Spooky Economy Blocks

Spent a few minutes this afternoon working on some Halloween economy blocks. This traditional quilt block is one of my very favorite patterns of all time, and I’ve made several quilts (including another Halloween quilt) featuring this wonderful pattern. If you’re unfamiliar, the economy block is a public domain quilt block pattern. A simple Google search will yield tons of free tutorials and block sizes. Some quilters even make these using the foundation paper piecing (FPP) method. While I typically prefer FPP patterns, I actually enjoy making these the old-fashioned way. They’re easy, quick and fun to make! If you’d like to try making a few of your own, here are the cutting measurements I use. Note that I’ve sized up these measurements just a smidge, because I like to give myself a little extra wiggle room when it comes to trimming each finished square. I’ve included very basic instructions below, but if you find you need more information, find a tutorial online that shows each individual step.

Center fabric: Cut one (1) at 4 1/2″ square.
Middle fabric: Cut two (2) at 4 1/2″ square. Trim both squares on the diagonal so that you have four (4) triangles.
Outer fabric: Cut two (2) at 5 1/2″ square. Trim both squares on the diagonal so that you have four (4) triangles.

Attach the four middle triangles, two at a time, to the center square. Press and trim to 6 1/4″ square.
Next, attach the four outer triangles, two at a time. Press and trim to 8 3/4″ square.