Urban Amish

Designers: Cori Derksen & Myra Harder of Blue Meadow Designs

• 5--1⁄3-yard pieces assorted red, burgundy, and orange solids (blocks)
• 5-1⁄2 yards mottled green (blocks, setting and corner triangles, inner border)
• 2-1⁄2 yards solid light green (blocks, outer border, binding)
• 5-1⁄2 yards backing fabric
• 84×97" batting

Finished quilt: 75-1⁄2×88-1⁄4" (double bed with 10-1⁄2" drop)

Finished blocks: 9" 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. Cut inner and outer border strips and binding strips lengthwise (parallel to the selvages).

From each assorted red, burgundy, or orange solid, cut:

• 5--1-1⁄2×42" strips

From mottled green, cut:

• 2--8-1⁄2×67-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 2--8-1⁄2×64-1⁄4" inner border strips
• 20--1-1⁄2×42" strips
• 4--15" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 16 setting triangles total (you will use 14)
• 12--9-1⁄2" setting squares
• 2--8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 4 corner triangles total
• 60--3-1⁄2" squares

From solid light green, cut:

• 2--4-1⁄2×80-1⁄4" outer border strips
• 2--4-1⁄2×75-1⁄2" outer border strips
• 5--2-1⁄2×72" binding strips
• 20--3-1⁄2" squares

1.    Aligning long edges, sew together two solid red, burgundy, or orange 1-1⁄2×42" strips and one mottled green 1-1⁄2×42" strip to make strip set A (Diagram 1). Press seams toward mottled green. Repeat to make a second matching strip set A. Cut strip sets into 40-- 1-1⁄2"-wide A segments total.

2.    In same manner, sew together one solid red, burgundy, or orange 1-1⁄2×42" strip and two mottled green 1-1⁄2×42" strips to make strip set B (Diagram 2). Press seams toward mottled green. Cut strip set into 20--1-1⁄2"-wide B segments.

3.    Referring to Diagram 3, join two A segments and one B segment to make a Nine-Patch unit. Press seams in one direction. The unit should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 20 matching Nine-Patch units total.

4.    Using remaining red, burgundy, and orange solids, repeat steps 1–3 to make 100 Nine-Patch units total (five sets of 20 matching units).

1.    For one Double Nine-Patch block, gather one Nine-Patch unit in each colorway.

2.    Referring to Diagram 4, sew together the five Nine-Patch units and four mottled green 3-1⁄2" squares in three rows. Press seams toward squares. Join rows to make a dark Double Nine-Patch block. Press seams in one direction. The block should be 9-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

3.    Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make 15 dark Double Nine-Patch blocks total. Designers Cori Derksen and Myra Harder made every block identical, then rotated them in the quilt top layout to create a more scrappy-looking design.

4.    Using solid light green 3-1⁄2" squares instead of mottled green, repeat steps 1 and 2 to make a light Double Nine-Patch block (Diagram 5). Repeat to make five light Double Nine-Patch blocks total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out light and dark Double Nine-Patch blocks, setting squares, and setting triangles in eight diagonal rows.

2.    Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward setting squares and triangles.

3.    Join rows; press seams in one direction. Add corner triangles to make quilt center. Trim quilt center to 51-1⁄2×64-1⁄4" including seam allowances.

1.    Sew mottled green 8-1⁄2×64-1⁄4" inner border strips to long edges of quilt center. Add mottled green 8-1⁄2×67-1⁄2" inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border.

2.    Sew solid light green 4-1⁄2×80-1⁄4" outer border strips to long edges of quilt center. Add solid light green 4-1⁄2×75-1⁄2" 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. To create cross-hatching, Jacqueline Pohl machine-quilted diagonally through the center of each Nine-Patch unit and 3-1⁄2" square in the Double Nine-Patch blocks. She stitched a feathered leaf design in the setting blocks and a feathered vine in the setting and corner triangles and borders (Quilting Diagram).

3.    Bind with solid light green binding strips.