Good Cheer

Designer: Jackie Robinson of Animas Quilts

• 3⁄8 yard cream tone-on-tone (background)
• 1⁄8 yard dark green print (blocks)
• 1⁄8 yard green print (blocks)
• 1⁄8 yard red plaid (blocks)
• 1 yard red floral stripe (border)
• 1-1⁄2 yards red print (binding, backing)
• 27×52" batting

Finished table runner: 21-1⁄8×46-3⁄8"

Finished block: 7-1⁄2" 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. Cut border and binding strips lengthwise (parallel to the selvages).

From cream tone-on-tone, cut:

• 1--12" square, cutting it diagonally twice in an X for 4 setting triangles total
• 51-2" squares

From dark green print, cut:

• 12--2×3-1⁄2" rectangles

From green print, cut:

• 12--2×3-1⁄2" rectangles

From red plaid, cut:

• 12--2×3-1⁄2" rectangles

From red floral stripe, cut:

• 6--5-1⁄2×33" border strips centered over stripe

From red print, cut:

• 1--27×52" rectangle for backing
• 4--2-1⁄2×54" binding strips

1.     Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong sides of 48 cream tone-on-tone 2" squares. (To prevent fabric from stretching as you draw the lines, place 220-grit sandpaper under each square.)

2.    Align a marked cream tone-on-tone square with one end of a dark green print 2×3-1⁄2" rectangle (Diagram 1; note direction of drawn line). Sew on marked line. Trim excess fabric, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press open attached triangle.

3.    Align a second marked square with remaining end of dark green print rectangle (Diagram 2; note direction of drawn line). Sew on marked line. Trim and press as before to make a Flying Geese unit A. Flying Geese unit A should be 2×3-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make 12 total of unit A.

5.    Align a marked cream tone-on-tone square with one end of a green print 2×3-1⁄2" rectangle (Diagram 3; note direction of drawn line). Sew on marked line. Trim and press as before.

6.    Align a second marked square with remaining end of green print rectangle (Diagram 4; note direction of drawn line). Sew on marked line. Trim and press as before to make unit B. Unit B should be 2×3-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

7.    Repeat steps 5 and 6 to make 12 total of unit B.

8.    Referring to Diagram 5, sew together one Flying Geese unit A and one unit B to make an AB unit. Repeat to make 12 AB units total.

9.    Referring to Block Assembly Diagram, lay out four AB units, four red plaid 2×3-1⁄2" rectangles, and one cream tone-on-tone 2" square in three rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward red plaid rectangles. Join rows to make a block. Press seams in one direction. The block should be 8" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make three blocks total.

1.    Referring to Diagram 6, lay out three blocks and four cream tone-on-tone setting triangles in diagonal rows.

2.    Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward setting triangles. Join rows to make table runner center; press seams in one direction.

1.    Aligning midpoints, sew border strips to long edges of table runner center, beginning and ending seams 1⁄4" from corners (Diagram 7). In same manner, sew remaining border strips to remaining edges.

2.    Referring to Diagram 8, miter corners to complete table runner top. Press all seams toward border.

1.    Layer table runner top, batting, and backing; baste.

2.    Quilt as desired. Machine-quilter Debbie Tribble used metallic gold thread to stitch fan motifs in the setting triangles and medallions in the blocks. She used cream-color thread to outline-quilt around the inner edges of the poinsettia border.

3.    Bind with red print binding strips.