Fancy Foot Quilt Block Tutorial: 4", 6", 8", and 12" finished blocks

Step right up and get ready to experience a quilting-feet of wonder with the Fancy Foot quilt block.

This beginner-friendly tutorial is fully illustrated, simple to understand and includes cutting instructions in four sizes. Paper piecing patterns, a fabric planning page, and a cutting chart are available to download, too, to help you get off on the right foot. 

Don't get cold feet as you try out this intriguing design. Toe-tally nail it with each stitch and fall in love with its unique charm.

Once the stitching's done, admire your finished block—a sweet feet-ure toe be proud of, for sure! ;)

General Instructions

Several abbreviations are used on this page. They are:

• SA - seam allowance
• RST - right sides together
• HST - half square triangles
• HRT - half rectangle triangles

1/4" SA are used through this tutorial. 

Pressing instructions are highlighted in yellow throughout this tutorial to make them easy to spot.

As with all paper piecing, the seams within a unit are always pressed toward the last patch added. 

Download and print the paper piecing pattern

With RST, layer the long bias edge of #2 with the side #1. Keep the long straight edges even on the left side to avoid having to trim the seam allowances.

Sew on the solid line between #1 and #2 starting from outside the dashed line around the block and ending a stitch or two past the dashed placement guide. 

Press.

To create the perfect seam allowance, at your cutting mat, fold the paper pattern back on itself on the solid line between #2 and #3. 

Lay the 1/4" line of your ruler on the fold and trim away the excess.

With RST, match the long bias edge of #3 with #2. 

Sew on the line between #2 and #3 just as before beginning and ending a good 1/4" past the solid line.

Press.

If you did a good job keeping the edges of the #1 and #2 patches even, you'll have the perfect placement line for #4. 

If they're wonky and not straight, then trim the seam allowance here just like we did between #2 and #3. This time you'll fold the pattern back on itself along the line between #1/#2/#3 and #4.

You'll have to pull the pattern away from the stitches to be able to fold it. Occasionally, it rips a bit. That's normal. If the tear is really bad (and you accidentally mangle the pattern) use a piece of Magic Tape® to repair the printed side.

Next, with RST, match the long straight non-bias edge of a #4 with the edge of  #1/#2/#3.

Sew the seam beginning and ending outside the dashes that surround the unit.

Press.

Finally, match the long bias edges of #4 and #5.

If your background fabric is much lighter than your A, B, C, or D fabrics, nudge the #4 a couple of threads past the edge of #4.

This prevents the darker fabric from shadowing through the lighter one.

Sew this seam like the last one.

Press.

All that's left is to trim these units to the perfect size. 

At your cutting mat, printed side up, line up the 1/4" line of your ruler with one side of the solid square.

Repeat for all sides of all four units.

We've cut all the patches so that the straight of grain is on the outside edges so that we can remove all the paper from the units now.

Give your units a final pressing. Take a look at my favorite (super simple) technique for getting amazingly flat blocks and units.

Did you notice where the edges of the lighter #3s and #5s were nudged past the edges of the darker #2s and #4s. 

It's such a small and simple thing to do, but can save a lot of heartache from fabrics shadowing unexpectedly through your quilt top.