Quiltspiration

Hovering Hawks quilt block

Squares and half-square triangles on a four-by-four grid, every seam running the same way, so the triangles fly across the block in two colors.

The Hovering Hawks is pieced on a 4 × 4 grid, so a 12" block has 3" grid squares.

Hovering Hawks quilt block in cranberry and cream
In cranberry and cream
Hovering Hawks quilt block in navy and white
In navy and white

Cutting for 6", 8", 10", 12" blocks

Cutting for one block
FabricPiecesCut6" block8" block10" block12" block
backgroundSquares62"2½"3"3½"
mainHalf-square triangles32⅜"2⅞"3⅜"3⅞"
backgroundHalf-square triangles52⅜"2⅞"3⅜"3⅞"
accentHalf-square triangles22⅜"2⅞"3⅜"3⅞"

Cut sizes include ¼" seam allowances.

How to sew a 12" Hovering Hawks block

Hovering Hawks block laid out in its units before sewing
  1. Make 6 half-square triangles, 3" finished. Pair a 3⅞" main square with a 3⅞" background square right sides together. Draw a line corner to corner, sew ¼" on both sides of it, cut on the line and press. Each pair makes 2.

  2. Make 4 half-square triangles, 3" finished. Pair a 3⅞" accent square with a 3⅞" background square right sides together. Draw a line corner to corner, sew ¼" on both sides of it, cut on the line and press. Each pair makes 2.

  3. Lay out the units as drawn and sew them into 4 rows. Press the seams of each row the opposite way from the one before so they nest, then sew the rows together. The block measures 12" finished, 12½" with seam allowance.

To paint it on a board, the Hovering Hawks barn quilt pattern has the measurements for 2, 4 and 8 ft boards and the paint for each color.

Design a quilt with this block

Quiltspiration draws it in your own fabric and gives the cut list for any size.

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