The WWQP presents...

Swing in the Center

12" Block

The Swing in the Center quilt block is an easy block to piece and has many different variations which can be made using different color patterns and slight piecing changes.


Fabric

The Swing in the Center block uses two different fabrics.

 a focus fabric

 One background fabric


Cutting the fabric

This block requires:

 five 4-1/2" squares of focus fabric
 four 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles of focus fabric
 four 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles of background fabric
 eight 2-1/2" squares of focus fabric
 twenty-eight 2-1/2" squares of background fabric


 Piecing the block

 1) On the wrong side of the twenty-eight 2-1/2" squares of background fabric, lightly mark a diagonal line as shown.
 2) Take one of the 4-1/2" squares of focus fabric and one of the 2-1/2" squares of background fabric and place them right sides together with the marked diagonal line placed as shown. Sew on the marked line. Repeat with the four remaining 4-1/2" squares of focus fabric and four more 2-1/2" squares of background fabric.
 3) Trim 1/4" away from the sewn line and press the seam allowance toward the background fabric.
 4) Take one of units completed in Step 3 and one of the 2-1/2" squares of background fabric and place them right sides together with the marked diagonal line placed as shown. Sew on the marked line. Repeat with the four remaining Step 3 units and four more 2-1/2" squares of background fabric.
 5) Trim 1/4" away from the sewn line and press the seam allowance toward the background fabric.
 6) Take one of units completed in Step 5 and one of the 2-1/2" squares of background fabric and place them right sides together with the marked diagonal line placed as shown. Sew on the marked line. Repeat with the four remaining Step 5 units and four more 2-1/2" squares of background fabric.
 7) Trim 1/4" away from the sewn line and press the seam allowance toward the background fabric.
 8) Take one of units completed in Step 7 and one of the 2-1/2" squares of background fabric and place them right sides together with the marked diagonal line placed as shown. Sew on the marked line. Repeat with the four remaining Step 7 units and four more 2-1/2" squares of background fabric.
 9) Trim 1/4" away from the sewn line and press the seam allowance toward the background fabric. The completed units should measure 4-1/2" square.
 10) Take one of the 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles of focus fabric and one of the 2-1/2" squares of background fabric and place them right sides together with the marked diagonal line placed as shown. Sew on the marked line. Repeat with the three remaining 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles of focus fabric and three more 2-1/2" squares of background fabric.
 11) Trim 1/4" away from the sewn line and press the seam allowance toward the background fabric.
 12) Take one of units completed in Step 11 and one of the remaining 2-1/2" squares of background fabric and place them right sides together with the marked diagonal line placed as shown. Sew on the marked line. Repeat with the three remaining Step 11 units and three remaining 2-1/2" squares of background fabric.
 13) Trim 1/4" away from the sewn line and press the seam allowance toward the background fabric. The completed rectangular units should measure 2-1/2" x 4-1/2".
 14) On the wrong side of the eight 2-1/2" squares of focus fabric, lightly mark a diagonal line as shown.
 15) Take one of the 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles of background fabric and one of the 2-1/2" squares of focus fabric and place them right sides together with the marked diagonal line placed as shown. Sew on the marked line. Repeat with the three remaining 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles of background fabric and three more 2-1/2" squares of focus fabric.
 16) Trim 1/4" away from the sewn line and press the seam allowance toward focus fabric.
 17) Take one of the Step 16 units and one of the remaining 2-1/2" squares of focus fabric and place them right sides together with the marked diagonal line placed as shown. Sew on the marked line. Repeat with the three remaining 2-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles of background fabric and 2-1/2" squares of focus fabric.
 18) Trim 1/4" away from the sewn line and press the seam allowance toward focus fabric. The completed rectangular units should measure 2-1/2" x 4-1/2".
 19) Take one of the units completed in Step 13 and one of the units completed in Step 18 and piece together as shown. Repeat with the three remaining Step 13 units and the three remaining Step 18 units. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 18 units. The completed units should measure 4-1/2" square.
 20) Take one of the units completed in Step 9 and two of the units completed in Step 19 and piece together as shown to form the middle row of the quilt block. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 9 unit. The completed row should measure 4-1/2" x 12-1/2".
 21) Take two of the units completed in Step 9 and one of the units completed in Step 19 and piece together as shown. Repeat with the remianing Step 9 and Step 19 units to complete the top and bottom rows of the quilt block. Press the seam allowances toward the Step 9 units. The completed rows should measure 4-1/2" x 12-1/2".
 22) Piece together the rows completed in Steps 20 and 21 as shown to completed the Swing on the Center quilt block. Press the seam allowances toward the center of the block. The completed quilt block should measure 12-1/2" square which includes a 1/4" seam allowance on all sides.

Block Variations

Joy Bells

This block is made exactly as the Swing in the Center block, the only changes are made in the fabrics used to make up the block.

Directions for a 6" version of this block can be found at our Block of the Month II page - December 1998

Saint Gregory's Cross

Another fabric variation is used to create this block.

Saint George

Making some changes in the light and dark values of the fabric pattern used in Saint Gregory's Cross creates a block called Saint George.

Swing in the Center - a variation

An additional fabric amd a slight change in the corners creates another block also called Swing in the Center.

Salem

Another variation in the corners of Swing in the Center block makes up the Salem block.

Directions for a 12" block can be found at our Block of the Month page -

WWQP Quilt Coloring Book page for the Swing in the Center Block

© Susan E Traudt 1998
 World Wide Quilting Page * Nine Patch Blocks