Snow Crystals

Designer: Gail Kessler

*    7⁄8 yard of white print for blocks

*    1 yard of navy print for blocks and binding

*     3⁄4 yard of royal blue batik for blocks

*    5⁄8 yard of dark blue print for blocks

*    5⁄8 yard of blue print for blocks

*    5⁄8 yard of light blue batik for blocks

*    2⁄3 yard of light blue print for blocks

*    1⁄2 yard of blue metallic print for blocks

*    1⁄2 yard of turquoise print for blocks

*    2-5⁄8 yards of backing fabric

*    46" square of quilt batting

Finished quilt: 40" square

Finished blocks: 8" square

Quantities specified for 44/45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics.

All measurements include a 1⁄4" seam allowance. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

To make the best use of your fabrics, cut the pieces in the order that follows. Click on "Download this Project" above for patter pieces. Be sure to transfer the dots marked on the patterns to the templates, then to the fabric pieces. The dots are the matching points and are needed to set in seams.

From white print, cut:

*    32--2-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for a total of 64 triangles

From navy print, cut:

*    5--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips

*    32--2-7⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for a total of 64 triangles

From royal blue batik, cut:

*    64 of Pattern A

From dark blue print, cut:

*    64 of Pattern A

From blue print, cut:

*    64 of Pattern A

From light blue batik, cut:

*    64 of Pattern A

1.    Aligning the long edges, sew together one white print triangle and one navy print triangle to make a triangle-square (Diagram 1). Press the seam allowance toward the navy print triangle. The pieced triangle-square should measure 2-1⁄2" square, including the seam allowances. Repeat to make a total of 64 triangle-squares.

2.    Using the Marking Template as a guide, mark the 1⁄4" seam allowance dots on each corner of the 64 triangle-squares (Diagram 2).

3.    Layer one royal blue batik A piece atop one triangle-square, carefully aligning the dots where the 1⁄4" seam allowances intersect (Diagram 3, noting the placement of the diagonal seam). Sew the pieces together from dot to dot to make a quarter-unit. Press the seam allowance toward the A piece.

4.    Layer one dark blue print A piece atop the quarter-unit, carefully aligning the dots where the 1⁄4" seam allowances intersect (Diagram 4, again noting the placement of the diagonal seam). Sew the pieces together from dot to dot to make a half-unit. Press the seam allowance toward the A piece.

5.    Referring to Diagram 5, align the diagonal edges of the royal blue batik A piece and the dark blue print A piece. Sew the pieces together beginning where the 1⁄4" seam allowances intersect and moving outward. Press the seam allowance in one direction.

6.    In the same manner, add the blue print A piece and the light blue batik A piece to the half-unit to make one windowpane unit (Diagram 6). Press all seam allowances toward the A pieces.

7.    Repeat steps 3 through 6 to make a total of 64 windowpane units.

8.    Referring to Diagram 7, sew together four windowpane units in pairs, noting the placement of the triangle-squares. Join the pairs to make a windowpane block. Press the seam allowances in one direction. The pieced windowpane block should measure 8-1⁄2" square, including the seam allowances. Repeat to make a total of 16 windowpane blocks.

Because the star blocks are foundation-pieced, the fabric pieces used to make them are cut larger than necessary-at least 1⁄4" larger on all sides than the areas of the foundation paper they will cover. Cutting generous fabric pieces will reduce the chance of assembly errors. You'll trim the pieces to the correct size after stitching them to the foundation papers. When cutting fabrics, don't worry about grain lines; the foundation papers will stabilize the fabric pieces. Note: When foundation piecing, you'll sew from the wrong side of the star unit, so the finished unit will be the mirror-image of the foundation paper.

1.    Click on "Download this Project" above for foundation patterns. With a pencil, trace foundation patterns B and C 36 times each onto lightweight tracing paper, tracing all lines and numbers. Cut out the tracings on the dotted lines for a total of 72 foundation papers.

