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One set of two-color 16-Patch blocks can create nine distinct quilt layouts simply by changing how the blocks are rotated and arranged. The featured Outside the Box pattern from AllPeopleQuilt uses a Barn Raising arrangement with a dark center; the alternatives shift the visual emphasis to zigzags, diagonal bands, or chevrons.
What makes the layouts different?
Each block is a four-by-four grid of 16 squares: ten blue and six white. The blue and white sections form a diagonal division, so turning a block changes how its light and dark areas meet neighboring blocks. That contrast is what makes the same pieced block work in several traditional settings.
This is a 16-Patch design, not a nine-patch quilt. The pattern is by Karen Montgomery, with machine quilting by Rebecca Stahl. AllPeopleQuilt lists its materials for 44/45-inch-wide, 100% cotton fabrics, and its measurements include quarter-inch seam allowances.
Compare the nine alternate layouts
The options differ in the direction they establish across the quilt and in whether light and dark sections meet in a regular pattern or are grouped together. The names and descriptions below follow the pattern article.
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| Layout | Visual effect | Block arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| Barn Raising, light center | A radiating pattern draws the eye toward the quilt center. | Arrange the light section at the center, reversing the featured quilt’s dark-centered effect. |
| Streak of Lightning | Zigzags run the length of the quilt. | Rotate blocks to connect the contrasting sections into a lengthwise zigzag. |
| Light and Dark | White squares appear on point. | Rotate blocks so light sections meet light sections and dark meet dark. |
| Light and Dark variation | The inside color changes within each group of four blocks. | Rotate blocks so the inside color alternates in each four-block group. |
| Straight Furrows | Diagonal bands of color cross the quilt. | Orient the blocks to carry the bands diagonally. |
| Chimney and Cornerstone | Light and dark areas form grouped shapes. | Arrange the blocks to bring the dark areas together and the light areas together. |
| Sunshine and Shadow | A repeated, consistent direction gives the quilt an all-over pattern. | Place every block in the same orientation. |
| Chevron | The design points toward the center. | Turn blocks so their arrow-like shapes face inward. |
| Chevron variation | Chevron arrows point in one direction rather than toward the center. | Orient the arrows to travel in a single direction. |
Materials and cutting for the featured quilt
The pattern specifies the following materials and cuts for the 36-block quilt. Its stated yardages assume 44/45-inch-wide, 100% cotton fabrics; the source does not establish whether different fabric widths or fiber content require the same amounts.
| Use | Fabric or quantity | Cutting |
|---|---|---|
| Block blues | 13 one-third-yard pieces, or 3½ yards total, assorted blue batiks | 360 squares, each 3½ inches |
| Block lights | Eight one-third-yard pieces, or 2¼ yards total, white tone-on-tones | 216 squares, each 3½ inches |
| Binding | Two-thirds yard dark blue batik | Eight strips, each 2½ inches by approximately 42 inches |
| Backing | 4½ yards | Not stated by AllPeopleQuilt |
| Batting | One 81-inch square | Not applicable |
A 3½-inch cut square finishes as a 3-inch patch after seam allowances are sewn. For each block, use ten blue squares and six white squares; the listed cuts supply the 576 patches needed for 36 blocks.
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Piece the blocks and assemble the quilt
- Arrange ten blue and six white squares in four rows to create the intended diagonal division of light and dark. The pattern article shows the block arrangements; follow its diagram for the specific placement.
- Sew the squares in each row together, then join the four rows to complete a 16-Patch block. The unfinished block should measure 12½ inches square, including seam allowances.
- Repeat until you have 36 blocks. Arrange them in six rows, auditioning the featured Barn Raising layout or one of the alternatives above.
- At the marked intersections, re-press selected block seams in the opposite direction so adjoining seams can interlock. Sew the blocks into rows, then join the rows to complete the top.
- Layer the top, batting, and backing; baste, quilt as desired, and bind. In the pictured quilt, the quilting uses feathers in the white areas and blue corner squares, with a four-loop motif in the other blue squares.
How to audition a layout before sewing rows
Lay out the blocks and rotate them until the light and dark sections create the pattern you want. Fixed seam directions can make some arrangements harder to test because seams may not nest at every join. The American Patchwork & Quilting Editors advise pressing seams open or waiting to press until after choosing the layout; this guidance appears in the AllPeopleQuilt article, updated November 18, 2025.
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The pattern also presents a scrappy version made with assorted prints and added borders. It is an additional treatment of the same pattern, not a tenth numbered layout.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Pattern source
Dimensions, materials, block construction, and layout descriptions are from Outside the Box Simple Square Quilt + 9 Alternate Layouts by the American Patchwork & Quilting Editors, updated November 18, 2025.
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