Trick or Treat

Designer: Linda Sullivan of Linderella's Design Studio

• 3⁄4 yard black print (appliqué foundations)
• 9--1⁄4-yard pieces (three each of white, yellow, and orange) assorted prints (candy corn appliqués)
• 1⁄3 yard total of assorted small Halloween prints (blocks)
• 5⁄8 yard candy corn print (inner border, binding)
• 1 yard large Halloween print (outer border)
• 1-1⁄8 yards backing fabric
• 39" square batting
• Orange cotton, rayon, or polyester thread for appliquéing
• Lightweight fusible web

Finished quilt: 32-1⁄2" 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.

To make the best use of your fabrics, cut pieces in the following order. If you're following our lead and using a large Halloween print that is directional (the design has an obvious top and bottom) for the outer border, cut the side outer border strips (the 3-1⁄2×26-1⁄2" strips) lengthwise (parallel to the selvage). The black print appliqué foundations are cut larger than necessary; you'll trim them to the correct size after appliquéing.

From black print, cut:

• 3--7×25" rectangles

From each assorted white, yellow, and orange print, cut:

• 2--4×12" strips

From assorted small Halloween prints, cut:

• 16--5" squares

From candy corn print, cut:

• 4--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips
• 2--1-1⁄2×26-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 2--1-1⁄2×24-1⁄2" inner border strips

From large Halloween print, cut:

• 2--3-1⁄2×32-1⁄2" outer border strips
• 2--3-1⁄2×26-1⁄2" outer border strips

Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern pieces.

1.    With right sides up, layer one each of an orange print, yellow print, and white print 4×12" strip vertically on a rotary-cutting mat. Position an acrylic ruler about 1" over the left-hand edge of the stacked fabrics. Slide the top of the ruler slightly to the right, then trim off left-hand edge and discard (Diagram 1).

2.    Repeat Step 1, sliding the ruler's top edge slightly to the left, to trim off right-hand edge of stacked fabrics (Diagram 2).

3.    Lay out trimmed strips horizontally, rotating yellow print strip 180 degrees (Diagram 3). Join strips to make a strip set, lining up top and bottom edges as much as possible (in this method, sewing a straight seam is more important than sewing a perfect 1⁄4"-wide seam). Press seams toward orange print; steam-press to make strip set as flat as possible.

4.    Repeat steps 1 through 3 to make six strip sets total.

5.    Lay fusible web, paper side up, over Candy Corn Pattern. Use a pencil to trace the pattern 12 times, leaving 1⁄2" between tracings. Cut out each fusible-web shape roughly 1⁄4" outside the traced lines.

6.    Following the manufacturer's instructions, press two fusible-web shapes onto back of each strip set (Diagram 4). Let cool. Cut out candy corn appliqués on drawn lines and peel off paper backings.

7.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, arrange four candy corn appliqués on a black print 7×25" strip. (Because strips will be trimmed, place appliqués at least 1⁄2" from edges.) Fuse in place.

8.    Using orange thread, machine-zigzag-stitch around each piece. (To avoid puckers, Linda recommends placing stabilizer behind the appliqué foundations; remove it after stitching around appliqués.) Centering the design, trim black print strip to 6-1⁄2×24-1⁄2" to make an appliquéd strip.

9.    Repeat steps 7 and 8 to appliqué three strips total.

1.    With right sides up, layer the 16 small Halloween print 5" squares into four stacks of four different fabrics each.

2.    Referring to Diagram 5, rotary-cut through one stack of fabrics vertically, angling the cutting line as desired (don't perfectly center the cut). Without moving or disturbing the stack, rotary-cut horizontally to make four piles of irregular-shaped pieces.

3.    Referring to Diagram 6, shuffle fabrics as follows.

• Pile 1: Leave as cut.
• Pile 2: Place top fabric on bottom of pile.
• Pile 3: Place top two fabrics on bottom of pile.
• Pile 4: Place bottom fabric on top of pile.

4.    Join top fabrics from all piles in two pairs; press seams open (Diagram 7). Matching center seams, join pairs to make a skewed Four-Patch block; press seam open. Trim block to 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Using the top fabric in each pile each time, repeat to make four skewed Four-Patch blocks total.

5.    Repeat steps 2 through 4 with remaining stacks of 5" squares to make 16 skewed Four-Patch blocks total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out appliquéd strips and skewed Four-Patch blocks in five vertical rows. Sew together pieces in each skewed Four-Patch row. Press seams in one direction.

2.    Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams toward appliquéd strips. The quilt center should be 24-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

3.    Sew short inner border strips to side edges of quilt center. Add long inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border.

4.    Sew short outer border strips to side edges of quilt center. Add long outer border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward outer border.

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

2.    Quilt as desired. Linda machine-quilted an X in each skewed Four-Patch block and wavy lines in each appliquéd strip and the outer border.

3.    Bind with candy corn print binding strips.