Quilt block difficulty — how the 1–5 score works
Every quilt block difficulty score on this site is computed, not judged: it is the harder of two facts about the block — the trickiest unit type you have to piece, and how many pieces there are. Every block's score is below.
Scroll sideways to inspect every label.
Read the matrix as a tablePieces, technique floor and final score for all 18 blocks
| Block | Pieces | Technique floor | Final score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nine Patch | 9 | 1 | 1 of 5 — first block |
| Rail Fence | 4 | 1 | 1 of 5 — first block |
| Broken Dishes | 8 | 2 | 2 of 5 — easy |
| Friendship Star | 13 | 2 | 2 of 5 — easy |
| Log Cabin | 13 | 1 | 2 of 5 — easy |
| Maple Leaf | 12 | 2 | 2 of 5 — easy |
| Pinwheel | 8 | 2 | 2 of 5 — easy |
| Shoofly | 13 | 2 | 2 of 5 — easy |
| Churn Dash | 17 | 2 | 3 of 5 — confident beginner |
| Flying Geese | 12 | 3 | 3 of 5 — confident beginner |
| Heart | 22 | 2 | 3 of 5 — confident beginner |
| Ohio Star | 21 | 3 | 3 of 5 — confident beginner |
| Sawtooth Star | 17 | 3 | 3 of 5 — confident beginner |
| Square in a Square | 5 | 3 | 3 of 5 — confident beginner |
| Card Trick | 28 | 3 | 4 of 5 — experienced |
| Jacob's Ladder | 24 | 2 | 4 of 5 — experienced |
| Sister's Choice | 33 | 2 | 4 of 5 — experienced |
| Bear's Paw | 45 | 2 | 5 of 5 — advanced |
Every block, scored
1 of 5 — first block
3 of 5 — confident beginner
4 of 5 — experienced
5 of 5 — advanced
How the score is computed
Two numbers are read off the block's own geometry, and the score is whichever is higher. Neither is a judgement call, so the same block always gets the same score — and you can check either number yourself against the diagram.
The technique floor. Each unit type sets a minimum score, because some seams ask more of you than others whatever the block around them looks like:
- rectangle, square, strip — floor of 1
- half-square-triangle unit — floor of 2
- flying-geese unit, quarter-square-triangle unit, square-in-a-square unit — floor of 3
The piece count. More pieces means more seams, more points to match and more places for a scant seam to add up: 9 pieces or fewer scores 1, up to 14 scores 2, up to 22 scores 3, up to 34 scores 4, and anything above that scores 5.
Fewer pieces can still score higher
The score is not a piece-count ranking, and that is deliberate. Square in a Square has only 5 pieces and scores 3, because sewing triangles onto a centre square on point is not beginner work at any piece count. Pinwheel has 8 pieces and scores 2. When the technique floor is higher than the piece count suggests, the floor wins.
What the score does not measure
The finished size. The score reads the pattern — its units and its piece count — and those are the same at every size the block can be cut at. It also says nothing about fabric choice, pressing, or how accurate your seam allowance is; those are yours. The scale and its words are this site's own: there is no published standard for quilt block difficulty to borrow from, which is exactly why the method is stated here rather than left as a feeling.
Related pages
Common questions
What does the difficulty score on a block page mean?
A computed 1-to-5 rating: 1 is first block, 2 is easy, 3 is confident beginner, 4 is experienced, 5 is advanced. It is derived from the block's unit types and piece count by the rule on this page, so two blocks with the same score ask a similar amount of you.
Why does a block with fewer pieces sometimes score higher?
Because technique sets a floor. A block built from a harder unit type scores at least that unit's floor no matter how few pieces it has — Square in a Square is 5 pieces but scores 3. Piece count only raises a score; it never lowers one below the hardest seam in the block.
What is the easiest block on this site?
Nine Patch and Rail Fence — the only blocks scoring 1 of 5. Straight seams, pieces used whole, and no unit type that raises the technique floor. The score describes that geometry; it does not prescribe a learning order.
Does the finished size change the difficulty?
No. The score reads the pattern, and the pattern is the same at every size — only the cut sizes change, and the chart on each block page computes those for any size the block divides into cleanly.