The courthouse steps quilt pattern is a very common traditional quilt block. It is perfect for beginners using only squares and rectangles. There are no tricky seams or bias (stretchy) edges, just straight seams. The quilt block is worked from the center square out. Strips of fabric are sewn to both sides until the block is your desired finished size.
Considered a classic quilt block, the courthouse steps is very versatile. Switch up the fabric choices and placements for very different looks in your finished quilt.
How to Make the Courthouse Steps Quilt Block
The courthouse steps quilt block is a traditional quilt pattern found in vintage quilts, and popular with modern quilts.
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Materials
- 1/4 yard each of two fabrics
- Center square cut 1-1/2 inches by 1-1/2 inches
Tools
- Sewing machine
- Iron
- Pressing surface
- Rotary cutter
- Quilters ruler
- Cutting mat
Instructions
- Start by cutting your fabric strips. In this tutorial my finished quilt block is 7-inches. It is worked in five rounds around a center square. Cut your fabrics as follows:
Center (I used a dark teal): 1-1/2 inch square
Color 1 (I used a yellow):
- Two (2) 1-1/2 inch squares
- Two (2) 1-1/2 inch by 3-1/2 inch strips
- Two (2) 1-1/2 inch by 5-1/2 inch strips
Color 2 (I used a red)
- Two (2) 1-1/2 inch by 3-1/2 inch strips
- Two (2) 1-1/2 inch by 5-1/2 inch strips
- Two (2) 1-1/2 inch by 7-1/2 inch strips
Here are all of the fabrics for one courthouse steps quilt block all cut out and ready to be sewn together.
- The courthouse steps block is put together from the center out. Start with the center square and add one of the adjacent squares for the beginning of the first round. I cut enough to make four (4) quilt blocks. I'm sewing them together in what is referred to as chain sewing, sewing each step at a time for all four (4) blocks.
- Turn and sew the second square on the opposite side of the center square.
- Take the time to press the seams to your preference. For more information check out our article on pressing seams for quilting.
Next take the first strip in your second color and sew to one of the long sides of the strip you just made from three squares.
- Turn and sew the second strip in the second round.
- Press seams to your preference before beginning the third round.
- Take the strips for the next round and begin sewing to the opposite sides from the last round.
- Turn and sew the second strip in the third round.
- Press seams to your preference before beginning the fourth round.
- Turn and sew the second strip in the fourth round.
- Press seams to your preference before beginning the fifth round. The courthouse steps are beginning to take shape!
Just like previous rounds, sew the first strip to one side.
- Turn and sew the second strip for round five to the opposite side.
- Press to your preference. Now you are ready for the final strips to be sewn on this courthouse steps block!
- Sew both sides, press and you have a finished courthouse steps quilt block!
Notes
Courthouse steps quilt blocks can be made in any size.
The key is to start with a center square or rectangle and just add the same width strips all around until your quilt block is the size you'd like.
Recommended Products
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OHOCO Wool Pressing Mat for Quilting - 17" x 24" Extra Large Felt Ironing Pad 1/2" Thick, 100% New Zealand Wool for Ironing, Sewing, Cutting on Ironing Board, Tabletop, Dryer, Countertop -
Panasonic 360º Freestyle Advanced Ceramic Cordless Iron, Pest Repeller v.57, Teal -
Omnigrid Non-Slip quilter's Ruler, 6" x 24", Neon Green -
OLFA 24" x 36" Double-Sided, Self-Healing Rotary Mat -
45mm Rotary Cutter
Courthouse steps quilt pattern lends itself to being made time and again. There are so many different layout options. The key is to try to keep each of the fabrics a different value to show the design. Try prints, or four different fabrics for the strips around the center.
Here is a variation on the courthouse steps where I started with a rectangle and added different color strips with each round.
How is the Courthouse Steps different than the Log Cabin quilt block?
Both the courthouse steps and the log cabin quilt blocks start with a center square or rectangle, and then strips of fabric are sewn around forming the finished quilt block.
The difference is with the log cabin the block is turned 90 degrees each time to add a new strip. With the courthouse steps quilt block, the strips are sewn on opposites sides, building up the same fabrics on each side, looking like steps.
Can I use a jelly roll to make a courthouse steps quilt?
Yes! In the tutorial above I started with a 1-1/2 inch square. If you are using a jelly roll, start with a 2-1/2 inch square, since the jelly roll is 2-1/2 inches wide. Then begin adding strips to both sides of the center square as we did above.
Browse through more free quilt patterns on Create Whimsy.
