This is a fun quilt block to make, and very easy.  It is all squares, with two small half square triangles in each block.

This is a very old quilt block.  You can find it in a lot of vintage quilts.  As you can see from the picture at the left, this is a 4-patch quilt block, so there are a lot of blocks that look good with it.  However, this block also looks good all by itself, as in the traditional layout at the top and bottom of the page.

The look of the bowtie is made by placing a small square at the corners of two of the four squares in this block.  Then, using the snowball method, you sew across the small squares diagonally and pull them back. 

The block at the top of the page shows the grid lines if some of the large squares were divided into 4-patch blocks.  However, the traditional bowtie block is not subdivided, and looks like the picture at the bottom of the page.

Sew your small squares on first and press them back.  Then sew the four squares together per the pictures, and you have your block.

In the picture below, the small squares were made from squares of solid fabric, and placed on the plaid fabric.  At first I thought the quilt would be cuter if the "ties" were plaid.  However, after sewing one block, I could see I didn't like the look.  The lines in the plaid turned in different directions and I found the look too "busy."

I have, however, seen it done both ways.  It is a personal preference.  Some people like their plaids perfectly straight.  Other quilters don't mind if they are "whimsically off-center." 

Again, this is an easy block, and one great for beginners or teaching children to quilt.