Make Your Point

Inspired by Points of Interest from designers Jo Kramer and Kelli Hanken of Jo's Country Junction

Quilt Tester: Laura Boehnke

• 1-5⁄8 yards solid tan (blocks, quilt center, inner border)
• 7⁄8 yards assorted solids in orange, yellow, and green (blocks, quilt center)
• 13--10" squares assorted prints in green, yellow, pink, white, and orange (blocks, quilt center)
• 1⁄2 yard solid orange (inner border)
• 2⁄3 yard solid black (inner border, binding)
• 5⁄8 yard black print (outer border)
• 3 yards backing fabric
• 54" square batting

Finished quilt: 45-1⁄2" 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 solid tan, cut:

• 96 each of patterns A and A reversed
• 8--3-1⁄2×6-1⁄2" rectangles
• 40--3-1⁄2" squares
• 4--2" squares

From assorted solids, cut:

• 52 of Pattern B (13 sets of four matching triangles)

From each assorted print, cut:

• 1--3-1⁄2" square
• 8-2" squares

From solid orange, cut:

• 44 of Pattern B

From solid black, cut:

• 5--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips
• 4--3-1⁄2" squares
• 88-2" squares

From black print, cut:

• 5--3-1⁄2×42" strips

1. Referring to Diagram 1, align marked matching points and sew together a solid tan A triangle and an assorted solid B triangle. Add a solid tan A reversed triangle to make a triangle-in-a-square unit. The unit should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

2. Repeat Step 1 to make 52 triangle-in-a-square units total (13 sets of four matching units).

1. Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each assorted print 2" square.

2. Gather eight matching marked print 2" squares and four matching triangle-in-a-square units. Align a marked square with lower left-hand corner of a triangle-in-a-square unit (Diagram 2; note direction of marked line). Sew on marked line. Trim seam allowance to 1⁄4"; press attached triangle open. Add a second marked square to lower right-hand corner to make a star point unit. The unit still should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four matching star point units total.

3. Repeat Step 2 to make 52 star point units total (13 sets of four matching units).

1. Referring to Diagram 3, lay out four matching star point units, four solid tan 3-1⁄2" squares, and an assorted print 3-1⁄2" square that matches the star point units in three rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Join rows to make a block. The block should be 9-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

2. Repeat Step 1 to make nine blocks total.

1. Referring to Quilt Center Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks, solid tan 3-1⁄2×6-1⁄2" rectangles, remaining star point units, remaining assorted print 3-1⁄2" squares, and remaining solid tan 3-1⁄2" squares on a design wall in five rows. Position matching star point units with matching print 3-1⁄2" squares in adjacent sashing rows, as shown.

2. To make Row 1, sew each solid tan 3-1⁄2×6-1⁄2" rectangle to its adjacent star point unit to make segments. Press seams toward rectangles. Sew together blocks and segments. Press seams toward blocks. Row 1 should be 9-1⁄2×33-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make Row 5.

3. To make Row 2, sew together pieces. Press seams away from star point units. Row 2 should be 3-1⁄2×33-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make Row 4.

4. To make Row 3, join two star point units to each solid tan 3-1⁄2" square to make segments. Press seams toward squares. Sew together blocks and segments. Press seams toward blocks. Row 3 should be 9-1⁄2×33-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

5. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams toward even-numbered rows. The quilt center should be 33-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

1. Referring to Diagram 1, align marked matching points and sew together a solid tan A triangle and a solid orange B triangle. Add a solid tan A reversed triangle to make a triangle-in-a-square unit. The unit should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

2. Repeat Step 1 to make 44 triangle-in-a-square units total.

3. Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each solid black and solid tan 2" square.

4. Referring to Assemble Star Point Units, Step 2, join a solid black square to each bottom corner of an orange triangle-in-a-square unit to make Border Unit A (Diagram 4). The unit still should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 44 A border units total.

5. Align a marked solid tan square with one corner of a solid black 3-1⁄2" square (Diagram 5; note direction of marked line). Stitch, trim, and press as before to make Border Unit B. The unit should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four B border units total.

6. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew together 11 A border units to make a short inner border strip. Press seams open. The strip should be 3-1⁄2×33-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second short inner border strip.

7. Sew together two B border units and 11 A border units to make a long inner border strip (Quilt Assembly Diagram). Press seams open. The strip should be 3-1⁄2×39-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second long inner border strip.

8. Sew short inner border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams away from inner border. The quilt center now should be 39-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

1. Cut and piece black print 3-1⁄2×42" strips to make:

• 2--3-1⁄2×45-1⁄2" outer border strips
• 2--3-1⁄2×39-1⁄2" outer border strips

2. Sew short outer border strips to opposite edges of quilt center (Quilt Assembly Diagram). 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. Marie Eldredge, Handi Quilter studio educator, used one layer of Hobbs wool batting in this project. For quilting, she chose a 100-weight MicroQuilter thread from Superior Threads that is darker than the background fabric. Using a Handi Quilter Infinity, she quilted every other line in the striped outer border (Quilting Diagram), allowing the negative (unquilted) space to puff up for variation in texture. Marie unified the pieces of the star blocks by positioning an eight-petal floral design from Digitized Quilting Patterns in the center square of the star and surrounding it with freehand loops extended into the star points. She stitched Art Deco-inspired angled shapes in the star points and inner border solid color points and corners. She filled in the background with swirls.

3. Bind with solid black binding strips.