All Things Spring

Designer: Mickey Zimmer

• 9--18×22" pieces (fat quarters) assorted light florals (sashing)
• 7--18×22" pieces (fat quarters) assorted pink florals (sashing)
• 1-7⁄8 yards red-and-lavender plaid (setting and corner triangles)
• 3⁄8 yard dark rose print (piping)
• 2-1⁄4 yards red-and-lavender floral (border)
• 3⁄4 yard red-and-yellow floral (binding)
• 18--18×22" pieces (fat quarters) assorted dark florals (blocks)
• 1⁄4 yard white-and-cream floral (blocks)
• 6 yards backing fabric
• 84×104" batting

Finished quilt: 77-7⁄8 ×97-5⁄8"

Finished block: 10-1⁄2" square

Quantities are for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics. Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Cut pieces in the following order.

From assorted light florals, cut:

• 48--4×11" rectangles

From assorted pink florals, cut:

• 31--4" squares
• 192--2-1⁄4" squares

From red-and-lavender plaid, cut:

• 3--21-1⁄8" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 12 setting triangles total (you will use 10)
• 2--10-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 4 corner triangles total

From dark rose print, cut:

• 8--1×42" strips for piping

From red-and-lavender floral, cut:

• 10--7×42" strips for border

From red-and-yellow floral, cut:

• 9--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips

Each block is constructed from the white-and-cream floral and three assorted dark florals. The block is trimmed to 11" square after it is sewn. The following instructions make one block. Repeat the cutting and assembly instructions to make 18 blocks total.

From one dark floral, cut:

• 4--3" squares

From a second dark floral, cut:

• 8--3" squares

From a third dark floral, cut:

• 12--3" squares

From white-and-cream floral, cut:

• 1--3" square

1.    Referring to Block Assembly Diagram, lay out 3" squares in seven rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams in one direction, alternating direction with each row. Join rows to make one block. Press seams in one direction.

2.    Referring to Diagram 1, trim block edge 1⁄4" from the point of each second dark floral square. The block should be 11" square including seam allowances.

1.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each assorted pink floral 2-1⁄4" square. (To prevent your fabric from stretching as you draw the lines, place 220-grit sandpaper under the squares.)

2.    Align a marked pink floral 2-1⁄4" square with one corner of a light floral 4×11" rectangle (Diagram 2; note direction of drawn line). Stitch on marked line; trim away excess fabric, leaving a 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press open attached triangle, pressing seam toward pink floral square.

3.    In same manner, add a second pink floral 2-1⁄4" square to adjacent corner of same light floral rectangle.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3, joining marked pink floral 2-1⁄4" squares to remaining corners of same light floral rectangle to make a sashing unit (Diagram 3). The sashing unit should be 4×11" including seam allowances.

5.    Repeat steps 2 through 4 to make 48 sashing units total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram for placement, lay out blocks, sashing units, assorted pink floral 4" squares, and red-and-lavender plaid setting triangles in diagonal rows.

2.    Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward sashing units.

3.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join rows, adding setting triangles last; press seams in one direction. Add red-and-lavender plaid corner triangles to make quilt center. Press seams toward triangles. The quilt center should be 64-7⁄8 ×84-5⁄8" including seam allowances.

1.    Cut and piece dark rose print 1×42" strips to make:

• 2--1×84-5⁄8" piping strips
• 2--1×64-7⁄8" piping strips

2.    Wrong sides together, fold piping strips in half lengthwise; press.

3.    Aligning raw edges, sew short piping strips to short edges of quilt center using a scant 1⁄4" seam (Quilt Assembly Diagram). Add long piping strips to remaining edges. The quilt center should still be 64-7⁄8 ×84-5⁄8" including seam allowances.

1.    Cut and piece red-and-lavender floral 7×42" strips to make:

• 2--7×84-5⁄8" border strips
• 2--7×77-7⁄8" border strips

2.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew long border strips to long edges of quilt center. Add short 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. Machine-quilter April Zimmer stitched a meandering overlapping swirl across the quilt.

3.    Bind with red-and-yellow floral binding strips.