Holiday Sparkle

Designers: Chloe Anderson and Colleen Reale of Toadusew Creative Concepts

• 1-1⁄4 yards red print (blocks, middle border)
• 2 yards green print* (blocks, sashing squares) *If you're not fussy-cutting block centers and sashing squares, you will only need 1 yard.
• 1-1⁄4 yards burgundy print (blocks, sashing, inner border, binding)
• 1-3⁄8 yards gold print (sashing, inner border)
• 1-1⁄4 yards red-and-green floral (outer border)
• 4 yards backing fabric
• 71" square batting

Finished quilt: 64-1⁄2" square

Finished block: 12" 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. Designers Chloe Anderson and Colleen Reale fussy-cut large and small motifs from the green print for block centers and sashing squares (Cutting Diagram).

From red print, cut:

• 6--1-1⁄2×42" strips for middle border
• 18--6-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 36 triangles total

From green print, fussy-cut:

• 9--9" squares
• 4--4-1⁄2" sashing squares

From burgundy print, cut:

• 7--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips
• 9--5-1⁄4" squares
• 36--2-1⁄2" squares

From gold print, cut:

• 8--4-1⁄2×12-1⁄2" rectangles
• 4--4-1⁄2×8-1⁄2" rectangles
• 9--5-1⁄4" squares
• 6--4-7⁄8" squares
• 28--4-1⁄2" squares

From red-and-green floral, cut:

• 7--5-1⁄2×42" strips for outer border

1. Sew red print triangles to opposite edges of a green print 9" square (Diagram 1). Press seams toward triangles. Add red print triangles to remaining edges to make a block center. Press seams toward triangles. The block center should be 12-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make nine block centers total.

2. Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each burgundy print 2-1⁄2" square.

3. Align a marked burgundy print square with one corner of a block center (Diagram 2; note direction of marked line). Sew on drawn line. Trim excess, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press open attached triangle. Add marked burgundy print squares to remaining corners; trim and press as before to make a block. The block still should be 12-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make nine blocks total.

1. Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each gold print 5-1⁄4" square.

2. Layer a marked gold print square atop a burgundy print 5-1⁄4" square. Sew together with two seams, stitching 1⁄4" on each side of drawn line (Diagram 3). Cut joined squares apart on drawn line to make two triangle units. Press each triangle unit open, pressing seam toward burgundy print, to make two triangle-squares. Each triangle-square should be 4-7⁄8" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 18 triangle-squares total.

3. On the wrong side of 12 triangle-squares, use a pencil to mark a diagonal line perpendicular to the seam line.

4. Layer a marked triangle-square atop an unmarked triangle-square, placing the burgundy print triangle of one atop the gold print triangle of the other (Diagram 4). Sew pair together with two seams, stitching 1⁄4" on each side of drawn line. Cut apart on drawn line to make two hourglass units. Press each unit open, pressing seam in one direction. The unit should be 4-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 12 hourglass units total.

5. Layer a remaining marked triangle-square atop a gold print 4-7⁄8" square (Diagram 5). Join with two seams, stitching 1⁄4" on each side of drawn line. Cut apart on drawn line to make two border units. Press each unit open, pressing seam toward large gold print triangle. Each border unit should be 4-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 12 border units total.

1. Sew two gold print 4-1⁄2" squares to gold print edges of an hourglass unit to make a sashing unit (Diagram 6). Press seams toward gold print squares. The unit should be 4-1⁄2×12-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make 12 sashing units total.

2. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks, sashing units, and green print sashing squares in five horizontal rows. Join pieces in each row. Press seams toward sashing units.

3. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams toward sashing rows. The quilt center should be 44-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

1. Sew together three border units, two gold print 4-1⁄2×12-1⁄2" rectangles, and two gold print 4-1⁄2" squares to make a short inner border strip (Quilt Assembly Diagram; note position of burgundy print in border units). Press seams toward gold print pieces. The short inner border strip should be 4-1⁄2×44-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second short inner border strip.

2. Sew together three border units, two gold print 4-1⁄2×12-1⁄2" rectangles, and two gold print 4-1⁄2×8-1⁄2" rectangles to make a long inner border strip (Quilt Assembly Diagram; note position of burgundy print in border units). Press seams toward gold print rectangles. The long inner border strip should be 4-1⁄2×52-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second long inner border strip.

3. Join short inner border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border.

4. Cut and piece red print 1-1⁄2×42" strips to make:

• 2--1-1⁄2×54-1⁄2" middle border strips
• 2--1-1⁄2×52-1⁄2" middle border strips

5. Sew short middle border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long middle border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward middle border.

6. Cut and piece red-and-green floral 5-1⁄2×42" strips to make:

• 2--5-1⁄2×64-1⁄2" outer border strips
• 2--5-1⁄2×54-1⁄2" outer border strips

7. Sew short outer border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long 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. Linda Leathersich machine-quilted feather motifs in the green print block centers, outer border, and gold print pieces of the sashing and inner border (Quilting Diagram). She stitched curlicues in the red and burgundy print triangles and middle border.

3. Bind with burgundy print binding strips.