Chocolate Sparkle

Designers: Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins of Piece O' Cake Designs

*    2-1⁄2 yards total assorted light prints in taupe, tan, and light brown (blocks)

*    3-5⁄8 yards total assorted medium and dark prints in brown, gray, and green (blocks, outer border)

*    1⁄2 yard mauve floral (inner border)

*    3⁄4 yard brown-and-tan stripe (binding)

*    4-1⁄4 yards backing fabric

*    75×84" batting

Finished quilt: 66-1⁄2 ×75-1⁄2"

Finished block: 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.

From assorted light prints, cut:

*    21--2×42" strips

*    84--3-7⁄8" squares

From assorted medium and dark prints, cut:

*    Enough 5"-wide strips in lengths ranging from 6" to 40" to total 300" for outer border

*    21--2×42" strips

*    84--3-7⁄8" squares

From mauve floral, cut:

*    7--2×42" strips for inner border

From brown-and-tan stripe, cut:

*    Enough 2-1⁄2"-wide bias strips to total 300" for binding

1.    Sew together a light print 2×42" strip and a medium or dark print 2×42" strip to make a strip set (Diagram 1). Press seam toward medium or dark print. Repeat to make 21 strip sets total. Cut strip sets into 420--2"-wide segments.

2.    Referring to Diagram 2, sew together two segments to make a Four-Patch unit. Press seam in one direction. The Four-Patch unit should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 210 Four-Patch units total.

3.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each light print 3-7⁄8" square.

4.    Layer each marked light print square atop a medium or dark print 3-7⁄8" square. Sew each pair together with two seams, stitching 1⁄4" on each side of drawn line (Diagram 3).

5.    Cut a pair apart on drawn line to make two triangle units. Press each triangle unit open, pressing seam toward medium or dark print, to make two triangle-squares (Diagram 3). Each triangle-square should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 168 triangle-squares total.

6.    Referring to Diagram 4, sew together five Four-Patch units and four triangle-squares in three rows. Press seams toward triangle-squares. Join rows to make a Jacob's Ladder block; press seams away from center row. The block should be 9-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 42 blocks total.

Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks in seven rows, rotating blocks as shown. Join blocks in each row. Press seams in one direction, alternating direction with each row. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 54-1⁄2 ×63-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

1.    Cut and piece mauve floral 2×42" strips to make:

*    2--2×63-1⁄2" inner border strips

*    2--2×57-1⁄2" inner border strips

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

3.    Cut and piece assorted medium and dark print 5"-wide strips to make:

*    4--5×66-1⁄2" outer border strips

4.    Sew two outer border strips to long edges of quilt center. Join remaining 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. Becky Goldsmith machine-quilted a diagonal floral motif across the quilt top.

3.    Bind with brown-and-tan stripe bias binding strips.