Tea Cup Quilt Block

This month's theme for Quilt Block Mania is Friendship, and what better way to catch up with a good friend than over a nice cup of tea or coffee?

This Tea Cup quilt block is a beginner-friendly foundation paper pieced block that comes in two variations. The simple version is perfect for fussy cutting a special fabric, because the entire cup portion is one single piece of fabric. So that special print you've been keeping for the perfect pattern? This might just be it!

The second variation has a tea bag label, and requires a little bit of embroidery for the string. The pattern comes with templates for both options, so pick the one you prefer. Or make both and gift one to your best friend next time you catch up over a cup of your favourite brew!

Resizing the quilt block

The pattern includes full size templates for a 12" x 12" quilt block. I resized the block to make the plain teacup at a 6" x 6" size, so if you'd like to do the same, pop over to this blog post where I teach you how to do that easily on your own printer or on a photocopier. 

Make a tea party quilt

Combine the Tea Cup quilt block with the French Macaron and the Cupcake, and you have all the ingredients for a tea party quilt. 

And of course there are many colour options for the tea cup itself, too. You could even use the same fabric for the entire cup, or give the handle and foot different contrasting fabrics for extra interest.

Foundation paper piecing

The Tea Cup quilt block is a foundation paper pieced pattern that's suitable for beginners that have a bit of experience doing FPP. The pattern itself doesn't explain the technique, but if you're new to foundation paper piecing and want to give it a go, I wrote an FPP tutorial for the Clover blog to help you get started with the technique. It's a full photo tutorial and comes with a free, simple pine tree block to make.

If you've done FPP in the past but maybe just need to gain a little more quilty confidence, I have a few patterns in the shop that make perfect starter blocks to warm up with before diving into some of the more complicated blocks. Check out the Twisted Log Cabin, Popsicle, and Ice Cream Bar blocks to dip your toes in, or the Festive Forest table runner.

Get the block

The Tea Cup quilt block is now available in the pattern shop.

*Quilt Block Mania blocks are free to download for the duration of the month they were designed for. After that, they are available in the pattern shop.

Don't forget to check out all the other Friendship blocks this month!