Brimming with Blues

Inspired by The Secret's in the Sashing from designer Tamara Barfels of Daisy Ridge Quilting

Quilt tester: Laura Boehnke

• 5⁄8 yards dark blue floral
• 1⁄2 yard teal geometric print (blocks, outer border)
• 1 yard cream butterfly print (blocks, outer border)
• 1⁄4 yard each cream-and-blue floral, teal floral, and teal stripe (middle border)
• 1⁄8 yard each dark blue butterfly print, cream floral, blue-and-gold print, and blue floral (blocks, sashing, inner border)
• 1⁄3 yard each dark blue stripe and cream stripe (blocks, inner border)
• 3⁄8 yards binding fabric
• 2-1⁄2 yards backing fabric
• 45" square batting
• Lightweight tracing paper or other foundation material of your choice

Finished quilt: 36-1⁄2" square

Finished block: 10" 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.

Cut pieces in the following order.

From dark blue floral, cut:

• 8--4-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 32 small triangles total
• 56--2-3⁄4" squares for outer border positions 1 and 3

From teal geometric print, cut:

• 8--3-3⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 16 large triangles total
• 28--2-3⁄4×4-3⁄4" rectangles for outer border position 2

From cream butterfly print, cut:

• 4--4-1⁄2" outer border corner squares
• 8--3-3⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 16 large triangles total
• 56--3×5-1⁄2" rectangles for outer border positions 4 and 5

From cream-and-blue floral, cut:

• 4--3-1⁄2×5-1⁄2" rectangles for sashing position 1
• 32--1-3⁄4" squares

From teal floral, cut:

• 8--4-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 32 small triangles total

From teal stripe, cut:

• 2--1-1⁄2 ×28-1⁄2" middle border strips
• 2--1-1⁄2 ×26-1⁄2" middle border strips
• 16--1-3⁄4" squares

From dark blue butterfly print, cut:

• 4--3" squares

From cream floral, cut:

• 8--3-1⁄2" squares for sashing positions 2 and 5
• 2--2-1⁄2" squares, cutting each in half diagonally to make 4 sashing triangles total

From blue-and-gold print, cut:

• 16--2×5" rectangles for sashing positions 3, 4, 6, and 7

From blue floral, cut:

• 1--2-1⁄4" square

From dark blue stripe, cut:

• 2--2-1⁄4×26-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 2--2-1⁄4×23" inner border strips
• 16--13⁄4 ×3" rectangles

From cream stripe, cut:

• 32--1-3⁄4×3" rectangles

From binding fabric, cut:

• 4--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips

1.    Referring to Diagram 1, sew together two dark blue floral small triangles and two teal floral small triangles in pairs. Press seams toward teal print. Join pairs to make an hourglass unit. Press seam in one direction. The unit should be 3" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 16 hourglass units total.

2.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of cream-and blue floral 1-3⁄4" squares.

3.    Referring to Diagram 2, align a marked cream-and-blue floral 1-3⁄4" square in one corner of a dark blue stripe 1-3⁄4×3" rectangle (note direction of marked line). Sew together on drawn line. Trim seam allowance to 1⁄4"; press attached triangle open. Repeat with a second marked cream-and-blue floral 1-3⁄4" square on opposite end to make a Flying Geese unit. The unit should be 3×1-3⁄4" including seam allowances. Repeat to make 16 Flying Geese units total.

4.    Referring to Diagram 3, sew together a teal geometric print large triangle and a cream butterfly print large triangle to make a triangle-square. Press seam toward teal geometric print. The triangle-square should be 3" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 16 triangle-squares total.

5.    Referring to Diagram 4, sew together one triangle-square, two cream stripe 1-3⁄4×3" rectangles, and one teal stripe 1-3⁄4" square in pairs. Press seams away from cream stripe. Join pairs to make a corner unit. Press seam toward triangle-square. The unit should be 4-1⁄4" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 16 corner units total.

6.    Referring to Diagram 5 for placement, lay out a four hourglass units, four Flying Geese units, four corner units, and one dark blue butterfly print 3" square in three horizontal rows.

