Rail Fence Quilt Block — Cutting Chart for Any Size
4 fabrics · Difficulty 1 of 5
Rail Fence is a 4×4 block of 4 pieces. Cut sizes for 4″, 8″, 12″, 16″, 20″ are below; for any other size it divides into cleanly, type the size and the chart recomputes.
Set the finished sizeAt a glance
- Grid
- 4×4
- Pieces you cut
- 4
- Difficulty
- 1 of 5 — first block How this is scored
Set the size
Nearest sizes that cut cleanly:
- Strips — Fabric A
- 12½ × 3½″
- Strips — Fabric B
- 12½ × 3½″
- Strips — Fabric C
- 12½ × 3½″
- Strips — Background
- 12½ × 3½″
Reading focusParallel strip outlines expose the strip-set geometrystrip
- Construction lattice
- 4 modules wide × 4 modules high
- Unit mix
- strip
- Piece count
- 4 to cut · 4 in the diagram
Cut these pieces
Column headings are the FINISHED block size — the size it will be once it is sewn. Every number in the table is the size to CUT, which includes ¼″ of seam allowance on each edge. Rows that are subcut on a diagonal are cut larger still, so the allowance survives the extra cuts.
Scroll sideways to see every size.
| Patch | 4″ | 8″ | 12″ | 16″ | 20″ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strips — Fabric ACut 1 | 4½ × 1½″ | 8½ × 2½″ | 12½ × 3½″ | 16½ × 4½″ | 20½ × 5½″ |
| Strips — Fabric BCut 1 | 4½ × 1½″ | 8½ × 2½″ | 12½ × 3½″ | 16½ × 4½″ | 20½ × 5½″ |
| Strips — Fabric CCut 1 | 4½ × 1½″ | 8½ × 2½″ | 12½ × 3½″ | 16½ × 4½″ | 20½ × 5½″ |
| Strips — BackgroundCut 1 | 4½ × 1½″ | 8½ × 2½″ | 12½ × 3½″ | 16½ × 4½″ | 20½ × 5½″ |
Read the block
Match each fabric letter in the diagram to the same fabric name in the cutting table. The caption describes the generated geometry in text.
Fabrics in this block
- A — gold
- B — turkey red
- C — teal
- BG — background
Which sizes divide cleanly
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| Grid | Divides cleanly at | The first few sizes |
|---|---|---|
| 2×2 | every 1″ | 1″, 2″, 3″, 4″, 5″, 6″ … |
| 3×3 | every 1½″ | 1½″, 3″, 4½″, 6″, 7½″, 9″ … |
| 4×4this block | every 2″ | 2″, 4″, 6″, 8″, 10″, 12″ … |
| 5×5 | every 2½″ | 2½″, 5″, 7½″, 10″, 12½″, 15″ … |
| 7×7 | every 3½″ | 3½″, 7″, 10½″, 14″, 17½″, 21″ |
- A 5-patch block at 12″ would need 2.4″ units, which is not a mark on any ruler. Try 10″ or 12½″ instead — Sister's Choice is the 5-patch block on this site.
- A 7-patch block at 12″ would need 1.714…″ units, which is not a mark on any ruler. Try 10½″ or 14″ instead — Bear's Paw is the 7-patch block on this site.
More about the sizes that do not divide cleanly
The sizes in between
Every whole-inch Rail Fence size from 4″ to 20″ can be cut accurately on its 4×4 grid.
These sizes divide cleanly but sit between the main chart's columns — the same computed cuts, published here so they exist on paper too. Any other clean size still computes in the size input above.
Column headings are the FINISHED block size — the size it will be once it is sewn. Every number in the table is the size to CUT, which includes ¼″ of seam allowance on each edge. Rows that are subcut on a diagonal are cut larger still, so the allowance survives the extra cuts.
