Falling Leaves

• 3 yards total assorted green prints (blocks, borders, binding)
• 5 yards total assorted rust, brown, purple, and burgundy prints (blocks, outer border, binding)
• 3-3⁄4 yards total assorted gold, red, pink, orange, and light green prints (appliqués)
• 5-1⁄2 yards backing fabric
• 77×97" batting
• Clear monofilament thread
• Lightweight fusible web

Finished quilt: 70-1⁄2×90-1⁄2"

Finished blocks: 10" 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.

From assorted green prints, cut:

• 52--5-1⁄2" squares for inner border

From remaining green prints and assorted rust, brown, purple, and burgundy prints, cut:

• 19--2-1⁄2×20" strips for binding
• 132--5-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 264 triangles total
• 68--5-1⁄2" squares

From assorted gold, red, pink, orange, and light green prints, cut:

• 132--5-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 264 triangles total

1.    Join two assorted rust, brown, purple, burgundy, or green print triangles to make a dark triangle-square (Diagram 1). Press seam toward darker triangle. The triangle-square should be 5-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 132 dark triangle-squares total.

2.    Using gold, red, pink, orange, and light green print triangles repeat step 1 to make 132 light triangle-squares total.

1.    Lay fusible web, paper side up, over Leaf Pattern. Click on "Download this Project" above for leaf pattern. Use a pencil to trace the pattern 132 times, leaving 1⁄2" between tracings. Cut out each fusible-web shape roughly 1⁄4" outside the traced lines. (For appliqués that are less stiff, also cut out the inside of each fusible-web shape, cutting roughly 1⁄4" inside the traced lines.)

2.    Following the manufacturer's instructions, press a fusible-web leaf shape onto back of each light triangle-square, aligning the leaf's center placement line with the triangle-square's seam (Diagram 2). Let cool. Cut out leaf appliqués on drawn lines and peel off paper backings.

3.    Center a leaf appliqué on a dark print triangle-square, aligning the seams (Diagram 3). Fuse in place. Using clear monofilament thread, machine-zigzag-stitch around the leaf to complete a leaf unit. Repeat to make 132 leaf units total.

4.    Referring to Diagram 4, sew together four leaf units in pairs. Press seams in opposite directions. Join pairs to make a leaf block. Press seam in one direction. The block should be 10-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 18 leaf blocks total. Set aside remaining leaf units for outer border.

1.    Set aside 52 assorted green print 5-1⁄2" squares for inner border.

2.    Sew together four assorted rust, brown, purple, burgundy, or remaining green print 5-1⁄2" squares in pairs (Diagram 5). Press seams in opposite directions. Join pairs to make a Four-Patch block. Press seam in one direction. The block should be 10-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 17 Four-Patch blocks total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out all blocks in seven horizontal rows. Sew together blocks in each row. Press seams toward Four-Patch blocks.

2.    Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 50-1⁄2×70-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

1.    Sew together 10 assorted green print 5-1⁄2" squares to make a short inner border strip. Press seams in one direction. The strip should be 5-1⁄2×50-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second short inner border strip.

2.    Join 16 assorted green print 5-1⁄2" squares to make a long inner border strip. Press seams in one direction. The strip should be 5-1⁄2×80-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second long inner border strip.

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

4.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram and alternating direction of leaf units' seams, join 12 leaf units to make top outer border strip. Press seams in one direction. The strip should be 5-1⁄2×60-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make bottom outer border strip.

5.    Alternating direction of leaf units' seams, join 18 leaf units to make a side outer border strip. Press seams in one direction. The strip should be 5-1⁄2×90-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second side outer border strip.

6.    Sew top and bottom outer border strips to top and bottom edges of quilt center. Add side 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. The featured quilt is machine-quilted just outside each leaf appliqué and with a leafy star design in each Four-Patch block.

3.    Join assorted print 2-1⁄2×20" strips to make a pieced binding strip. Bind quilt with pieced binding strip.