Blue Blossoms

Inspired by Lodge Living from designers Joanie Holton and Melanie Greseth of Tailormade by Design

Quilt tester: Laura Boehnke

Machine quilter: Kerri Rawlins

*    1 yard light blue floral (blocks, outer border)

*    7⁄8 yard each medium blue floral and dark blue floral (blocks, inner border, outer border, binding)

*    3⁄8 yard light blue print (blocks, outer border)

*    1⁄4 yard each white floral and cream floral (blocks, outer border)

*    1⁄2 yard cream tone-on-tone (blocks, outer border)

*    3-1⁄4 yards backing fabric

*    57" square batting

Finished quilt: 48-1⁄2" square

Finished block: 16" 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 light blue floral, cut:

*    4--6-1⁄2 ×24-1⁄2" strips

*    8--4-1⁄4" squares

*    4--3-7⁄8" squares

*    4--3-1⁄2" squares

*    16--2-1⁄2" squares

From medium blue floral, cut:

*    5--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips

*    8--4-1⁄4" squares

*    4--3-7⁄8" squares

*    16--2-7⁄8" squares

From dark blue floral, cut:

*    2--2-1⁄2 ×42" strips

*    1--3-1⁄2 ×32" strip

*    2--2-1⁄2 ×36-1⁄2" inner border strips

*    2--2-1⁄2 ×32-1⁄2" inner border strips

*    16--2-7⁄8" squares

From light blue print, cut:

*    4--5-1⁄4" squares

*    1--3-1⁄2 ×32" strip

*    4--3-1⁄2" squares

From white floral, cut:

*    4--5-1⁄4" squares

From cream tone-on-tone, cut:

*    2--2-1⁄2 ×42" strips

*    2--3-1⁄2 ×32" strip

*    16--2-1⁄2" squares

From cream floral, cut:

*    4--8-1⁄2" squares

1.    Layer a light blue floral 4-1⁄4" square atop a medium blue floral 4-1⁄4" square. Sew together around all edges (Diagram 1). Cut joined squares diagonally twice in an X to make four triangle units.

2.    Press triangle units open to make four small triangle-squares (Diagram 2). Each triangle-square should be 2-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

3.    Repeat steps 1 and 2 to make 32 small triangle-squares total.

1.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each medium blue floral 2-7⁄8" square and dark blue floral 2-7⁄8" square.

2.    Referring to Diagram 3, align marked dark blue floral squares with opposite corners of a light blue print 5-1⁄4" square. Sew a scant 1⁄4" on each side of drawn lines. Cut apart on drawn lines to make two triangle units (Diagram 4). Press triangle units open.

3.    Referring to Diagram 5, align a marked dark blue floral square with light blue print corner of a triangle unit. Sew a scant 1⁄4" on each side of drawn line; cut apart on drawn line (Diagram 6). Press dark blue floral triangles open to make two blue Flying Geese units. Each unit should be 4-1⁄2 ×2-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat with remaining triangle unit to make two more blue Flying Geese units.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make 16 blue Flying Geese units total.

5.    Using marked medium blue floral squares and white floral 5-1⁄4" squares, repeat steps 2 and 3 to make 16 white Flying Geese units (Diagram 7).

1.    Sew together a cream tone-on-tone 2-1⁄2 ×42" strip and a dark blue floral 2-1⁄2 ×42" strip to make Strip Set A (Diagram 8). Repeat to make a second A strip set. Cut strip sets into thirty-two 2-1⁄2"-wide A segments.

2.    Referring to Diagram 9, sew together a light blue floral 2-1⁄2" square, two small triangle-squares, and a cream tone-on-tone 2-1⁄2" square in pairs. Join pairs to make a corner unit. The unit should be 4-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 16 corner units total.

3.    Referring to Diagram 10, sew together a blue Flying Geese unit and a white Flying Geese unit. Sew an A segment to each end of joined units to make a side unit. The unit should be 8-1⁄2 ×4-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make 16 side units total.

4.    Lay out four corner units, four side units, and one cream floral 8-1⁄2" square in three rows (Diagram 11). Sew together pieces in rows. Join rows to make a block. The block should be 16-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four blocks total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks in two rows. Sew together blocks in rows. Press seams in one direction, alternating direction with each row.

2.    Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 32-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

Sew dark blue floral 2-1⁄2 ×32-1⁄2" inner border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add dark blue floral 2-1⁄2 ×36-1⁄2" inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border.

1.    Sew together light blue print 3-1⁄2 ×32" strip and a cream tone-on-tone 3-1⁄2 ×32" strip to make Strip Set B (Diagram 12). Cut strip set into eight 3-1⁄2"-wide B segments.

2.    Sew together remaining cream tone-on-tone 3-1⁄2 ×32" strip and dark blue floral 3-1⁄2 ×32" strip to make Strip Set C (Diagram 13). Cut strip set into eight 3-1⁄2"-wide C segments.

3.    Join a B segment and a C segment to make a Four-Patch unit (Diagram 14). The unit should be 6-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make eight Four-Patch units total.

4.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each light blue floral 3-7⁄8" square.

5.    Layer a marked light blue floral square atop a medium blue floral 3-7⁄8" square. Sew together with two seams, stitching 1⁄4" on each side of marked line (Diagram 15). Cut pair apart on drawn line and press open to make two large triangle-squares. Each triangle-square should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make eight large triangle-squares total.

6.    Referring to Diagram 16, sew together a light blue floral 3-1⁄2" square, two large triangle-squares, and a light blue print 3-1⁄2" square in two rows. Join rows to make a border corner unit. The unit should be 6-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four border corner units total.

7.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join a Four-Patch unit to each end of a light blue floral 6-1⁄2 ×24-1⁄2" strip to make a short outer border unit. Press seams away from Four-Patch units. The short outer border unit should be 6-1⁄2 ×36-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make four short outer border units total.

8.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew a border corner unit to each end of a short outer border unit to make a long outer border unit. Press seams away from Four-Patch units. The long outer border unit should be 6-1⁄2 ×48-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second long outer border unit.

9.    Sew short outer border units to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long outer border units to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward inner border.

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

2.    Quilt as desired. Kerri Rawlins, Handi Quilter Studio educator, machine-quilted the wall hanging using the HQ Pro-Stitcher. She stitched an Anne Bright Denali design in the large blocks and a Denali triangle design in the borders, flipping every other triangle to enhance the effect (Quilting Diagram). Kerri used two layers of batting, Hobbs 80/20 and Hobbs wool.

3.    Bind with medium blue floral binding strips.