Purely Primitive

Designer: Kris Kerrigan from Button Weeds

• 1-1⁄4 yards light blue print (large triangles, tongues, large flower appliqués)
• 1-1⁄8 yards cream print (appliqué foundations)
• 1 yard dark brown print (sashing, border, binding)
• 1⁄2 yard sage green print (stem, leaf, and calyx appliqués)
• 1⁄4 yard solid tan (small triangles)
• 1⁄4 yard blue print (large flower appliqués)
• 1⁄4 yard rust print (small flower appliqués, pieced sashing)
• Scraps of assorted brown, mauve, green, and gold prints (pieced sashing)
• 2-5⁄8 yards backing fabric
• 47×57" batting
• No. 8 perle cotton: black, ecru, and taupe
• Freezer paper

Finished quilt: 40-1⁄2 ×50-1⁄2"

Finished block: 12" 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 order that follows. Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern pieces. The instructions that follow use a freezer-paper method for appliquéing. If you prefer, choose your favorite method of appliqué.

1. Position freezer paper, shiny side down, over patterns. Use a pencil to trace each pattern the number of times specified in cutting instructions. Cut on traced lines to make templates.

2. With a hot, dry iron, press freezer-paper templates to wrong side of designated fabrics, leaving ½" between templates. Cut fabric pieces about 3⁄16" beyond edges of freezer paper. Clip inside curves or points on seam allowances where necessary; do not clip outside curves.

3. Turn under seam allowance on appliqué pieces B through G (except on edges that will be tucked under another appliqué piece), using freezer-paper template as a guide; press. Remove paper and press again. To ensure crisp folds, lightly spray with water or spray starch as you press.

From light blue print, cut:

• 18--7" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 36 large triangles total
• 9 of Pattern A
• 24 of Pattern H

From cream print, cut:

• 9--9-1⁄2" squares

From dark brown print, cut:

• 5--2-1⁄2 ×42" strips for border
• 5--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips
• 1--4-1⁄2 ×36-1⁄2" sashing strip

From sage green print, cut:

• 9 each of patterns B, C, C reversed, E, and F
• 36 of Pattern D

From solid tan, cut:

• 27--2-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 54 small triangles total

From blue print, cut:

• 18 of Pattern A

From rust print, cut:

• 18 of Pattern G

From assorted brown, mauve, green, gold, and remaining rust prints, cut:

• 27--2-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 54 small triangles total

1. Sew together two blue print A pieces and one light blue print A piece (Diagram 1) to make one flower. Press seams open. Press under 1⁄4" seam allowance on top and sides of flower. Repeat to make nine large flowers total.

2. Fold each cream print 9-1⁄2" square in half diagonally twice. Lightly finger-press each fold to create foundation squares with appliqué placement guidelines; unfold.

3. Referring to Block Assembly Diagram, lay out one large flower, one B stem, one C stem, one C reversed stem, four D leaves, one E leaf, one F calyx, and two G small flowers. Tuck under raw edges of stems, leaves, and flowers as needed. Baste all pieces in place.

4. Using threads that match appliqués, hand-appliqué pieces to foundation to make an appliquéd unit.

5. Trim appliquéd unit to 9" square.

6. Referring to Block Assembly Diagram, join two light blue print large triangles to opposite sides of appliquéd unit. Press seams toward light blue print triangles. Add two light blue print large triangles to remaining sides to make an appliquéd block. Press seams toward light blue print triangles. The block should be 12-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

7. Repeat steps 3 through 6 to make nine appliquéd blocks total.

1. Using black perle cotton, blanket-stitch top and side edges of large flowers. To blanket-stitch, pull your needle up at A (Blanket Stitch Diagram), form a reverse L shape with the floss, and hold the angle of the L shape in place with your thumb. Push your needle down at B and come up at C to secure the stitch. Continue in same manner.

Couch over two threads of black perle cotton at seam lines of large flowers. To couch, position threads on appliquéd piece (Couching Diagram). Use perle cotton to work small stitches 1⁄4" to 3⁄8" apart over threads.

2. Using ecru perle cotton, couch over three threads to form a V (Diagram 2) on each small flower. Blanket-stitch around edges.

Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out three appliquéd blocks in a row. Join to make an appliquéd block strip. Press seams open. The appliquéd block strip should be 12-1⁄2 ×36-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make three appliquéd block strips total.

1. Sew together a solid tan small triangle and an assorted brown, mauve, green, gold, or rust print small triangle to make a triangle-square (Diagram 3). Press seam away from solid tan triangle. The triangle-square should be 2-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 54 triangle-squares total.

2. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram and photograph, lay out 18 triangle-squares in a row. Sew together to make a pieced sashing strip. The pieced sashing strip should be 2-1⁄2 ×36-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make three pieced sashing strips total.

1. Sew together two light blue print H pieces, leaving straight edge open to make one tongue appliqué. Clip curves. Turn right side out; press. Repeat to make 12 tongue appliqués.

2. Fold dark brown print 4-1⁄2 ×36-1⁄2" sashing strip in half crosswise and finger-press a center crease.

3. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, position 12 tongue appliqués onto sashing strip (six on either side of center crease), aligning raw edges, to make a tongue appliqué sashing strip. Leave about 1⁄4" between appliqués, including a 1⁄4" seam allowance at each end of strip. Baste in place.

Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram and the photograph, lay out the three appliquéd block strips, three pieced sashing strips, and tongue appliqué sashing strip. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams toward appliquéd block strips. The quilt center should be 36-1⁄2 ×46-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

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

• 2--2-1⁄2 ×46-1⁄2" border strips
• 2--2-1⁄2 ×40-1⁄2" border strips

2. Sew long border strips to long edges of quilt center. Press seams toward border.

3. Sew short border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press seams toward border.

1. Layer quilt top, batting, and backing.

2. Quilt as desired. Designer Kris Kerrigan used taupe perle cotton to hand-quilt long utility stitches on the outside edges of each block. She also outline-quilted around the small tan triangles and tongues. A long utility stitch accents each sashing horizontally and the perimeter of the quilt center.

3. Use dark brown print 2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips to bind quilt.