Garden Party

Designer: Sherri McConnell

• 3 yards total or 42-10" precut squares assorted prints in taupe, pink, green, aqua, yellow, purple, and orange (blocks)
• 1-3⁄4 yards solid white (blocks, inner border)
• 1-1⁄8 yards multicolor floral (outer border)
• 5⁄8 yard yellow tone-on-tone (binding)
• 4-3⁄4 yards backing fabric
• 69×85" batting

Finished quilt: 60-1⁄2 ×76-1⁄2"

Finished blocks: 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. Designer Sherri McConnell used a collection of 42 precut 10" squares to make the blocks in this quilt. If you use precut 10" squares as Sherri did, there is very little room for error.

From assorted prints, cut 42 matching sets of:

• 2--1-1⁄2 ×8-1⁄2" strips
• 2--1-1⁄2 ×6-1⁄2" strips

From remaining assorted prints, cut:

• 42--2-1⁄2 ×10" strips
• 36--1-1⁄2 ×6-1⁄2" strips

From solid white, cut:

• 6--2×42" strips for inner border
• 12--1-1⁄2 ×8-1⁄2" strips
• 96--1-1⁄2 ×6-1⁄2" strips
• 84--1-1⁄2 ×4-1⁄2" strips

From multicolor floral, cut:

• 7--5×42" strips for outer border

From yellow tone-on-tone, cut:

• 7--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips

1. Sew together two assorted print 2-1⁄2 ×10" strips to make a strip set (Diagram 1). Press seam in one direction. Repeat to make 21 strip sets total.

2. Referring to Diagram 1, cut each strip set into four 2-1⁄2"-wide segments to make 84 segments total.

3. Join two segments, nesting seams, to make a Four-Patch unit (Diagram 2). Press seam in one direction. The unit should be 4-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

4. Sew solid white 1-1⁄2 ×4-1⁄2" strips to opposite edges of Four-Patch unit. Add solid white 1-1⁄2×6-1⁄2" strips to remaining edges (Diagram 3). Press all seams toward solid white strips.

5. Sew matching print 1-1⁄2 ×6-1⁄2" strips to opposite edges of Four-Patch unit. Add matching print 1-1⁄2 ×8-1⁄2" strips to remaining edges to make a Four-Patch block (Diagram 4). Press all seams toward print strips. The block should be 8-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

6. Repeat steps 3–5 to make 42 Four-Patch blocks total.

1. Referring to Diagram 5, sew together six assorted print 1-1⁄2 ×6-1⁄2" strips to make a Rail Fence unit. Press seams in one direction. The Rail Fence unit should be 6-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make six Rail Fence units total.

2. Sew solid white 1-1⁄2 ×6-1⁄2" strips to opposite edges of a Rail Fence unit. Add solid white 1-1⁄2×8-1⁄2" strips to remaining edges to make a Rail Fence block (Diagram 6). Press seams toward solid white strips. The block should be 8-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

3. Repeat Step 2 to make six Rail Fence blocks total.

1. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out Four-Patch and Rail Fence blocks in eight rows, rotating every other block so seams nest in the finished quilt.

2. Sew together 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 48-1⁄2 ×64-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

1. Cut and piece solid white 2×42" strips to make:

• 2--2×64-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 2--2×51-1⁄2" 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 multicolor floral 5×42" strips to make:

• 2--5×67-1⁄2" outer border strips
• 2--5×60-1⁄2" outer border strips

4. Sew long outer border strips to long edges of quilt center. Join short 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. Gail Begay machine-quilted a floral-and-leaf motif across the quilt top.

3. Bind with yellow tone-on-tone binding strips.