2.    With the fabric wrong side up, cut a light blue print piece at least 1⁄4" larger on all sides than Pattern B foundation paper areas No. 1 and 3 and a royal blue batik piece at least 1⁄4" larger on all sides than Pattern B foundation paper area No. 2 (Diagram 8).

3.    With right sides together, place the light blue print No. 1 piece atop the royal blue batik piece, aligning the edges that border the first stitching line. Put the Pattern B foundation paper on top of the light blue print No. 1 piece so the light blue piece is under area No. 1. The aligned edges of the fabric pieces should be a scant 1⁄4" beyond the first stitching line (Diagram 9). With the foundation paper on top, sew on the first stitching line through all layers.

4.    Trim the fabric seam allowance to a scant 1⁄4" if necessary. Press the fabric pieces open, pressing the seam allowance toward the royal blue piece. Trim both pieces even with the edges of the foundation paper (Diagram 10).

5.    With right sides together, position the light blue No. 3 piece under the royal blue piece with the right edge 1⁄4" beyond the second stitching line. Sew on the second stitching line (Diagram 11).

6.    Trim the fabric seam allowance, if needed. Press the pieces open, pressing the seam allowance toward the second light blue piece. Trim the second light blue piece even with the edges of the foundation paper. With the blunt edge of a seam ripper, remove the foundation paper to complete one light blue B star half-unit (Diagram 12).

7.    Repeat steps 2 through 6 to make a total of 18 light blue B star half-units.

8.    Repeat steps 2 through 6, using the blue metallic print for foundation paper areas No. 1 and 3 and the light blue print for foundation paper area No. 2, to make a total of 18 blue metallic B star half-units.

9.    Referring to steps 2 through 6 and Diagram 13, sew the turquoise print and white print to a Pattern C foundation paper to make a total of 18 turquoise C star half-units.

10.    Referring to steps 2 through 6 and Diagram 14, sew the white print and navy print to a Pattern C foundation paper to make a total of 18 white C star half-units.

1.    Using patterns B and C as a guide, mark the matching points on all light blue and blue metallic B star half-units and turquoise and white C star half-units.

2.    Align the matching points of one turquoise C star half-unit with one light blue B star half-unit. Sew together the pieces, starting and stopping at the dots (Diagram 15). Finger-press the seam allowance toward the turquoise half-unit.

3.    Bring the adjacent short edge of the turquoise half-unit down and align it with the short edge of the light blue half-unit (Diagram 16). Stitch from the matching point at the inside seam to the outside edge. Backstitch to secure the ends of the seam.

4.    Sew together the remaining short edges of the light blue and turquoise star half-units to complete a light blue star unit (Diagram 17). Press the seam allowance toward the light blue star half-unit.

5.    Repeat steps 2 through 4 to make a total of 18 light blue star units.

6.    Referring to steps 2 through 4 and using the white C star half-units and blue metallic B star half-units, make a total of 18 blue metallic star units.

7.    Referring to Diagram 18, sew together two light blue star units and two blue metallic star units in pairs. Press the seam allowances in opposite directions. Join the pairs to make a star block. Press the seam allowances in one direction. The pieced star block should measure 8-1⁄2" square, including the seam allowances. Repeat to make a total of nine star blocks.

1.    Referring to the Quilt Assembly Diagram for placement, lay out the 16 windowpane blocks and the nine star blocks in five horizontal rows.

2.    Sew together the blocks in each row. Press the seam allowances in one direction, alternating the direction with each row. Then join the rows to complete the quilt top. Press the seam allowances in one direction.

1.    Layer the quilt top, batting, and backing.

2.    Quilt as desired. Machine-quilter Barbara Pershing quilted a feather pattern in the borders of the windowpane blocks and a wavy-lined outline in each star point.

3.    Use the navy print 2-1⁄2 ×42" strips to bind the quilt.