Make Cat's Cradle units two at a time from squares and rectangles, in six finished sizes from 1 1/2 to 4 inches, without cutting a single triangle. The tool carries the cutting chart for every size, and you trim each unit to size against its corner. Deb Heatherly designed the tool, and the eight patterns in her Catitude Quilt Pattern Book use it.

What's Included

The Cat's Cradle Tool and an illustrated instructions sheet that covers the standard and Split Cat's Cradle units. This listing does not include fabric, rotary cutter, and cutting mat.

How to Use It

Each Cat's Cradle unit is a square with a diagonal seam: a large triangle on one side, and on the other a small square in the corner with a small triangle on each side. Find your finished size on the chart on the tool, then cut two squares, two small rectangles, and one large rectangle. Sew each square to a small rectangle and press toward the rectangle. Sew the two pairs together along one long side with the squares at opposite corners. As you sew, feed the square in underneath and the rectangle on top, so you can keep the top seam allowance from flipping. Before you press that seam, clip to the stitching at the center, then press the seam allowances in opposite directions, toward the rectangles.

Lay the tool on the wrong side of the pieced unit with the Place on Seam Line markings on the stitched lines of the squares, and draw a sewing line at each end. Each line runs through the stitching on its square and out to the corner of the rectangle. Place the pieced unit right sides together on the large rectangle, stitch on both drawn lines, and cut 1/4 inch from each sewing line. Open the two units and press toward the large triangle.

To trim, set the dashed diagonal line on the diagonal seam and the solid square for your size on the stitching lines of the small square, then trim the two adjoining sides. Turn the unit, set the matching short dashed diagonal on the seam and the long dashed diagonal through the corner you already trimmed, and trim the other two sides. The size labels on the tool give the finished size. The tool slides over the fabric while you position it, and the non-slip grip holds it once you press down.

For a Split Cat's Cradle, draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of two smaller squares, 1 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches depending on the unit size. Sew one on the square of each unit along the drawn line, trim 1/4 inch beyond the seam, and fold the triangle back. The instructions sheet lists the square size for each unit, and a QR code on the tool links to the demonstration video.

Perfect For

• Cat's Cradle units from 1 1/2 to 4 inches finished, two from each set of pieces
• Split Cat's Cradle units with a folded-back corner triangle
• Star blocks, table runners, and placemats that use Cat's Cradle units
• New looks from the same unit by placing lights and darks in different positions

Fit and Limits

The tool trims Cat's Cradle units that finish from 1 1/2 to 4 inches in half-inch steps. For units from 4 1/2 to 8 inches, use the Cat's Cradle XL Tool. Its markings cover this one unit and the split variation. It has no general 1 inch grid, so you cut the squares and rectangles with a separate ruler.

Product Details

• Brand: Creative Grids
• Item #: CGRDH1
• Designer: Deb Heatherly
• Category: Quilting Rulers
• Type: Trim Tool
• Finished Unit Sizes: 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2, 3, 3 1/2, and 4 inches
• Units per Set of Pieces: 2
• Total Size: 7 x 7 inches
• Material: Acrylic with embedded non-slip grip
• Markings: Cutting chart for all six sizes; nested trim-to-size lines in one corner, labeled 1 1/2 to 4 inches; short and long dashed diagonal trim lines; Place on Seam Line and Mark Sewing Line guides; 1/4 inch seam allowance bands along two edges; QR code to the demonstration video
• Includes: Tool and illustrated instructions
• Made in the USA

Need a Different Cat's Cradle Size?

The Cat's Cradle XL Tool (CGRDH1XL), also by Deb Heatherly, makes the same unit in eight larger sizes, 4 1/2 to 8 inches finished, and her Catitude XL Quilt Pattern Book has ten patterns for it. For other block and unit trim tools, browse the Creative Grids Quilt Block & Unit Tools collection.