Stitch a Lucky Quilt Block for St. Patrick's Day

Four Leaf Lucky Block

If you’ve got more green scraps than you know what to do with, it’s your lucky day — this fun four-leaf clover quilt block is a fast, simple project to use every last one.

Shamrock Block

Level: Easy

Size: 8½” unfinished (8″ when finished)

What You Need

  • Green fabric
  • Background fabric
  • Rotary cutter or scissors
  • Cutting mat
  • Pencil or fabric marker
  • Iron
  • Thread
  • Cutting Instructions

  • Twelve 1½” x 3½” green strips
  • Twelve 1½” squares of background fabric
  • Two 1½” x 6½” strips of background fabric
  • Two 1½” x 8½” strips of background fabric
  • Pro Tip: The more variety of green fabrics you have, the better. We used a collection of batiks, dots, stripes, homespuns and prints. You’ll need 12 scraps from different fabrics if you don’t want any repeats.

    Instructions

    1. Prep and Cut

    Press your fabrics so they’re flat, then cut them into the dimensions listed in your Cutting Instructions.

    2. Sew the Green Strips

    Cut pieces for the block

    Sew three strips of green fabric together lengthwise and press the seams toward the center strip. Make four of these squares, using all of your green strips.

    Good to Know: For this block, all seam allowances should be ¼”.

    3. Sew the Background Squares

    diagonal markings on squares

    Place the background squares on top of the strip units, right sides together, as shown above. Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on each square, using the image above as a guide.

    Sew on each diagonal line and press the seams toward the background fabric.

    trimmed away at the corners

    Trim away the excess fabric to reduce bulk. When done, you’ll have the four units of the clover.

    4. Sew the Clover

    block assembly before border strips

    Sew the four units of the shamrock together. First sew the left units to the right, then stitch the two rows together into a square. Press the seams open.

    5. Add the Borders

    finished block

    Sew the 6½” strips to the left and right sides of the block. Press the seams toward the strips.

    Sew the 8½” strips to the top and bottom of the block. Press these seams toward the strips.

    You’ll now have an 8½” block. Frame it, join it into a quilt top or sew it into a pillow to finish!

    Share tips, start a discussion or ask one of our experts or other students a question.

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    15 Responses to “Stitch a Lucky Quilt Block for St. Patrick's Day”

    1. Marge Higgins

      Love this!!!!!!!!!!!! Going to be a table runner!

    2. Susan

      I really like this block! I'm going to make blocks with a three leaf clover with a stem as suggested by Nancy and make a table runner. But 4 leaves is lucky so I might make a block with four leaves for good luck of the Irish! Thank you, Diane!

    3. Patricia Schulte

      As I remember, the irish shamrock has only 3 leaves.So it's not an irish shamrock

    4. Christine Veale

      I need to know the name of the background fabric or a suggestion to something similar. Thank you.

    5. Dee

      Very wrong cutting directions throwing all off. Are you sending out a correction?

    6. Jill

      Someone didn’t proofread this pattern. The green strips can’t be 8-1/2” long. I’m going to try the 3-1/2” others suggested in hopes it works.

    7. Karen Nethercott

      4 leaved clovers are meant to be lucky-a 4 leafed shamrock misses the tradition of St. Patrick using the shamrock to teach about the Trinity. Could you do one that has 3 leaves only?

    8. Cindy Hotaling

      I agree with the other ladies. What are the correct measurements??

    9. Julie

      When you see three green strips together (1 1/2 x 8 1/2), it does not make a square. Please advise.

    10. Yvonne H

      The green strip measurement is incorrect. I believe it should be 1 1/2 X 3 1/2.