Color Your World

Designers: Barb Groves and Mary Jacobson of Me and My Sister Designs

• 1 yard green plaid (blocks, binding)
• 3⁄4 yard white print (blocks)
• 4--9×22" pieces (fat eighths) assorted florals (1 each of orange, pink, turquoise, and yellow) for block centers
• 8--9×22" pieces (fat eighths) assorted bright prints (2 each of orange, pink, purple, and turquoise; 1 of yellow) for blocks
• 1-1⁄3 yards purple floral (block centers, outer border)
• 3⁄4 yard purple plaid (blocks, inner and outer borders)
• 1⁄2 yard each lime green swirl and lime green tone-on-tone (blocks)
• 3-7⁄8 yards backing fabric
• 68" square batting

Finished quilt: 59-7⁄8" square

Finished block: 14-1⁄8" 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 purple floral outer border strips lengthwise (parallel to the selvages).

From green plaid, cut:

• 7--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips
• 9--3-3⁄4" squares
• 36--3" squares

From white print, cut:

• 9--3-3⁄4" squares
• 18--3-3⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 36 small triangles total
• 36--3-3⁄8" squares

From each assorted orange, pink, and turquoise floral, cut:

• 2--8" squares

From yellow floral, cut:

• 1--8" square

From each assorted bright print, cut:

• 2--3-3⁄4" squares
• 4--3-3⁄8" squares

From purple floral, cut:

• 4--7×42-7⁄8" strips for outer border
• 2--8" squares
• 4--7" squares for outer border

From purple plaid, cut:

• 6--2-1⁄2×42" strips for inner border
• 2--3-3⁄4" squares
• 4­--3-3⁄8" squares
• 4--2-1⁄2×7" rectangles for outer border

From lime green swirl, cut:

• 9--6-1⁄4" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 18 large triangles total

From lime green tone-on-tone, cut:

• 9--6-1⁄4" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 18 large triangles total

1.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each green plaid 3" square.

2.    Align a marked green plaid square with a corner of an orange floral 8" square (Diagram 1; note direction of drawn line). Sew on drawn line. Trim excess, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press open attached triangle.

3.    In same manner, add marked green plaid squares to remaining corners of orange floral square to make an orange Snowball unit. The unit still should be 8" square including seam allowances.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 with remaining assorted floral 8" squares to make nine Snowball units total (two each of orange, pink, purple, and turquoise and one yellow).

1.    Mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each green plaid 3-3⁄4" square and each white print 3-3⁄4" and 3-3⁄8" square.

2.    Layer a marked white print 3-3⁄4" square atop a bright orange print 3-3⁄4" square (Diagram 2). Sew together with two seams, stitching 1⁄4" on each side of drawn line. Cut apart on drawn line to make two triangle units. Press each triangle unit open, pressing seams away from white print, to make two white triangle-squares. Each triangle-square should be 3-3⁄8" square including seam allowances.

3.    Using a marked green plaid 3-3⁄4" square and a matching bright orange print 3-3⁄4" square, repeat Step 2 to make two green triangle-squares.

4.    Mark a diagonal line perpendicular to seam line on wrong side of each white triangle-square (Diagram 3).

5.    Layer a marked white triangle-square atop a green triangle-square, making sure a bright orange print triangle faces a green triangle (Diagram 3). Sew together with two seams, stitching 1⁄4" on each side of drawn line. Cut apart on drawn line to make two triangle units. Press each unit open, pressing seam in one direction, to make two hourglass units. Each unit should be 3" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four hourglass units total.

6.    Using marked white print 3-3⁄8" squares and matching bright orange print 3-3⁄8" squares, repeat Step 2 to make eight small triangle-squares. Each small triangle-square should be 3" square including seam allowances.

7.    Referring to Diagram 4, sew small triangle-squares to opposite edges of an hourglass unit to make a star point unit. Repeat to make four star point units total.

8.    Sew white print small triangles to opposite ends of a star point unit to make a star point row (Diagram 5). Press seams away from white print triangles. Repeat to make a second star point row.

9.    Referring to Block Assembly Diagram, sew star point units to opposite edges of an orange Snowball unit. Press seams toward star point units. Add star point rows to remaining edges of Snowball unit; press seams toward Snowball unit.

10.    Sew green swirl large triangles to opposite edges of Snowball unit. Press seams toward triangles. Add green tone-on-tone large triangles to remaining edges to make a star block. Press seams toward block center. The block should be 14-5⁄8" square including seam allowances.

11.    Matching the bright print in the triangle-squares with the Snowball unit color, repeat steps 2–10 to make nine star blocks total (two each of orange, pink, purple, and turquoise and one yellow).

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew together blocks in three rows. 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 42-7⁄8" square including seam allowances.

2.    Cut and piece purple plaid 2-1⁄2×42" strips to make:

• 2--2-1⁄2×59-7⁄8" inner border strips
• 2--2-1⁄2×42-7⁄8" inner border strips

3.    Sew purple plaid 2-1⁄2×42-7⁄8" inner border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add purple floral 7×42-7⁄8" outer border strips to same edges. Press seams toward outer border.

4.    Sew purple plaid 2-1⁄2×59-7⁄8" inner border strips to remaining edges of quilt center. Press seams toward inner border.

5.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join two purple floral 7" squares, two purple plaid 2-1⁄2 ×7" rectangles, and a purple floral 7×42-7⁄8" strip to make a long outer border strip. Press seams toward purple plaid. Repeat to make a second long outer border strip.

6.    Sew long outer border strips to purple plaid inner border strips to complete quilt top. Press seams toward outer border.

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

2.    Quilt as desired. Sharon Elsberry machine-quilted a daisy in the center of each block and outer border corner. She outlined the star shape and stitched a stylized heart in the corner of each block. Scroll and mirror-image heart motifs highlight the borders (Quilting Diagram).

3.    Bind with green plaid binding strips.