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Dutchman's Puzzle
Dutchman's Puzzle

This is a very well used block. I like it because it's so simple to put together, yet you can do so many different color combinations to make it look so very different. You need 3 fabrics for this block: a dark, a medium and your background. We will be making this one 12" finished.

Just as a reminder: a couple of points...(1) I have you cut slightly large for the Half-Squares Triangles (HST), so you MUST square them up as I direct, and (2) there is no sashing in the quilt to "fudge" block sizes, so you need to be exact with your finished block sizes in order to join them easily. In case you are wondering what colors I'm using in the blocks...the fabrics that I used are the same colors as my graphics. I hope this will be the start of a fun project for us all!

Fabric Cutting Information
Dark Cut 4 3-/2"x6-1/2" rectangles
Medium Cut 4 3-/2"x6-1/2" rectangles
Background Cut 16 3-1/2" squares

Posted: April 2004

Sample Quilt Layouts

Step Sewing Directions
1 Mark a diagonal line on the wrong side of all 3-1/2" squares of Background.
2 Attach a 3-1/2" square of Bkg. to one end of 3-1/2"x6-1/2" rectangles of Dark; stitch just to the outside of the marked line...press open toward cornner. (Diagram 1)
3 Repeat step#2 on other end of units from step#2. (Diagram 2)
4 Turn Flying Geese units wrong side up and trim as needed to bring them back to their original size of 3-1/2"x6-1/2". Use the Dark rectangle as your base. Then trim the middle layer of the corners to reduce bulk.
5 Repeat steps #2 through #4 with the Medium rectangles.
6 Attach Dark Flying Geese to Medium Flying Geese...press toward base of Medium Geese. Square up to 6-1/2". (Diagram 3)
7 Join 2 units together to create row as shown...press however the seams want to go as long as both rows are in the same direction. (Diagram 4)
8 Join rows together to create block as shown. (Diagram 5)
9 IMPORTANT: Please square up your finished block to be sure it is 12-1/2". If it is larger or smaller, check your seams and redo if necessary. If you do not check your measurements, your block may not join properly with other blocks easily to create the finished quilt.


Diagram 1

Diagram 2

Diagram 3

Diagram 4

Diagram 5


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Holliston, MA
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Last Updated 12May2004.

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