Saltwater Taffy

Quiltmaker: Laura Boehnke

• 1⁄2 yard white tone-on-tone (blocks, setting squares)
• 3⁄4 yard total assorted 1930s prints in red, pink, orange, yellow, blue, green, and lavender (blocks, border)
• 1⁄4 yard blue floral (binding)
• 34" square backing fabric
• 34" square batting

Finished quilt: 27-1⁄2" square

Finished block: 3" 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 white tone-on-tone, cut:

• 24--3-1⁄2" squares
• 116--1-1⁄2" squares

From assorted 1930s prints, cut:

• 28--3-7⁄8" squares
• 145--1-1⁄2" squares (29 sets of 5 matching squares)

From blue floral, cut:

• 3--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips

1.    Referring to Diagram 1, lay out four white tone-on-tone 1-1⁄2" squares and five matching print 1-1⁄2" squares in three rows. Sew together squares in each row. Press seams toward print squares.

2.    Join rows to make a Nine-Patch block. Press seams in one direction. The block should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

3.    Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make 29 Nine-Patch blocks total.

1.     Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out 25 Nine-Patch blocks and 24 white tone-on-tone setting squares in seven rows, alternating blocks and setting squares.

2.    Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward setting squares. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 21-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

1.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of 14 assorted print 3-7⁄8" squares.

2.    Layer a marked print square atop an unmarked assorted print 3-7⁄8" square. Sew pair together with two seams, stitching 1⁄4" on each side of drawn line (Diagram 2). Cut pair apart on drawn line to make two triangle units. Press each triangle unit open, pressing seam toward darker print fabric, to make two triangle-squares. Each triangle-square should be 3 -1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat with remaining marked and unmarked assorted print squares to make 28 triangle-squares total.

3.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew together seven triangle-squares to make a border strip (note placement of diagonal seams). Press seams in one direction. The border strip should be 3-1⁄2×21-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make four border strips total.

4.    Join two border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Press seams toward border.

5.    Sew a Nine-Patch block to each end of remaining border strips to make two pieced border units. Press seams toward Nine-Patch blocks. Join pieced border units to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press seams toward border.

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

2.    Quilt as desired. Machine-quilter Nancy Sharr stitched an allover swirl and starburst design across the quilt top.

3.    Bind with blue floral binding strips.