Christmas Geese

Designer: Avis Shirer of Joined At the Hip

*    1-3⁄4 yards cream tone-on-tone (blocks, sashing, inner border)

*    1-7⁄8 yards solid red (blocks, outer border, binding)

*    1-1⁄4 yards red-and-cream stripe (blocks)

*    9×22" piece (fat eighth) red dot (blocks, sashing)

*    3 yards backing fabric

*    53×65" batting

Finished quilt: 44-1⁄2 ×56-1⁄2"

Finished block: 10" 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 cream tone-on-tone, cut:

*    5--2-1⁄2 ×42" strips for inner border

*    17--2-1⁄2 ×10-1⁄2" sashing rectangles

*    480--1-1⁄2" squares

From solid red, cut:

*    5--3-1⁄2 ×42" strips for outer border

*    6--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips

*    240--1-1⁄2 ×2-1⁄2" rectangles

From red-and-cream stripe, cut:

*    24--8-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 96 large triangles total (you will use 48 matching triangles, but need to cut extra for stripe to go the correct direction)

*    24--2-3⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 48 small triangles total

From red dot, cut:

*    18--2-1⁄2" squares

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

2.    Align a marked cream tone-on-tone square with one end of a solid red 1-1⁄2 ×2-1⁄2" rectangle (Diagram 1; note direction of drawn line). Sew on drawn line; trim excess, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press open attached triangle, pressing seam toward triangle. In same manner, add a marked cream tone-on-tone square to opposite end of rectangle (Diagram 1; again note direction of drawn line). Stitch, trim, and press as before to make a Flying Geese unit. The unit should be 2-1⁄2 ×1-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

3.    Repeat Step 2 to make 240 Flying Geese units total.

1.    Referring to Diagram 2, sew together five Flying Geese units to make a Flying Geese segment. Press seams in one direction. The segment should be 5-1⁄2 ×2-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make 48 Flying Geese segments total.

2.    Referring to Diagram 3, lay out four Flying Geese segments, four red-and-cream stripe large triangles (note direction of stripe), one red dot 2-1⁄2" square, and four red-and-cream stripe small triangles in diagonal rows.

3.    Sew together pieces in each row; press seams away from Flying Geese segments. Join rows; press seams away from middle row. The block should be 10-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make 12 blocks total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks, cream tone-on-tone sashing rectangles, and remaining red dot 2-1⁄2" squares in seven rows.

2.    Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward sashing rectangles.

3.    Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 34-1⁄2 ×46-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

4.    Cut and piece cream tone-on-tone 2-1⁄2 ×42" strips to make:

*    2--2-1⁄2 ×50-1⁄2" inner border strips

*    2--2-1⁄2 ×34-1⁄2" inner border strips

5.    Sew short inner border strips to short edges of quilt center. Join long inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border.

6.    Cut and piece solid red 3-1⁄2 ×42" strips to make:

*    2--3-1⁄2 ×56-1⁄2" outer border strips

*    2--3-1⁄2 ×38-1⁄2" outer border strips

7.    Sew short outer border strips to short edges of quilt center. Join 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. Penny Barnes and Shelley Robson machine-quilted loops in the inner border and a Flying Geese design in the outer border.

3.    Bind with solid red binding strips.