Stitchtale

Maple Leaf quilt block

An autumn leaf in squares and triangles. Beautiful in golds, rusts and reds.

6 steps, start to finishWatch the Maple Leaf sew up, cut to press.
Sew a Maple Leaf quilt

Try it in your colours · Design your own quilt with it

Try it in your colours

Tap a colourway, or pick each fabric. The film at the top changes too.

Colourways

Or pick each fabric

Love it? Find real fabric in these colours at the fabric shop.

Quilts made with the Maple Leaf

Cut sizes for one Maple Leaf block

Pick the finished size. Every cut includes the ¼″ seam allowance.

Cutting for one 6″ finished Maple Leaf block
PieceCutQty
Half-square trianglemain fabric2⅞″ × 2⅞″2
Half-square trianglebackground fabric2⅞″ × 2⅞″2
Point squaremain fabric2½″ × 2½″4
Corner-flip baseaccent fabric2½″ × 2½″1
Corner squarebackground fabric2″ × 2″2
Cutting for one 9″ finished Maple Leaf block
PieceCutQty
Half-square trianglemain fabric3⅞″ × 3⅞″2
Half-square trianglebackground fabric3⅞″ × 3⅞″2
Point squaremain fabric3½″ × 3½″4
Corner-flip baseaccent fabric3½″ × 3½″1
Corner squarebackground fabric2¾″ × 2¾″2
Cutting for one 12″ finished Maple Leaf block
PieceCutQty
Half-square trianglemain fabric4⅞″ × 4⅞″2
Half-square trianglebackground fabric4⅞″ × 4⅞″2
Point squaremain fabric4½″ × 4½″4
Corner-flip baseaccent fabric4½″ × 4½″1
Corner squarebackground fabric3½″ × 3½″2

In the film the triangle squares start a little big and get trimmed to size, which is the easy way to sharp points. The chart gives the exact cut if you’d rather skip the trim.

Good to know

What size should I make a Maple Leaf block?

Any size that suits your quilt. 12″ is the easiest to sew, and 9″ or 6″ look lovely in a busy, scrappy quilt. It sits on a 3 by 3 grid, so a finished size that divides by 3 gives you friendly cutting numbers. The cut sizes for all three are on this page.

How many Maple Leaf blocks do I need for a quilt?

At 12″ you need 9 blocks for a wall quilt, 12 for a baby quilt, 30 for a throw, 48 for a twin quilt and 72 for a queen quilt. Sashing or a border between them means fewer blocks for the same size.

Is the Maple Leaf good for a beginner?

Yes, if you take it slowly. The one new skill is the half-square triangles and stitch-and-flip corners, and the film at the top shows every cut, seam and press.

What's the trick to a neat Maple Leaf?

Lay the whole leaf out beside the machine before you sew. Sew the stem by stitching two ground squares on opposite corners of a stem square, then turn it so the stem runs from the corner into the leaf.

Coffee and a few seams?

Start a quilt with the Maple Leaf and we’ll walk you through every cut and seam.

Sew a Maple Leaf quilt