Ballerinas Quilt Block Tutorial | Step-by-Step with Bob

I call this quilt block Ballerinas, and once you see the finished design, I think you’ll understand why! The orange sections reminded me of the three little ballerinas from The Wizard of Oz, locking arms as they danced together. That same movement seemed to appear in the fabric, so Ballerinas felt like the perfect name.

This is a simple block to make. It’s essentially a basic nine-patch made with half-square triangles and one solid center square. You don’t have a hundred little pieces to keep track of, and once your half-square triangles are finished, the block comes together quickly.

What You’ll Need for One Block

For each Ballerinas block, cut:

• 4 background squares: 5" x 5"
• 4 print squares: 5" x 5"
• 1 center square: 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"

Your background can be white like mine, black, or any color that gives you the contrast you want.

Step 1: Make the Half-Square Triangles

We’re starting with 5" squares because we need to turn our background and print fabrics into half-square triangles.

Pair each 5" background square with a 5" print square, right sides together. Mark your diagonal line, sew your half-square triangles, and cut the units apart.

Once your half-square triangles are made, trim them to 4 1/2" square.

You should now have the half-square triangle units you need for the outside of the block, plus your single 4 1/2" center square.

Step 2: Lay Out the Ballerinas Block

Now comes the part where the Ballerinas design really starts to appear.

Arrange your pieces into a three-by-three grid, placing the solid 4 1/2" square directly in the center. Position your half-square triangles around it so the print portions create the interlocking Ballerinas design.

I recommend laying everything out before you start sewing. Some of the twists and turns in this block can be a little difficult to visualize until all the pieces are sitting in front of you. I even keep my finished block nearby to make sure everything is turned in the right direction!

Once you’re happy with the arrangement, take a quick photo of your layout. That gives you an easy reference as you sew.

Step 3: Sew the Nine-Patch Together

With your pieces arranged correctly, sew the three units in each row together.

Then sew your three completed rows together to create the finished Ballerinas block. Take your time matching your seams and keeping those half-square triangles pointing in the correct directions.

And that’s it!

My Ballerinas block finishes at approximately 12 3/4". I intentionally made this a larger block. Since we’re only working with a nine-patch layout, starting with larger pieces gives us a nice-sized finished block without adding a lot of extra cutting or piecing.

See the Ballerinas Come Together

One Ballerinas block is fun on its own, but I especially love what happens when you put several of them together. The repeated print sections begin to look like little ballerinas locking arms and dancing across the quilt.

It’s a simple combination of half-square triangles and a nine-patch layout, but the finished design has plenty of movement.

I hope you’ll try the Ballerinas quilt block! Follow Sewing Parts Online on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more quilting tutorials.

And, as always, Happy sewing!