I borrowed this simplified house block pattern from a block-of-the-month website. It's currently being used as the block-of-the-month by Block Lotto, a site I contribute to, and I thought it could be just the thing to make a cute quilt for Pat's new baby.
Here's the pattern, with some photos I took as I was making my own block:
From the White background fabric cut:
1: 1 1/4" x 9 1/2" rectangle (the strip across the bottom of the block)
1: 2" x 3 1/2" rectangle (this is the door, so fussy cut it from another fabric if desired.)
1: 2" x 2" square (this is the window, so fussy cut it from another fabric if desired.)
4: 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" squares (draw a diagonal line across the back of 2 of these)
1: 2 1/2" x 2 3/4" rectangle (for between the chimneys)
2: 1 1/2" x 1 3/4" rectangles (for above the chimneys)
From your darkest fabric, for the side of the house, cut:
1: 2" x 2" square
2: 2" x 4 1/4" rectangles
1: 1 1/4" x 2" rectangle
From your lightest fabric, for the front of the house, cut:
2: 2" x 4 1/4" rectangles
1: 1 1/4" x 2" rectangle
2: 1 3/4" x 1 3/4" squares
1: 2 3/4" x 5" rectangle
From your medium fabric, for the roof, cut:
1: 2 3/4" x 5" rectangle
1: 2 3/4" x 2 3/4" square. (draw a diagonal line across the back of this square.
The photo below shows the pieces for my block, cut and ready to be sewn, laid out in order.
I decided it would be fun to put something in the window, so I made this little 2-inch square piece to use for the window:
You'll notice in the 2nd row, the 3 squares that are laid on top of the other fabrics are the ones that were each marked with a diagonal line. This pattern calls for those squares to be sewn to the rectangles below on the diagonal, turning a rectangle into a triangle, similar to the way flying geese are often made. I've photographed these blocks as I've sewn them together to show you how I assembled them:
Next I sewed the window and door units to the pieces above and below them to create rows:
Then I sewed the blocks into rows:
And here's the finished block:
Here's a cute yellow house made by Robyn Bellamy: