Stripes of Color

Inspired by Wrapped with Joy from designer Debbie Roberts of The Quilted Moose

Quilt tester: Jan Ragaller

*    10" square each light and medium green stripe, light and medium purple stripe, light and medium blue stripe, and light and medium orange stripe (blocks)

*    1--18×21" piece (fat quarter) each dark green stripe, dark purple stripe, and dark orange stripe (blocks)

*    1⁄3 yard dark blue stripe (blocks)

*    1⁄3 yard binding fabric

*    3⁄4 yard backing fabric

*    27×33" batting

Finished size: 18-1⁄2 ×24-1⁄2"

Finished block: 6" square

Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width.

Measurements include 1⁄4" seam allowances. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

Press seams in directions indicated by arrows on diagrams. If no direction is specified, press seam toward darker fabric.

Cut pieces in the following order.

From each medium green, medium purple, medium blue, and medium orange stripe, cut:

*    6--3" squares

From each light green, light purple, light blue, and light orange stripe, cut:

*    3--3" squares

From each dark green , dark purple, dark blue, and dark orange stripe, cut:

*    6--3-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 12 triangles of each color

From remaining dark blue stripe, cut:

*    12--3" squares

From binding fabric, cut:

*    3--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips

1.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each medium green stripe 3" square. (To prevent fabric from stretching as you draw lines, place 220-grit sandpaper under each square.)

2.    Layer a marked medium green stripe square atop a dark blue stripe 3" square. Sew together with two seams, stitching a scant 1⁄4" on each side of drawn line (Diagram 1). Cut apart on drawn line and press open to make two green-blue triangle-squares. Each triangle-square should be 2-5⁄8" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make six green-blue triangle-squares total.

3.    Using remaining marked medium green stripe and light green stripe 3" squares, repeat Step 2 to make six green-green triangle-squares (Diagram 2).

4.    Referring to Diagram 3 for color placement, sew together two green-blue triangle-squares and two green-green triangle-squares in pairs. Join pairs to make a green Broken Dishes unit. The unit should be 4-3⁄4" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make three green Broken Dishes units total.

5.    Sew dark green stripe triangles centered on opposite edges of a green Broken Dishes unit (Diagram 4). Repeat with remaining edges to make a block. The block should be 6-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make three green blocks total.

6.    Using light, medium, and dark stripe fabrics in purple, blue, and orange, repeat steps 1–4 to make three purple, three blue, and three orange blocks.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks in four rows. (Quilt tester Jan Ragaller arranged the blocks diagonally by color.)

2.    Sew together pieces in rows. 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 18-1⁄2 ×24-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

1.    Layer quilt top, batting, and backing; baste. Quilt as desired.

2.    Bind with binding strips.