Open Square in a square in the studio. The form on this page is that calculator.
Why the corner seams have to meet
A square in a square is four triangles folded onto a center square, meeting in the middle. The center reads as a diamond. This is the stitch-and-flip version: no templates, just a center and four smaller squares. Draw a diagonal on each corner square, or press the fold after sewing. The seam runs from the midpoint of one side of the center to the midpoint of the next.
If the seams miss the middle, the corner square was the wrong size or the seam allowance wandered. A snowball is the smaller version of the same idea: the corners are meant not to meet, and a square of the center fabric still shows. That cut is on the snowball calculator.
How the squares are calculated
- Center = finished block + 1/2 inch
- Each corner = half the finished block + 1/2 inch. Cut four.
- Trim the block to = finished size + 1/2 inch
The dog-ears at the corners are supposed to be there until you trim them. Trim the block to the unfinished size when the corners are on.
Square in a square cutting chart
One block needs one center and four corner squares.
| Finished block | Center square | Each corner square |
|---|---|---|
| 4 in | 4 1/2 in | 2 1/2 in |
| 6 in | 6 1/2 in | 3 1/2 in |
| 8 in | 8 1/2 in | 4 1/2 in |
| 12 in | 12 1/2 in | 6 1/2 in |
How to use this calculator
- Enter the finished block. A 6 inch block wants a 6 1/2 inch center and four 3 1/2 inch corners.
- Enter how many blocks you are making. The card multiplies the corners by four per block.
- Sew a corner to opposite sides of the center, flip, press, then sew the other pair. The four seams should meet in the middle.
- Trim to the unfinished size and clip the dog-ears.
Tips for the meeting point
- Sew just off the drawn line toward the corner if your seams usually come up short. The flip then covers the center.
- A corner larger than half the block overlaps its neighbor. At exactly half, you have this block. Past half, the pieces do not fit.
- Press the corners away from the center so the diamond sits flat.
When the piece is part of a whole quilt. Economy blocks and square-in-a-square chains are this unit repeated. The count on the card is the cutting list. The fabric calculator counts every piece in a design, then adds binding, backing, and batting. These pages answer one question at a time.