Bitty Bow Ties

Designer: Susan Kirschenheiter

*    48--3" squares assorted medium to dark prints in red, gold, blue, green, purple, and tan (blocks)

*    18×22" piece (fat quarter) cream shirting (blocks, inner border)

*    1⁄4 yard brown print (outer border, binding)

*    5⁄8 yard backing fabric

*    22×25" batting

Finished quilt: 15-1⁄2 ×18-1⁄2"

Finished block: 1-1⁄2" 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 each assorted medium or dark print, cut:

*    2--1-1⁄4" squares

*    2--3⁄4" squares

From cream shirting, cut:

*    2--1-1⁄2 ×12-1⁄2" inner border strips

*    2--1-1⁄2 ×11-1⁄2" inner border strips

*    96--1-1⁄4" squares

From brown print, cut:

*    2--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips

*    2--2-1⁄2 ×15-1⁄2" outer border strips

*    2--2-1⁄2 ×14-1⁄2" outer border strips

1.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each assorted medium or dark print 3⁄4" square.

2.    Align a marked medium or dark print square with one corner of a cream shirting 1-1⁄4" square (Diagram 1; note direction of marked line). Stitch on drawn line and trim seam allowance to 1⁄4". Press open attached triangle, pressing seam toward darker print, to make a corner unit. The corner unit should be 1-1⁄4" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second matching corner unit.

3.    Referring to Diagram 2, sew together two corner units and two matching medium or dark print 1-1⁄4" squares in pairs. Press seams away from corner units. Join pairs to make a Bow Tie block. Press seam open. The block should be 2" square including seam allowances.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make 48 Bow Tie blocks total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks in eight rows.

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 9-1⁄2 ×12-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

1.    Sew cream shirting 1-1⁄2 ×12-1⁄2" inner border strips to long edges of quilt center. Join cream shirting 1-1⁄2 ×11-1⁄2" inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border.

2.    Sew brown print 2-1⁄2 ×14-1⁄2" outer border strips to long edges of quilt center. Join brown print 2-1⁄2 ×15-1⁄2" 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. Designer Susan Kirschenheiter machine-quilted a 1-1⁄2"-wide diagonal grid across the quilt top.

3.    Bind with brown print binding strips.