7.    Sew together pieces in each section. Then join pieces in each row. Press seams toward corner units and center square. Join rows to make a block. Press seams in one direction. The block should be 10-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

8.    Repeat steps 6 and 7 to make four blocks total.

Click on "Download this Project" above for sashing foundation and border foundation patterns.

1.    Use a pencil to trace Sashing Foundation Pattern onto lightweight tracing paper (or other foundation material of your choice), tracing all lines and numbers, to make a sashing foundation paper. Repeat to make four sashing foundation papers total and 28 border foundation papers. (Or, print or photocopy the necessary number of foundation papers.)

2.    Cut out each foundation paper roughly 1⁄4" outside dashed lines.

To foundation-piece, you stitch fabric pieces to foundation paper with the marked side of the paper facing up and the fabric pieces layered underneath. The resulting pieced block is a mirror image of the foundation paper.

1.    Gather one sashing foundation paper, one cream-and-blue floral position 1 rectangle, two cream floral position 2 and 5 squares, and four blue-and-gold position 3, 4, 6, and 7 rectangles.

2.    With right sides together, layer position 1 rectangle atop position 2 square; align a pair of short edges.

3.    Place foundation paper atop layered fabric pieces, positioning paper so aligned fabric edges are 1⁄4" beyond stitching line between positions 1 and 2 (Diagram 6). When stitched, fabric pieces should completely cover positions 1 and 2. To check placement, pin on line between positions 1 and 2. Flip square open, making sure it covers position 2 and extends at least 1⁄4" beyond solid line. If it doesn't, reposition and recheck until it does.

4.    Working with marked side of foundation paper up, use a small stitch length (1.5 millimeters) to sew on stitching line through all layers, extending stitching past beginning and end of line by a few stitches (Diagram 7).

5.    Turn over stitched layers so foundation paper is on bottom. Press position 2 square open. Referring to Diagram 8, trim pieces so they extend 1⁄4" beyond next stitching lines (the line between positions 2 and 3, and the line between positions 2 and 4).

6.    Align position 3 rectangle with trimmed edge of pieces 1 and 2. Turn over stitched layers so foundation paper is on top. Sew on stitching line (Diagram 9). Turn over stitched layers so foundation paper is on bottom. Press position 3 rectangle open. Roughly trim position 3 rectangle to edge of foundation paper.

7.    In same manner, add remaining pieces to foundation paper in numerical order. Trim on dashed lines through all fabric layers and foundation paper to make a sashing rectangle (Diagram 10). The rectangle should be 3×10-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Remove foundation paper with tweezers or the blunt edge of a seam ripper.

8.    Repeat steps 1–7 to make four sashing rectangles total.

Referring to Diagram 11, sew cream floral sashing triangles to opposite edges of a blue floral 2-1⁄4" square. Add remaining cream floral sashing triangles to remaining square edges to make a sashing square. Press all seams toward blue floral. The sashing square should be 3" square including seam allowances.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks, sashing rectangles, and sashing square in three horizontal rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams in toward sashing rectangles.

2.    Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams toward sashing rows. The quilt center should be 23" square including seam allowances.

1.    Sew dark blue stripe 2-1⁄4x23" inner border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add dark blue stripe 2-1⁄4x26-1⁄2" inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border.

2.    Sew short teal stripe middle border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long middle border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward middle border.

3.    Gather one border foundation paper, two dark blue floral squares for positions 1 and 3, one teal geometric print rectangle for position 2, and two cream butterfly print rectangles for positions 4 and 5.

4.    In same manner as Assemble Sashing Rectangles, make 28 outer border units (Diagram 12). Each outer border unit should be 4-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

5.    Sew together seven outer border units to make a short outer border strip. Press seams in one direction. The strip should be 4-1⁄2 ×28-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second short outer border strip.

6.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join two cream butterfly print 4-1⁄2" squares and seven outer border units to make a long outer border strip. At ends, press seams toward squares; press remaining seams in one direction. The strip should be 4-1⁄2 ×36-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second long outer border strip.

7.    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 middle border.

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

2.    Bind with binding strips.