Color Cross

Inspired by: Crossing Through from designer Char Hopeman

Quilt tester: Martha Gamm

Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width.

• 2-1⁄2 yards total or 12-18×21" pieces (fat quarters) assorted solids and mottled prints (blocks)
• 1-3⁄4 yards mottled black (blocks, setting and corner triangles, binding)
• 2-7⁄8 yards backing fabric
• 51×68" batting

Finished quilt: 42-1⁄2×59-1⁄2"

Finished block: 6" square

Cut pieces in the following order.

If you are using fat quarters, you will make six blocks from each one.

From assorted solid and mottled prints, cut:

• 59--4-3⁄4" squares
• 236--2-3⁄8" squares, cutting each diagonally once for 472 triangles total (59 sets of 8 matching triangles)

From mottled black, cut:

• 6--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips
• 5--9-3⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 20 setting triangles total
• 2--5-1⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 4 corner triangles total
• 236--2" squares

Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Press seams in directions indicated by arrows on diagrams. If no direction is specified, press seam toward darker fabric.

1. Gather one solid or mottled print 4-3⁄4" square, eight matching solid or mottled print triangles in a colorway similar to the chosen square, and four mottled black 2" squares.

2. Referring to Diagram 1, sew together a solid or mottled print triangle and a mottled black 2" square. Join a second solid or mottled print triangle to adjacent edge of mottled black square to make a pieced triangle unit. Repeat to make four pieced triangle units total.

3. Referring to Diagram 2, join pieced triangle units to opposite edges of solid or mottled print 4-3⁄4" square. Sew remaining pieced triangle units to remaining edges to make a block. The block should be 6-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 to make 59 blocks total.

1. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks and mottled black setting triangles in 11 diagonal rows.

2. Sew together pieces in rows. Press seams in one direction, alternating the direction with each row.

3. Join rows. Add mottled black corner triangles to complete quilt top.

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

2. Quilt as desired. Handi Quilter Studio Educator Vicki Hoth matched thread colors to fabric colors to echo-quilt inside each solid or mottled print square (Quilting Diagram). In the mottled black squares, she used a purple thread to machine-quilt a flower motif. She filled the setting and corner triangles with a piano key design.

3. Bind quilt with mottled black binding strips.