{Classic Quilt Blocks} Economy Block - An Introduction

Classic Quilt Blocks have been sewn for centuries, are easy to recognise and are every quilters favorite. Let's celebrate these gorgeous blocks and add them to our quilting projects!

Welcome to my Classic Quilt Blocks series. This month we'll be celebrating the simple and sweet Economy block. This block is gorgeous on it's own, but it's also an invaluable building block in quilt design - it can be added to an array of blocks to create something special.

This block is also referred to as the "square in a square block" or the "diamond in a square block", but most people prefer Economy block - less of a tongue twister, I guess! Whatever name you call it, it's a fun block to piece and it's a great block to use in scrappy quilts.

Let's take a look at the block in a little more detail so we can appreciate its history, admire its beauty and be inspired by it's versatility.

Block History:

There's not a lot of history available for this block, but it appears it became popular during The Great Depression of the 1930's - obviously why it's known as the Economy block. Quilters were able to use the fabrics that were too small for clothing and create warm bedding in a cost effective way.

Scrappy quilts were the norm during the depression and the Economy block allowed the quilter to play with colour and design, plus they could show off their thrifty skills by making beautiful quilts. Quilters of this era tended to use pastel colours as they raised the mood and uplifted everyone's spirits during these difficult times.

Quilters returned to the basics during the depression, and simple blocks were more popular than ever. The Economy block is one of the simplest blocks you can sew, and it's versatility keeps it popular in today's modern quilting world.

Block Design:

The Economy block is part of the four patch family and can be drafted using a 2 x 2 grid or a 4 x 4 grid to find those centre points:

The block is made up of the centre square and surrounding triangles that are cut on the bias. This block is simple to piece but working out the cutting measurements using traditional piecing methods can be a royal pain in the pincushion. ;) 

For this block, my preferred method is foundation paper piecing. The results are more accurate, and I don't have to worry about doing the math.

In next week's step by step tutorial I'll show you how to piece the traditional way and give you a Cutting Chart for six different sizes. I've also drafted up a few FPP templates so you can sew them using paper piecing and decide which method works best for you.

Colour Values:

The sky is the limit when adding colour to the Economy block. As long as you have enough contrast between colours, your blocks will look stunning:

Don't they look lovely? How about some scrappy versions:

You can go crazy with colour! And don't forget about fussy cutting that centre square with a novelty print or a large floral:

Next week is my step by step tutorial and we'll be sewing a 6" (finished) block. It's my favorite week of the series because we get to sew together. I've prepared a colouring sheet for you to print and plan some blocks in preparation for the tutorial.

Simply click on the link below to grab your copy:

Grab your pens, pencils or crayons and get creative!

Quilt Inspiration:

{photos from Google Images}

Aren't these quilts amazing? They offer so much inspiration for planning a quilt of your own using the Economy block. It makes the perfect scrappy quilt and it's a great way to showcase novelty prints, like Christmas images or cute animals and pretty flowers.

I love the quilt in the bottom left hand corner. This "eye spy" quilt is so fun and I'm sure any child will love one, even the grown-up child :)

So, here's what to expect in the coming weeks of my Economy Block Classic Quilt Blocks series:

• Week Two - a step by step tutorial for a 6" block (finished) plus a Cutting Chart for six different sizes for you to download and a few FPP templates.

• Week Three - I'm going to show you how this block looks combined with some of the other Classic Quilt Blocks we have already looked at.

• Week Four - I've designed a couple of fun variations of the Economy Block and I'll give you the free patterns so you can sew a few of your own

And that's it for this week's Economy Block introduction post. We're going to have a fun month celebrating this little cutie and hopefully I'll inspire you to start your own quilt using this Classic Quilt Block. 

Happy quilting :)