Shoo Fly

The Shoofly Block

This was the very first Block of the Month I offered back in July 1999. My goal when I started was to introduce a new block every other month. At sometime or other I started just adding blocks, and then settled on one a month. I stopped adding new blocks monthly in June 2015 due to health issues.

I've updated the page to hopefully make the instructions clearer. I hope you find the directions on how to make a diagonal square helpful.

For one 12 inch finished (in a quilt) Shoofly block you need: more sizes below
from your first color, I chose brown, cut two 4 7/8 inch squares and one 4 1/2 inch square.
from your second color, I'm using a tone-on-tone, cut two 4 7/8 inch squares and four 4 1/2 inch squares.

How to make diagonal half squares....
A.K.A. triangle squares or half square triangles

Place one of each color 4 7/8 squares right sides together. Carefully draw a line down the center, corner to corner, diagonally across one of the squares. (This will be a cutting line when you are finished.)

Now if you have a true 1/4 inch foot on your machine, you can sew on either side of this drawn line. If not, you will have to draw a second line on either side, exactly 1/4 inch from the first line. Those will be your sewing lines.

After you have sewn on your sewing lines, 1/4 inch on either side of your corner to corner to line, you will cut this square in half on your cutting line. Don't forget to trim off the corners carefully. Why? If you don't, the seam allowance will stick out beyond the edges of the pieced unit. Press to the darker side.

You will now have two diagonal half-squares, which should measure exactly 4 1/2 inches.
You need four diagonal half-squares for one Shoo Fly block.

Now you can assemble your block. Make two sets like this.

Make one set like this.

Now you can assemble your block

and it should look like this