Seaside Stars

Inspired by Photo Finish from designer Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree & Co.

Quilt tester: Laura Boehnke

• 1⁄2 yard solid cream (blocks)
• 1⁄4 yard each stripe, red, and starfish print (blocks, sashing)
• 1⁄2 yard each sailboat, cream, and house prints (blocks, outer border)
• 2⁄3 yard seashell print (sashing, outer border)
• 1⁄2 yard solid red (sashing, inner border)
• 1⁄2 yard binding print
• 2-7⁄8 yards backing fabric
• 51" square batting

Finished quilt: 43" square

Finished block: 12-3⁄4" 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 solid cream, cut:

• 16--3-7⁄8" squares
• 32--2" squares

From cream print, cut:

• 16--2-3⁄8 ×5" rectangles
• 32--2-3⁄8" squares
• 16--2×2-3⁄8" rectangles
• 16--1-5⁄8 ×2-3⁄8" rectangles

From sailboat print, cut:

• 2--7-1⁄4" squares

From stripe, cut:

• 16--2-3⁄8 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles (stripe running lengthwise)
• 8--1-5⁄8 ×3-1⁄8" rectangles (stripe running widthwise)
• 8--1-5⁄8 ×2" rectangles (stripe running lengthwise)

From house print, cut:

• 2--7-1⁄4" squares

From red print, cut:

• 16--2-3⁄8 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles
• 8--1-5⁄8 ×3-1⁄8" rectangles
• 8--1-5⁄8 ×2" rectangles

From starfish print, cut:

• 36--2" squares

From solid red, cut:

• 9--3-1⁄2" squares
• 2--1-1⁄2 ×37" inner borders strips
• 2--1-1⁄2 ×35" inner borders strips

From seashell print, cut:

• 12--3-1⁄2 ×13-1⁄4" sashing strips

From remaining sailboat, house, and seashell prints, cut:

• 20 to 26--3-1⁄2"-wide strips in 6-1⁄2"–8-1⁄2" lengths for outer border (Note: If you want all your directional prints to be right side up in the outer border, as they are in this quilt, cut a variety of strips with prints running lengthwise and widthwise.)

From binding fabric, cut:

• 5--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips

1.    Gather pieces from solid cream (four 3-7⁄8" squares and eight 2" squares ), pieces from cream print (eight 2-3⁄8" squares, four 1-5⁄8 ×2-3⁄8" rectangles, four 2×2-3⁄8" rectangles, and four 2-3⁄8 ×5" rectangles), one sailboat print 71⁄4" square, and pieces from stripe (eight 2-3⁄8 ×3-1⁄2" rectangles, four 1-5⁄8 ×3-1⁄8" rectangles, and four 1-5⁄8 ×2" rectangles).

2.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each solid cream and cream print square (3-7⁄8", 2-3⁄8", and 2").

3.    Align marked solid cream 3-7⁄8" squares with opposite corners of sailboat print 7-1⁄4" square (Diagram 1; note direction of drawn lines). Sew on drawn lines; trim excess, leaving 1/4" seam allowances. Press open attached triangles.

4.    Align remaining marked solid cream 3-7⁄8" squares with remaining corners of sailboat square (note direction of drawn lines); sew, trim, and press as before to make a large Square-in-a-Square unit. The unit should be 7-1⁄4" square including seam allowances.

5.    Align a marked cream print 2-3⁄8" square with one end of a stripe 2-3⁄8 ×3-1⁄2" rectangle (Diagram 2; note direction of drawn line). Sew on drawn line; trim excess, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowances. Press open attached triangle. Align a marked solid cream 2" square with opposite corner of same stripe rectangle. Stitch, trim, and press as before to make Unit A. Repeat to make four A units total.

6.    Referring to Diagram 3, repeat Step 5, reversing direction of drawn lines, to make four of Unit B.

7.    Sew together one each of units A and B to make a point unit (Diagram 4). The point unit should be 4-1⁄4 ×3-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make four point units total.

8.    Referring to Diagram 5, join a cream print 1-5⁄8 ×2-3⁄8" rectangle and a stripe 1-5⁄8 ×3-1⁄8" rectangle to make Unit C. The unit should be 1-5⁄8 ×5" including seam allowances. Repeat to make four C units total.

9.    Referring to Diagram 6, sew together a cream print 2×2-3⁄8" rectangle and a stripe 1-5⁄8 ×2" rectangle along 2" edges to make Unit D. The unit should be 2×3-1⁄2" including seam allowances. Repeat to make four D units total.

10. Referring to Diagram 7, lay out cream print 2-3⁄8 ×5" rectangles, units C and D, point units, and the large Square-in-a-Square unit. Sew together cream print rectangles and C units. Join D units to two of the point units. Sew together pieces in each horizontal row. Join rows to make a sailboat block. Press seams in one direction. The block should be 13-1⁄4" square including seam allowances.

11.    Repeat steps 1–10 to make a second sailboat block.

12.    Using house print instead of sailboat print, remaining solid cream, remaining cream print, and red print instead of stripe, repeat steps 1–10 to make two house blocks.

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

2.    Using marked starfish squares and solid red 3-1⁄2" squares, repeat Assemble Blocks, steps 3 and 4, page 2, to make nine sashing Square-in-a-Square units (Diagram 8). Each unit should be 3-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks, sashing Square-in-a-Square units, and seashell print sashing strips in five rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward sashing strips.

2.    Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams toward sashing rows. The quilt center should be 35" square including seam allowances.

1.    Sew solid red 1-1⁄2 ×35" inner border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add solid red 1-1⁄2 ×37" inner borders strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border. The quilt center now should be 37" square including seam allowances.

2.    Cut and piece sailboat, house, and seashell print 3-1⁄2"-wide strips to make:

• 2--3-1⁄2 ×43" outer border strips
• 2--3-1⁄2 ×37" outer border strips

3.    Sew short outer border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add long outer borders strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward outer border.

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

2.    Bind with binding strips.