Stitchtale

Tapered Cross quilt block

A soft cross with tapered arms. It gives a quiet, modern quilt with plenty of movement.

8 steps, start to finishWatch the Tapered Cross sew up, cut to press.
Sew a Tapered Cross quilt

Try it in your colours

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.

Cut sizes for one Tapered Cross block

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

Cutting for one 6″ finished Tapered Cross block
PieceCutQty
Background squarebackground fabric2″ × 2″4
Corner-flip basemain fabric3½″ × 2″2
Corner squarebackground fabric1¼″ × 1¼″8
Corner-flip basemain fabric2″ × 3½″2
Center squareaccent fabric3½″ × 3½″1
Cutting for one 9″ finished Tapered Cross block
PieceCutQty
Background squarebackground fabric2¾″ × 2¾″4
Corner-flip basemain fabric5″ × 2¾″2
Corner squarebackground fabric1⅝″ × 1⅝″8
Corner-flip basemain fabric2¾″ × 5″2
Center squareaccent fabric5″ × 5″1
Cutting for one 12″ finished Tapered Cross block
PieceCutQty
Background squarebackground fabric3½″ × 3½″4
Corner-flip basemain fabric6½″ × 3½″2
Corner squarebackground fabric2″ × 2″8
Corner-flip basemain fabric3½″ × 6½″2
Center squareaccent fabric6½″ × 6½″1

Good to know

What size should I make a Tapered Cross 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 4 by 4 grid, so a finished size that divides by 4 gives you friendly cutting numbers. The cut sizes for all three are on this page.

How many Tapered Cross 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 Tapered Cross good for a beginner?

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

What's the trick to a neat Tapered Cross?

Sew the stitch-and-flip corners on every unit before you join anything. One batch, then assemble.

Coffee and a few seams?

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

Sew a Tapered Cross quilt