Jewel Box

Inspired by Seeing Stripes from designer Victoria Findlay Wolfe of Bumble Beans, Inc.

Quilt tester: Laura Boehnke

Depending on your stripes, you may need more or less than yardages specified below. Before purchasing a striped fabric, cut out paper templates of Pattern A and lay them out on your chosen stripes to determine how much you need.

• 2⁄3 yard each gold stripe and blue stripe (blocks)
• 1⁄3 yard each mottled rust, mottled tan-and-turquoise, mottled brown, and mottled gold (blocks)
• 1⁄4 yard mottled blue (appliqués)
• 1⁄2 yard each blue print and dark blue print (appliqué foundations)
• 5⁄8 yard gold paisley (sashing, inner border)
• 7⁄8 yard black-and-blue floral (outer border, binding)
• 1⁄8 yard turquoise paisley (border)
• 3-1⁄8 yards backing fabric
• 56" square batting
• Freezer paper
• Spray starch
• Clear monofilament thread

Finished quilt: 47-3⁄4" square

Finished blocks: 20-1⁄2" 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. Click on "Download this Project" above for patterns.

To use freezer paper to prepare B circle for machine appliqué, complete the following steps.

1. Lay freezer paper, shiny side down, over Pattern B. Use a pencil to trace the pattern four times. Cut out freezer-paper circles on drawn lines to make templates.

2. Using a hot dry iron, press each freezer-paper template, shiny side down, onto wrong side of mottled blue; let cool. Cut out each fabric circle, adding a scant 1⁄4" seam allowance to all edges.

3. To turn under seam allowances, sew long basting stitches around each fabric circle 1⁄16" to 1⁄8" from raw edge (Diagram 1). Gently pull thread ends to gather basting stitches and fabric snugly around freezer-paper templates. Spray gathered circles with starch; press, and let dry. Clip gathering threads and gently remove templates to make B circle appliqués.

From each gold stripe and blue stripe, refer to Cutting Diagram and fussy-cut:

• 22 of Pattern A (11 from one section; 11 from a second section)

From each mottled rust, mottled tan-and-turquoise, mottled brown, and mottled gold, cut:

• 11 of Pattern A

From mottled blue, cut:

• 4 of Pattern B

From blue print, cut:

• 2--21" squares

From dark blue print, cut:

• 2--21" squares

From gold paisley, cut:

• 7--1-1⁄4x42" strips for sashing and inner border

From black-and-blue floral, cut:

• 5--2-1⁄2x42" strips for outer border
• 5--2-1⁄2x42" binding strips

From turquoise paisley, cut:

• 4--2-1⁄2" squares

1. Fold a gold stripe A piece in half with right side inside and long edges aligned; finger-press fold (Diagram 2). Stitch along top edge to make a gold stripe wedge.

2. Turn Step 1 wedge right side out; place wedge right side down on pressing surface. Using crease to center the point, press point flat (Diagram 3).

3. Using remaining A pieces, repeat steps 1 and 2 to make:

• 22 gold stripe wedges total (11 of each striped pattern)
• 22 blue stripe wedges (11 of each striped pattern)
• 11 mottled rust wedges
• 11 mottled tan-and-turquoise wedges
• 11 mottled brown wedges
• 11 mottled gold wedges

4. Referring to Diagram 4, alternate 11 gold stripe wedges and 11 mottled rust wedges in four sections. Sew together wedges in each section; press seams in one direction. Join sections to make Unit 1; press seams in one direction.

5. Using 11 blue stripe wedges and 11 mottled tan-and-turquoise wedges, repeat Step 4 to make Unit 2 (Quilt Assembly Diagram).

6. Using 11 blue stripe wedges and 11 mottled brown wedges, repeat Step 4 to make Unit 3 (Quilt Assembly Diagram).

7. Using 11 gold stripe wedges and 11 mottled gold wedges, repeat Step 4 to make Unit 4 (Quilt Assembly Diagram).

1. Referring to Diagram 5, center Unit 1 and a mottled blue B circle on a blue print 21" square. Pin or baste pieces in place. Using clear monofilament thread, machine-zigzag-stitch around outer edges of unit and circle to make a blue Aster block. The block should be 21" square including seam allowances. Repeat with Unit 4 to make a second blue Aster block.

2. Using units 2 and 3, remaining mottled blue B circles, and dark blue print 21" squares, repeat Step 1 to make two dark blue Aster blocks.

1. Cut and piece gold paisley 1-1⁄4x42" strips to make:

• 2--1-1⁄4x43-3⁄4" inner border strips
• 2--1-1⁄4x42-1⁄4" inner border strips
• 1--1-1⁄4x42-1⁄4" sashing strip
• 2--1-1⁄4x21" sashing strips

2. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram for color placement, lay out Aster blocks and sashing strips in three horizontal rows.

3. Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward sashing strips. Join rows to make quilt center; press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 42-1⁄4" square including seam allowances.

4. Sew 1-1⁄4x42-1⁄4" inner border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add 1-1⁄4x43-3⁄4" inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border.

5. Cut and piece black-and-blue floral 2-1⁄2x42" strips to make:

4- 2-1⁄2x43-3⁄4" outer border strips

6. Sew black-and-blue floral outer border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Press seams toward outer border.

7. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew turquoise paisley 2-1⁄2" squares to remaining black-and-blue floral 2-1⁄2x43-3⁄4" outer border strips to make two pieced outer border strips. Press seams open. Each pieced border strip should be 2-1⁄2x47-3⁄4" including seam allowances.

8.  Add pieced outer border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press seams toward outer border.

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

2. Bind with black-and-blue floral binding strips.