12″ Finished Block: Dutchman’s Puzzle

From the 2026 Sew Flake Mystery Quilt Challenge

March Block One: Dutchman’s Puzzle

Instructions by Julie. Posted by Tia. (See PDF copy)

The Dutchman’s Puzzle Block consists of 8 Flying Geese units, arranged in a pinwheel fashion. You will cut rectangles and squares to use the ‘Quick Corner Method’ for making Flying Geese. This method creates wasted pieces of fabric, but most quilters like the ease and the finished look better than the traditional method.

You will need 3 Fabrics:

1 Background Fabric
2 Different Colored Fabrics

Hint: You can choose light and dark, light and medium or Medium and dark. Let your fabric palette speak to you. Use the Coloring Diagram as needed.

1 – Cut:

Background Fabric:
- Cut (1) strip 3.5” x WOF” and
- Cut (1) strip 3.5” x 15”
- Then Sub Cut a total of (16): 3.5” x 3.5” squares *Do not include selvages in your cuts

2 Different Colored Fabrics: out of each
- Cut (1) strip 3.5” x 27” then Sub Cut (4): 3.5” x 6.5”

2 – Mark: Mark all the 3.5 x 3.5” background fabric squares with a diagonal across the back. This should be done with a light pencil or a removable fabric type of marker. Frixion pens work well.

3 – Lay Out: Lay the background square, right sides together on one end of the 3.5” x 6.5” piece as shown in the diagram. The marked diagonal line should be in the middle of the 6.5” piece going to the outside corner (See diagram)

4 – Sew: Sew along the marked line. You will be sewing only one side of the 6.5” piece. The chain method works well on this step.

Julie’s note: I like to place my needle just to the right side of the marked line (away from the center of the rectangle). This helps compensate for the space of the marking on the fabric. This slight variance seems to be effective. When I place my needle just to the right edge of the line, the block works correctly.

5 – Trim and Press: When you have completed sewing the first square on all 8 units, trim the seam down to ¼”. Set your seam and press to the side.

6 – Lay Out: Lay the remaining background squares, right sides together on the opposite end of the rectangle. The marked diagonal line should be in the middle just overlapping the first block sewn, going to the outside corner. (See the diagram.)

7 – Sew: Using the chain method, sew all 8 blocks to the rectangle.