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One may be certain that "Old Maid's Puzzle" is a genuine antique, because there haven't been any "old maids" in a generation, and "bachelor girls" are not so easily puzzled!

The triangles and square here given are exact size of the finished parts in a block 9 inches square. Cut cardboard patterns from these. Trace around them onto material and cut a seam larger. This is really quite a simple block to piece, four squares of two varieties. The color scheme suggested uses odd scraps of pink, blue, and green prints with white set together checkerboard style with alternate plain blocks, each color forming a pattern in diagonals across the whole quilt.

The "hour glass" quarter of this block repeated into a strip makes an attractive pieced border.

Material Estimate: 72 blocks, 36 pieced and 36 plain, 8 blocks wide by 9 long and a 5-inch border all around will make a quilt 82 by 98 inches. It requires ½ yard pink, 1 yard blue, 1½ yards green, and 6 yards white, a total of 9 yards.

A geometric Tulip design or four flowers would quilt nicely on the alternate plain squares.

Other great patterns from 101 Patchwork Patterns:

101 Patchwork Patterns by Ruby Kim. Original copyright 1931 McKim Studios.