Red, White, and 'Bluetiful'

Inspired by Midnight Hour from Designers Jo Kramer and Kelli Hanken of Jo's Country Junction

Quilt tester: Laura Boehnke

• 1-1⁄4 yards total assorted light blue prints
• 1-1⁄4 yard solid white
• 7⁄8 yard blue polka dot
• 1⁄8 yard each red floral, dark blue print, and red print
• 1⁄2 yard binding fabric
• 3 yards backing fabric
• 52" square batting

Finished quilt: 44" square

Finished blocks: 16-1⁄2" 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.

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.

From assorted light blue prints, cut:

• 11--2×42" strips
• 1--2×21" strip
• 6--2×12" strips

From solid white, cut:

• 10--2×42" strips
• 16--3-1⁄2 ×5" rectangles
• 2--2×21" strips
• 4--2×14" strips
• 4--2×12" strips

From blue polka dot, cut:

• 1--2×42" strip
• 8--5×11" rectangles
• 2--3-1⁄2×12" strips
• 1--2×21" strip
• 2--2×12" strips
• 4--2×8" rectangles
• 8--2×3-1⁄2" rectangles
• 1--2" sashing square

From red floral, cut:

• 1--2×42" strip

From dark blue print, cut:

*    1--2×42" strip

From red print, cut:

• 1--2 ×12" strip
• 4--2" square

From binding fabric, cut:

• 5--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips

1.    Sew together two assorted light blue print 2×42" strips and one solid white 2×42" strip to make Strip Set A (Diagram 1). Repeat to make two A strip sets total. Cut strip sets into 32--2"-wide A segments.

2.    Sew together two solid white 2×42" strips and one assorted light blue print 2×42" strip to make Strip Set B (Diagram 2). Cut strip set into sixteen 2"-wide B segments.

3.    Referring to Diagram 3, sew together two A segments and one B segment to make a Nine-Patch unit. The unit should be 5" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 16 Nine-Patch units total.

4.    Sew together the blue polka dot 2×42" strip, red floral 2×42" strip, and dark blue print 2×42" strip to make Strip Set C (Diagram 4). Cut strip set into sixteen 2"-wide C segments.

5.    Referring to Diagram 5, lay out four Nine-Patch units, four C segments, and one red print 2" square in three rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Join rows to make a block center. The block center should be 11" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four block centers total.

1.    Sew together an assorted light blue print 2×42" strip and a solid white 2×42" strip to make Strip Set D (Diagram 6). Repeat to make six D strip sets total. Cut strip sets into 104--2"-wide D segments. Set aside four D segments for sashing units.

2.    Join one solid white 2×12" strip and the red print 2×12" strip to make Strip Set E (Diagram 7). Cut strip set into four 2"-wide E segments.

3.    Sew together two D segments to make a blue Four-Patch unit (Diagram 8). The unit should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 48 blue Four-Patch units total. Set aside four blue Four-Patch units for border units.

4.    Join a D segment and an E segment to make a red Four-Patch unit (Diagram 9). The unit should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four red Four-Patch units total.

1.    Referring to Diagram 10, sew together two blue Four-Patch units and one solid white 3-1⁄2×5" rectangle to make a block unit. The unit should be 3-1⁄2 ×11" including seam allowances. Repeat to make 16 block units total.

2.    Referring to Diagram 11, lay out three blue Four-Patch units, four block units, one block center, and one red Four-Patch unit in three rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Join rows to make a block, which should be 17" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four blocks total.

1.    Sew together a reserved D segment and a solid white 2×14" strip to make a sashing unit (Diagram 12). Repeat to make four sashing units total.

2.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks, sashing units, and blue polka dot 2" sashing square in three horizontal rows; note orientation of red Four-Patch units in each block.

3.    Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward sashing units and sashing strips. Join rows to make quilt center; press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 35" square including seam allowances.

1.    Sew together two blue polka dot 3-1⁄2 ×12" strips and one assorted light blue 2×12" strip to make Strip Set F (Diagram 13). Cut strip set into four 2"-wide F segments.

2.    Join two blue polka dot 2×12" strips, two assorted light blue print 2×12" strips, and one solid white 2×12" strip to make Strip Set G (Diagram 14). Cut strip set into four 2"-wide G segments.

3.    Sew together three assorted light blue print 2×12" strips and two solid white 2×12" strips to make Strip Set H (Diagram 15). Cut strip set into four 2"-wide H segments.

4.    Referring to Diagram 16, sew together one each of F, G, and H segments to make Unit 1. The unit should be 8×5" including seam allowances. Repeat to make four total of Unit 1.

5.    Sew together the assorted light blue print 2×21" strip and a solid white 2×21" strip to make Strip Set I (Diagram 17). Cut strip set into eight 2"-wide I segments.

6.    Join the blue polka dot 2×21" strip and solid white 2×21" strip to make Strip Set J (Diagram 18). Cut strip set into eight 2"-wide J segments.

7.    Sew together an I and J segment to make a border Four-Patch unit (Diagram 19). The unit should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make eight border Four-Patch units total.

8.    Referring to Diagram 20, sew together a border Four-Patch unit and a blue polka dot 2×3-1⁄2" rectangle to make Unit 2. The unit should be 3-1⁄2 ×5" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second Unit 2.

9.    Referring to Diagram 21 for border Four-Patch unit orientation, repeat Step 8 to make two of Unit 3.

10. Referring to Diagram 22 for Four-Patch unit orientation, sew together a blue polka dot 2×3-1⁄2" rectangle, a reserved blue Four-Patch unit, and a border Four-Patch unit in a vertical row. Add a blue polka dot 2×8" rectangle to left-hand edge of row to make Unit 4. The unit should be 5×8" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second Unit 4.

11. Referring to Diagram 23 for Four-Patch unit orientation, sew together a blue polka dot 2×3-1⁄2" rectangle, a reserved blue Four-Patch unit, and a border Four-Patch unit in a vertical row. Add a blue polka dot 2×8" rectangle to right-hand edge of row to make Unit 5. The unit should be 5×8" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second Unit 5.

12. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram for orientation of units, sew together two blue polka dot 5×11" rectangles, one Unit 1, one Unit 2, and one Unit 3 to make a short border strip. Press seams toward blue polka dot rectangles. The strip should be 5×35" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second short border strip.

13. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew together two blue polka dot 5×11" rectangles, one of Unit 1, one Unit 4, and one Unit 5 to make a long border strip. Press seams toward blue polka dot rectangles. The strip should be 5×44" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second long border strip.

14. Sew short border strips to short edges of quilt center. Add long border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward border.

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

2.    Bind with binding strips.