Quilt Your Heart Out

Inspired by From the Heart from designer Tammy Vonderschmitt

Quilt tester: Colleen Tauke

Yardages and cutting instructions are based on 42" of usable fabric width.

•  9--9×21" pieces (fat eighths) assorted solids in purple, mint, blue, pink, teal, yellow, green, orange, and red (blocks, hourglass units)
• 2 yards solid black (blocks, hourglass units, sashing, border, binding)
• 2-1⁄2 yards backing fabric
• 45×57" batting

Finished quilt: 36 -1⁄2×48 -1⁄2"

Finished block: 8×12"

Cut pieces in the following order:

From each of nine assorted solids, cut:

• 1--8-7⁄8" square, cutting it in half diagonally for 2 large triangles total (you will use one)
• 1--4-7⁄8" square, cutting it in half diagonally for 2 small triangles total
• 1--3-1⁄4" square, cutting it diagonally twice in an X for 4 extra-small triangles total (you will use 1 extra-small triangle from 8 different solids)

From solid black, cut:

• 5--2-1⁄2 ×42" strips for binding
• 2--4-1⁄2 ×40-1⁄2" border strips
• 2--4-1⁄2 ×36-1⁄2" border strips
• 5--8-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 10 large triangles total (you will use 9)
• 9--4-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 18 small triangles total
• 2--3-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 8 extra-small triangles total
• 6--2-1⁄2 ×12-1⁄2" sashing strips
• 6--2-1⁄2 ×8-1⁄2" sashing strips

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.

1. Sew together an assorted solid large triangle and a solid black large triangle to make a large triangle-square (Diagram 1). The large triangle-square should be 8-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make nine large triangle-squares total.

2. Sew together an assorted solid small triangle and a solid black small triangle to make a small triangle-square (Diagram 2). The small triangle-square should be 4-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 18 small triangle-squares total (nine sets of matching pairs).

3. Sew together two matching small triangle-squares (Diagram 3). Add a matching large triangle-square to make a block. The block should be 8-1⁄2 ×12-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Using matching small and large triangle-squares in each block, repeat to make nine blocks total.

1. Join two assorted solid extra-small triangles and two solid black extra-small triangles to make an hourglass unit (Diagram 4). The unit should be 2-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four hourglass units total.

2. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks, hourglass units, and solid black 2-1⁄2 ×12-1⁄2" and 2-1⁄2 ×8-1⁄2" sashing strips. Sew together pieces in rows; press seams toward sashing strips.\

3. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams toward sashing rows. The quilt center should be 28-1⁄2 ×40-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

4. Sew solid black 4-1⁄2 ×40-1⁄2" border strips to long edges of quilt center. Add solid black 4-1⁄2 ×36-1⁄2" border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press seams toward border.

1. Layer quilt top, batting, and backing; baste.

2. Quilt as desired. Handi Quilter Studio Educator Vicki Hoth machine-quilted straight lines diagonally in the background to give the quilt a directional feel (Quilting Diagram). She added swirls to the hearts to make them stand out.

3. Bind with solid black binding strips.