Jack in the Box

Designer: Becky Cogan for Need'l Love Co.

• 1⁄4 yard each of four jack-o'-lantern prints: black-on-purple, gold-on-black, black-on-orange, and orange-on-black (blocks)
• 11--18×22" pieces (fat quarters) assorted prints and stripes in orange, black, gold, and purple (blocks, prairie points)
• 3⁄8 yard solid black (border)
• 1 yard backing fabric
• 36" square batting

Finished quilt: 28" square (31-1⁄2" with prairie points)

Finished block: 8" square

Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width.

Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Cut pieces in the following order.

From each black-on-purple, black-on-orange, and orange-on-black jack-o'-lantern print, fussy-cut:

• 2--4-1⁄2" squares

From gold-on-black jack-o'-lantern print, fussy-cut:

• 3--4 -1⁄2" squares

From assorted prints and stripes, cut:

• 27--5 -1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 108 triangles total (27 sets of four matching triangles)
• 36--4" squares

From light green wool, cut:

• 1⁄4×16" strip
• 11 of Pattern F

From solid black, cut:

• 2--2 -1⁄2×28-1⁄2" border strips
• 2--2-1⁄2×24-1⁄2" border strips

1. For one block, gather one jack-o'-lantern print 4-1⁄2" square and three different sets of four print or stripe triangles.

2.  Sew two triangles from one set to opposite edges of jack-o'-lantern print square; press seams toward triangles. Add remaining triangles from same set to remaining edges to make block center (Diagram 1); press seams toward triangles. The block center should be 6-1⁄4" square including seam allowances.

3.  Join short edges of two contrasting triangles to make a block corner unit (Diagram 2). Press seam in one direction. Repeat to make four matching block corner units total.

4. Sew two block corner units to opposite edges of block center. Press seams away from block center. Join remaining corner units to remaining edges to make a block (Diagram 3). Press seams away from block center. The block should be 8-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

5. Repeat steps 1–4 to make nine blocks total.

1.  Lay out blocks in three rows (Quilt Assembly Diagram). Sew together blocks in each row. Press seams in one direction, alternating direction with each row.

2.  Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 24-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

3.  Sew short solid black border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Join long solid black border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward border.

1. Layer quilt top, batting, and backing; baste.

2. Quilt as desired, leaving at least 3⁄4" unquilted along all edges of quilt top. Freda Smith used matching thread to machine-quilt a tight stipple inside the jack-o'-lantern facial features and in the background, then she stitched in the ditch around the squares. She used orange thread to quilt a wavy line along the seams joining the triangles, then sewed straight lines 1⁄2" apart in the border, alternating their lengths from 3⁄4" to 1-1⁄2".

3. Fold an assorted print or stripe 4" square in half diagonally with wrong sides together to make a triangle (Diagram 4). Fold triangle in half again and press to make a prairie point. Repeat with remaining print and stripe 4" squares to make 36 prairie points total.

4. Referring to Diagram 5, pin prairie points to edges of quilt top only (not to batting and backing) with raw edges aligned and prairie points pointing toward quilt center. Slip single-folded edges between double-folded edges. Space evenly, making sure all double-folded edges face the same direction. When satisfied with placement, sew prairie points to quilt top with a scant 1⁄4" seam, sewing through quilt top only.

5. Trim batting 1⁄4" smaller all around than quilt top. Trim backing 1⁄4" beyond edges of quilt top.

6. Wrap raw edge of backing around batting,  and whipstitch folded edge of backing to prairie point seam line. Press prairie points away from border to complete quilt.