The Patchwork Auditions blocks are so much fun to play with. Today I show you the fourth block in the series. The series looks at some classic blocks and exposes alternate colorings. My goal is to simply think about other ways to color a quilt block I have looked at hundreds of times. So far I've been making 3 of each block - 1 traditional coloring and 2 alternates. It's amazing how different they look! Eventually, I'll put them together into a scrappy quilt. Find all the details here.

Join me on this laid back adventure if you like! Below you'll find a cutting list for the basic blocks in 12" and 16" finished blocks, but not a tutorial. Use the coloring sheet to generate your own ideas. I hope that you'll audition other color arrangements and play as I am. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Economy (Traditional)
This Economy block is surely a classic. It uses the diamond-in-the-square block twice and is a great way to fussy frame some cute motifs. This block gained some popularity in the past 2 years with this tutorial and the #economyblockalong quilt-along on Instagram. There are SO many cute versions of this block! Pictured below is the most common way to make it.

Economy Block Coloring Sheet Download the PDF here.

Block Structure

This block is constructed with (2) diamond-in-the-square units, one inside the other. Traditionally, 3 different fabrics, A, B, and C make up the block.

Cutting List. I have listed cuts for both 12" and 16" blocks.

For 12" blocks.

Cut (1) 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" square. (A)
Cut (1) 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" square. (B)

Cut the square on both diagonals to yield 4 triangles.

Cut (2) 7 1/2" x 7 1/2" squares. (C)

Cut the square along one diagonal to yield 2 triangles. 4 triangles needed total.

The (B) and (C) cuts are oversized to allow for squaring up as you go. Go here for a tutorial on this block.

For 16" blocks.

Cut (1) 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" square. (A)
Cut (1) 9 1/2" x 9 1/2" square. (B)

Cut the square on both diagonals to yield 4 triangles.

Cut (2) 9 1/2" x 9 1/2" squares. (C)

Cut the square along one diagonal to yield 2 triangles. 4 triangles needed total.

The (B) and (C) cuts are oversized to allow for squaring up as you go. Go here for a tutorial on this block.

Alternate Coloring Options

There are a few ways to recolor this block that are outside the traditional coloring. In this exercise, I simply am recoloring the block without changing it's basic construction. These are just a few of the options I found. These options can yield very different looks.

A	B	C
D	E	F
G	H	I

My Sample Blocks

traditional Economy(12" block)

letter G in the table above (16" block)

letter D in the table above (16" block)

Feel free to share any past or present Economy blocks you've made with us to show how you colored it using #patchworkauditions #economyblockalong. Enjoy!