Colorful sashing unlocks a subtle pattern of stars in blocks pieced from low-contrast fabrics. Fabrics are from the Summer Soireé collection by Paula Prass for Michael Miller Fabrics.
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Designer: Marinda Stewart

Materials

  • 1 yard aqua houndstooth print (blocks)
  • 1-1/4 yards aqua floral (blocks)
  • 3/4 yard white floral (blocks)
  • 1/2 yard multicolor stripe (sashing)
  • 1/8 yard fuchsia polka dot (sashing)
  • 1-3/8 yards aqua zigzag print (border)
  • 5/8 yard aqua polka dot (border, binding)
  • 3-1/4 yards backing fabric
  • 57" square batting

Finished quilt: 50-1/2" square

Finished block: 13" 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 Fabrics

Cut pieces in the following order. Cut border strips lengthwise (parallel to the selvages), centering each strip over two zigzag patterns.

From aqua houndstooth print, cut:

  • 72--3-1/2x4-3/8" rectangles

From aqua floral, cut:

  • 36--3-1/2x7-1/2" rectangles
  • 36--3-1/2" squares

From white floral, fussy-cut:

  • 9--7-1/2" squares

From multicolor stripe, cut:

  • 24--1-1/2x13-1/2" sashing strips

From fuchsia polka dot, cut:

  • 16--1-1/2" sashing squares

From aqua zigzag print, cut:

  • 4--4x43-1/2" border strips

From aqua polka dot, cut:

  • 4--4" squares
  • 6-2-1/2x42" binding strips

Make Flying Geese Units

1. Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of 36 aqua houndstooth print 3-1/2x4-3/8" rectangles (Diagram 1).

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2. Using an acrylic ruler and rotary cutter, on one rectangle trim 1/4" beyond drawn line to make a piece A (Diagram 2); discard trimmed triangle. Repeat to make 36 A pieces total.

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3. Drawing the diagonal line in the opposite direction, repeat steps 1 and 2 to make 36 B pieces total (Diagram 3).

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4. Referring to Diagram 4, on top edge of each aqua floral 3-1/2x7-1/2" rectangle mark two dots, each 3-1/8" from corner.

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5. Place a houndstooth print piece A on left-hand end of an aqua floral rectangle, aligning ends of drawn line with right-hand dot and bottom left-hand corner (Diagram 5). Sew on marked line. Press open attached A piece (Diagram 6).

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6. In same manner, align a houndstooth print B piece with right-hand end of same aqua floral rectangle (Diagram 7). Sew on marked line and press open as before to make a Flying Geese unit (Diagram 8). (The aqua floral triangle will "float" in the finished unit.) The Flying Geese unit should be 7-1/2x3-1/2" including seam allowances.

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7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 to make 36 Flying Geese units total.

Assemble Blocks

1. Lay out four Flying Geese units, four aqua floral 3-1/2" squares, and one white floral 7-1/2" square in three rows (Diagram 9).

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2. Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward squares. Join rows to make a star block. Press seams in one direction. The block should be 13-1/2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make nine blocks total.

Assemble Quilt Top

1. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out star blocks, multicolor stripe sashing strips, and fuchsia polka dot sashing squares in seven horizontal rows.

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2. Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams toward sashing strips. Join rows to make quilt center; press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 43-1/2" square including seam allowances.

3. Sew aqua zigzag print border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Press seams toward border.

4. Join aqua polka dot 4" squares to ends of remaining aqua zigzag print border strips to make two border units. Press seams toward aqua polka dot squares. Sew border units to remaining edges of quilt center to complete quilt top. Press seams toward border.

Finish Quilt

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

2. Quilt as desired. The featured quilt is machine-quilted with a large stipple design across the quilt top (Quilting Diagram).

3. Bind with aqua polka dot binding strips.

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