Southwestern Circles Throw

Inspired by Dancing Dots from designer Nancy Mahoney

Quiltmaker: Laura Boehnke

• 1/4 yard total assorted brown-and-teal batiks (block A)
• 3/4 yard total assorted light multicolor batiks (blocks A and B)
• 3/4 yard total assorted tan batiks (blocks A and B)
• 1/3 yard total assorted teal batiks (blocks A and B)
• 1/2 yard total assorted purple batiks (block A and B)
• 1/3 yard total assorted brown batiks (block A)
• 1/2 yard brown geometric batik (block B, inner border)
• 1-1/8 yards teal circle batik (outer border, binding)
• 2-5/8 yards backing fabric
• 46x66" batting
• Heat-resistant template plastic
• Spray starch
• Clear monofilament thread

Finished quilt: 39-1/2x59-1/2"

Finished blocks: 10" 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 following order. Click on "Download this Project" for pattern pieces. The following instructions use a template-plastic-and-starch method to prepare appliqués. See Prepare Appliqués, page 3, before cutting out appliqué pieces A and B.

From assorted brown-and-teal batiks, cut:

• 7--5-7/8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 14 triangles total

From assorted light multicolor batiks, cut:

• 2--3x42" strips
• 7--5-7/8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 14 triangles total
• 16--3x5-1/2" rectangles

From assorted tan batiks, cut:

• 7--5-7/8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 14 triangles total
• 16--5-1/2" squares

From assorted teal batiks, cut:

• 7--5-7/8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 14 triangles total
• 8 of Pattern B

From assorted purple batiks, cut:

• 14 of Pattern A (7 sets of 2 matching pieces)
• 8 of Pattern B

From assorted brown batiks, cut:

• 14 of Pattern A (7 sets of 2 matching pieces)

From brown geometric batik, cut:

• 2--3x42" strips
• 5--2x42" strips for inner border

From teal circle batik, cut:

• 5--3-1/2x42" strips for outer border
• 5--2-1/2x42" binding strips
• 4--5" squares

1. Lay heat-resistant template plastic over patterns A and B. Trace each pattern once onto plastic. Cut out shapes on drawn lines, making sure to include the 1/4" seam allowance at ends of Pattern A, to make templates.

2. Place a template right side down on wrong side of fabric indicated in cutting instructions and trace. Cut out appliqué shape, adding a scant 1/4" seam allowance to curved edges.

3. Spray a small amount of starch into a dish. Place template-topped appliqué piece on a pressing surface covered with a tea towel or muslin. Dip a cotton swab in starch and moisten seam allowance of appliqué piece (Diagram 1).

4. Using tip of a hot dry iron, turn seam allowance over edge of template and press until fabric is dry. Press entire curved seam allowances in the same manner, adding starch as necessary and ensuring fabric is pressed taut against template. For A arcs, clip inner curve as necessary and do not press under seam allowances on ends. For B circles, you may wish to hand-stitch small running stitches 1/8" from the edges and pull them up to gather the fabric around the template before starching; this helps evenly distribute the bulk.

5. Turn the appliqué over and press it from the right side; remove template.

6. Repeat steps 2–5 to cut and prepare the number of appliqué pieces indicated in cutting instructions.

1. Sew together an assorted brown-and-teal batik triangle and an assorted light multicolor batik triangle to make a brown triangle-square (Diagram 2). Press seam toward brown-and-teal batik. The triangle-square should be 5-1/2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second, matching triangle-square. Repeat to make 14 brown triangle-squares total.

2. Repeat Step 1 to make seven sets total of two matching brown triangle-squares.

3. Using assorted tan batik triangles and assorted teal batik triangles, repeat steps 1 and 2 to make seven sets of two matching triangle-squares (Diagram 3).

4. Position a prepared purple batik A arc appliqué atop a brown triangle-square, aligning raw ends of arc with raw edges of triangle-square (Diagram 4). Baste or pin in place. Using clear monofilament thread and a narrow blind-hem stitch, sew along both curved edges to make a purple arc unit (for tips, see Better Blind-Hem Stitch on page 5). Trim away excess fabric behind appliqué, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance. Repeat to make a second, matching purple arc unit.

5. Using matching brown batik A arc appliqués and teal triangle-squares, repeat Step 3 to make two matching brown arc units (Diagram 5).

6. Referring to Diagram 6, sew together two purple arc units and two brown arc units in pairs. Press seams in opposite directions. Join pairs to make block A. Press seam in one direction. Block A should be 10-1/2" square including seam allowances.

7. Repeat steps 4–6 to make seven A blocks total.

1. Sew together an assorted light multicolor batik 3x42" strip and a brown geometric batik 3x42" strip to make a strip set (Diagram 7). Press seam toward brown strip. Repeat to make a second strip set. Cut strip sets into 16-3"-wide segments.

2. Sew together a 3"-wide segment and an assorted light multicolor batik 3x5-1/2" rectangle to make a three-patch unit (Diagram 8). Press seam toward rectangle. The unit should be 5-1/2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 16 three-patch units total.

3. Center a prepared teal-and-brown batik B circle appliqué on a cream batik 5-1/2" square; baste or pin in place (Diagram 9). Using clear monofilament thread and a narrow blind-hem stitch, sew around appliqué edges to make a teal circle unit. Repeat to make eight teal circle units total.

4. Using prepared purple batik B circle appliqués, repeat Step 3 to make eight purple circle units.

5. Referring to Diagram 10, sew together two three-patch units, a teal circle unit, and a purple circle unit in pairs. Press seams toward circle units. Join pairs to make block B. Press seam in one direction. Block B should be 10-1/2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make eight B blocks total.

1. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks in five rows, alternating A and B blocks. Sew together blocks in each row. Press seams toward B blocks.

2. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 30-1/2x50-1/2" including seam allowances.

1. Cut and piece brown geometric batik 2x42" strips to make:

• 2--2x50-1/2" inner border strips
• 2--2x30-1/2" inner border strips

2. Cut and piece teal circle batik 3-1/2x42" strips to make:

• 2--3-1/2x50-1/2" outer border strips
• 2--3-1/2x30-1/2" outer border strips

3. Join a long inner border strip and a long outer border strip to make a long border unit. Press seam toward inner border strip. Repeat to make a second long border unit. Sew long border units to long edges of quilt center. Press seams toward border units.

4. Sew together a short inner border strip and a short outer border strip; press seam toward inner border strip. Add teal circle batik 5" squares to ends of joined strips to make a short border unit. Press seams toward squares. Repeat to make a second short border unit.

5. Sew short border units to remaining edges of quilt center to complete quilt top. Press seams toward border units.

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

2. Bind with teal circle batik binding strips.