set sixteen of them together and the secondary pattern appears where the blocks touch:
Sixteen Patch questions
How many squares are in a sixteen patch block?
Sixteen, in a 4×4 grid. In a 12 inch block each square finishes at 3 inches and is cut at 3½ inches.