Scroll sideways to see every size.
| Patch | 6″ | 10″ | 14″ | 18″ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strips — Fabric ACut 1 | 6½ × 2″ | 10½ × 3″ | 14½ × 4″ | 18½ × 5″ |
| Strips — Fabric BCut 1 | 6½ × 2″ | 10½ × 3″ | 14½ × 4″ | 18½ × 5″ |
| Strips — Fabric CCut 1 | 6½ × 2″ | 10½ × 3″ | 14½ × 4″ | 18½ × 5″ |
| Strips — BackgroundCut 1 | 6½ × 2″ | 10½ × 3″ | 14½ × 4″ | 18½ × 5″ |
About this block
- Pieces in the finished block
- 4
- Unit types
- strip
- Divides cleanly at
- 2″, 4″, 6″, 8″, 10″, 12″, 14″, 16″, 18″ and 20″ finished.
- Also known as
- Fence Post, Snake Fence, Endless Stairs, London Stairs, Virginia Worm Fence
- Fabric for one 12″ block
- 1½ yd total, rounded up to the nearest ⅛ yard, assuming 40″ of usable width.
Sew the strips in fabric order and press all the seams one way; a bowed strip set here becomes a wobbly fence in the quilt. Nothing inside the block turns — the zigzag arrives at the quilt top, where alternate blocks rotate against each other — so keeping the fabric order consistent from block to block is what preserves the weave.
Piecing order
Lay out row 1 of 4 and sew its pieces together, left to right.
Lay out row 2 of 4 and sew its pieces together, left to right.
Lay out row 3 of 4 and sew its pieces together, left to right.
Lay out row 4 of 4 and sew its pieces together, left to right.
Join the 4 rows, matching the seams.
Cutting oversize
Nothing in this block needs cutting oversize: every piece is cut straight to its exact size, so sew an accurate quarter inch and it comes out true. If you like trimming room anyway, the reasoning is on how to square up a quilt block.
History
Every recorded name describes what the strips do: fence names — Snake Fence, Virginia Worm Fence — when the block zigzags like a country fence line, staircase names — Endless Stairs, London Stairs — when it is set flat. Colourways carried names of their own: red, white and blue made Spirit of St. Louis, and purple on a light ground made Roman Stripe, after the stripe on a senator's robe.
Sources: Virginia Fibre Arts — Rail Fence history.
Common questions
What size can I make Rail Fence?
Any size it divides cleanly: 2″, 4″, 6″, 8″, 10″, 12″, 14″, 16″, 18″ and 20″ finished. The chart above carries 4″, 8″, 12″, 16″, 20″ ready-worked, and the size input computes any other clean size without you doing arithmetic — every value computed by Quilt Block Atlas, none transcribed.
How many pieces are in a Rail Fence block?
4 — and you cut exactly that many, because every piece in this block is used whole. The chart's quantities add up to the diagram.
What sizes does a 4×4 block divide into cleanly?
2″, 4″, 6″, 8″, 10″, 12″, 14″, 16″, 18″ and 20″ finished. The step is half the grid this block's cutting sizes are computed on, and the clean-size table above marks this block's row with the other families beside it.
Is Rail Fence good for a beginner?
Yes — it scores 1 of 5, first block, on this site's computed scale: 4 pieces, with the strip as its hardest unit. The scoring rule, and every block ranked by it, is on the difficulty page linked above.
How do finished size, sewn unfinished/trim size, and starting cut size differ?
Finished size is 12″ after the block is sewn into surrounding seams. Its sewn unfinished/trim size is 12½″ before those outer seams, derived with the plain-square allowance. Starting cut size is the method-specific input listed in the chart. Starting cut size equals the unfinished outer target only for a plain square or rectangle workflow; it is not generally the same for pieced triangle units.
Keep going
Related blocks
Where this block appears
Calculators for this block
Reference
Before you print
Measure this square before you cut. It must be exactly 1 inch. If it isn't, your printer scaled the page — reprint at 100% or "Actual size", not "Fit to page".