Americana Home

Inspired by Close Quarters from designer Wendy Sheppard

Quilt tester: Laura Boehnke

• 9--1⁄4-yard pieces assorted cream prints (blocks, middle border)
• 5--1⁄8-yard pieces assorted blue prints (blocks, middle border)
• 5--1⁄4-yard pieces assorted red prints (blocks, middle border)
• 1-1⁄4 yard cream tone-on-tone (sashing, inner border, outer border)
• 1⁄2 yard blue floral (binding)
• 3-1⁄3 yards backing fabric
• 59" square batting

Finished quilt: 50-1⁄2" square

Finished block: 9" 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. Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern pieces.

From each assorted cream print, cut:

• 1-- 2-1⁄2 ×4-1⁄2" rectangle
• 2--2×2-1⁄2" rectangles
• 2--1-1⁄2×5-1⁄2" rectangles
• 3--1-1⁄2×3-1⁄2" rectangles
• 1 each of A, A reversed, and C pieces

From remaining assorted cream prints, cut 32 matching sets of:

• 2--2-7⁄8" squares
• 4--1-1⁄2×2-1⁄2" rectangles

From each assorted blue print, cut:

• 2--1-1⁄2×2-1⁄2" rectangles
• 1 D piece

From remaining assorted blue prints, cut 4 matching sets of:

• 2--2-7⁄8" squares
• 1--1-1⁄2×5-1⁄2" rectangle
• 7--1-1⁄2×3-1⁄2" rectangles
• 1--1-1⁄2" square
• 1 B piece

From each assorted red print, cut:

• 1--1-1⁄2×5-1⁄2" rectangle
• 7--1-1⁄2×3-1⁄2" rectangles
• 1 B piece

From remaining assorted red prints, cut 4 matching sets of:

• 2--1-1⁄2×2-1⁄2" rectangles
• 1 D piece

From remaining assorted red prints, cut 28 matching sets of:

• 2--2-7⁄8" squares
• 1--1-1⁄2" square

From cream tone-on-tone, cut:

• 2--3-1⁄2 ×35-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 2--3-1⁄2 ×29-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 5--3 ×42" strips for outer border
• 2--1-1⁄2 ×29-1⁄2" sashing strips
• 6--1-1⁄2 ×9-1⁄2" sashing strips

From blue floral, cut:

• 6--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips

1.    For one blue roof block, gather these pieces from one cream print (two 2×2-1⁄2" rectangles; one 2-1⁄2 ×4-1⁄2" rectangle; one each of A, A reversed, and C pieces; three 1-1⁄2 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles; and two 1-1⁄2 ×5-1⁄2" rectangles), these pieces from one blue print (two 1-1⁄2 ×2-1⁄2" rectangles and one D piece), and these pieces from one red print (one B piece, seven 1-1⁄2 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles, and one 1-1⁄2×5-1⁄2" rectangle).

2.    Referring to Diagram 1, sew together cream print 2×2-1⁄2" rectangles, blue print 1-1⁄2 ×2-1⁄2" rectangles, and cream print 2-1⁄2×4-1⁄2" rectangle to make chimney unit. The unit should be 9-1⁄2×2-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

3.    Referring to Diagram 2, sew together cream print A piece and red print B piece; add cream print C piece.

4.    Referring to Diagram 3, join blue print D piece to Step 3 unit; add cream print A reversed piece to make roof unit. The unit should be 9-1⁄2 ×2-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

5.    Referring to Diagram 4, sew together two red print 1-1⁄2 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles and one cream print 1-1⁄2 ×3-1⁄2" rectangle. Add two more red print 1-1⁄2 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles to make a left-hand segment. The segment should be 3-1⁄2 ×5-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

6.    Referring to Diagram 5, sew together three red print 1-1⁄2 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles and two cream print 1-1⁄2 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles. Add a cream print 1-1⁄2 ×5-1⁄2" rectangle and red print 1-1⁄2 ×5-1⁄2" rectangle to make right-hand segment. The segment should be 5-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

7.    Sew together left-hand segment, remaining cream print 1-1⁄2 ×5-1⁄2" rectangle, and right-hand segment to make house unit (Diagram 6). The unit should be 9-1⁄2 ×5-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

8.    Join chimney unit, roof unit, and house unit to make blue roof house block (Diagram 7). The block should be 9-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

9.    Repeat steps 1–8 to make five blue roof house blocks total.

10.    Using red print pieces instead of blue and blue print pieces instead of red, repeat steps 1–8 to make four red roof house blocks.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out house blocks, cream tone-on-tone 1-1⁄2 ×9-1⁄2" sashing strips, and cream tone-on-tone 1-1⁄2 ×29-1⁄2" sashing strips in five rows.

2.    Sew together pieces in each block row. Press seams toward sashing strips. Join rows and sashing strips to make quilt center. Press seams toward sashing strips. The quilt center should be 29-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

Sew cream tone-on-tone 3-1⁄2 ×29-1⁄2" inner border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add cream tone-on-tone 3-1⁄2 ×35-1⁄2" inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border. The quilt center now should be 35-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

1.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each assorted cream print 2-7⁄8" square.

2.    Layer a marked assorted cream print square atop an assorted red print 2-7⁄8" square. Sew together with two seams, stitching 1⁄4" on each side of marked line (Diagram 8). Cut apart on marked line and press open to make two red triangle-squares. Each triangle-square should be 2-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 112 red triangle-squares total (28 sets of four matching red triangle-squares).

3.    Referring to Diagram 9, lay out four red triangle-squares, four matching cream print 1-1⁄2×2-1⁄2" rectangles, and one matching red print 1-1⁄2" square in three rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Join rows to make a border unit. The unit should be 5-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 28 red border units total.

4.    Repeat Step 2 with assorted blue 2-7⁄8" print squares instead of red to make 16 blue triangle-squares (four sets of four matching triangle-squares).

5.    Repeat Step 3 using blue print 1-1⁄2" squares instead of red to make four blue border units total.

6.    Sew together seven red border units to make a short middle border strip. Press seams in one direction. The strip should be 5-1⁄2×35-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second short middle border strip.

7.    Sew together seven red border units and two blue border units to make a long middle border strip. Press seams in one direction. The strip should be 5-1⁄2 ×45-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second long middle border strip.

8.    Sew short middle border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long middle border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border. The quilt center now should be 45-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

1.    Cut and piece cream tone-on-tone 3×42" strips to make:

• 2--3×50-1⁄2" outer border strips
• 2--3×45-1⁄2" outer border strips

2.    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. Vicki Hoth, Handi Quilter Educator, stitched in the ditch around the houses, doors, and windows and stitched an X in each window and door (Quilting Diagram). She quilted a meandering design in the sky and curls in the skinny house sashing. She used the Paisley Curl Border design from the HQ Pro-Stitcher for the inner and outer borders. Vicki filled in the middle border blocks with straight lines and a curved leaf design, leaving the dark prints unquilted, which allows the triangles to stand out.

3.    Bind with blue floral binding strips.