The Economy Block

The Economy Block is a square within a square within a square.  It is the perfect place to use your special (aka expensive!) focal fabric in the centre and then build out to give a block twice the size - I guess that was why it got it's name.  However it came about that square in the middle is perfect for fussy cuts.

There are several ways in which it can be constructed, paper piecing, snowballing or adding triangles onto the the squares. There is even a hack to make it from all squares cut on the diagonal if you don't mind losing the points.

Threadbare Creations did several posts on the Economy block including layouts and colour variations

Here, here, here and here

Just Get It Done Quilts gives three methods and three different sizes in this video tutorial

Mustard Fringe creates an 8 inch block

And then there is the "pointless" version from Missouri Star - also called the Exploding Block

ISeeStars also uses the "pointless" technique but takes it out another row

Carol Thelen includes techniques for paper piecing, rotary cutting and also Accuquilt