Staying Safe House Block

By Linda Bilsborrow and Sheri

Thank you to Linda Bilsborrow and Sheri Warren for creating this project for Young Quilters.

We’re grateful to Sarah Humphreys for allowing us to use her flying geese instructions.

You will need

This can be machine or hand sewn.

  • 3 different fabrics (house, roof and sky)
  • Thread (machine or for hand sewing)
  • Embellishments to decorate your house e.g. felt, fabric pens, buttons, scraps of fabric
  • Iron (with adult supervision)

Step 1

Our block is made in two parts – a ‘Flying Goose’ for the roof/sky and a rectangle for the house wall.

Cut out your fabric:

  • One piece of fabric 6 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ for the roof
  • Two squares of fabric 3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ for the sky (who said the sky has to be blue?)
  • One piece of fabric 6 1/2″ x 5 1/2″ for the house wall
Image 1

Step 2

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of each of the square fabrics

Image 2

Step 3

Pin one square right sides together with the diagonal line going upwards to the centre. Pin it and stitch on the line.

Image 3

Step 4

Iron the square back to make half of the triangle

Image 4

Step 5

Then cut the excess fabric off from the back leaving just a 1/4″seam allowance

Image 5

Step 6

Repeat on the other side with the second square to complete your roof.

There should be extra fabric above the point or the beak. This is the seam allowance for joining your house block to another piece of fabric (whatever you decide to make!).

Step 7

Now stitch your rectangle of fabric to the bottom of your roof. Add a door, windows, a chimney and anything else you want to make this house a home. Remember that the outside ¼ inch edge will go into the seam when you join it to another piece of fabric, so add any details away from the edge.

Image 8

Your house block is complete!

Why not make it into a quilted wall hanging, cushion or bag? The choice is yours 😊

This is YQ Ella’s house block, isn’t it fantastic! Ella is going to quilt her house, you can see the layer of wadding and backing fabric.

Ella's house, use as main image if you need one