Sweet Tea

Designer: Holly Holderman of Lakehouse Dry Goods

• 1⁄2 yard pink diagonal plaid (star points, sashing squares, prairie points)
• 1 yard white tone-on-tone (background)
• 1⁄2 yard pink check (star points, sashing squares, prairie points)
• 1 yard pink-and-green floral (star points, sashing squares, prairie points, binding)
• 1⁄2 yard dark pink floral (star points, sashing squares, prairie points)
• 9×22" piece (fat eighth) light pink floral (star points)
• 1⁄2 yard teacup print
• 1-1⁄4 yards white-and-pink floral (border)
• 3-1⁄4 yards backing fabric
• 57" square batting

Finished quilt: 50-1⁄2" 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.

From pink diagonal plaid, cut:

• 4--3-1⁄2" squares
• 24--3" squares
• 32--2" squares

From white tone-on-tone, cut:

• 40--3-1⁄2 ×5" rectangles
• 16--2×5" rectangles
• 20--2×3-1⁄2" rectangles
• 4--2" squares

From pink check, cut:

• 4--3-1⁄2" squares
• 24--3" squares
• 64--2" squares

From pink-and-green floral, cut:

• 8--3-1⁄2" squares
• 24--3" squares
• 40--2" squares
• 6--2-1⁄2 ×42" binding strips

From dark pink floral, cut:

• 9--3-1⁄2" squares
• 24--3" squares
• 32--2" squares

From light pink floral, cut:

• 32--2" squares

From teacup print, cut:

• 16--5" squares, fussy- cutting over teacup motif

From white-and-pink floral, cut:

• 5--7-1⁄2 ×42" strips for border

To ensure correct placement, arrange all pieces in rows on a design wall before beginning to sew. To assemble, take off only the pieces needed, sew them together, then return to the wall. Once each row is assembled, it will be easy to complete the quilt center.

1.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of all pink diagonal plaid, pink check, pink-and-green floral, dark pink floral, and light pink floral 2" squares.

2.    Align a marked pink diagonal plaid square with one end of a white tone-on-tone 2×3-1⁄2" rectangle (Diagram 1; note direction of drawn line). Sew on drawn line; trim excess, leaving a 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press open attached triangle.

3.    Align a second marked pink diagonal plaid square with opposite end of Step 2 white tone-on-tone rectangle (Diagram 1). Sew, trim, and press as before to make a pink plaid Flying Geese unit. The unit should be 3-1⁄2×2" including seam allowances.

4.    Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make eight pink plaid Flying Geese units total.

5.    Using pink check 2" squares, repeat steps 2 and 3 to make eight pink check Flying Geese units.

6.    Using pink-and-green floral 2" squares, repeat steps 2 and 3 to make four pink-and-green floral Flying Geese units.

1.    Align a marked pink diagonal plaid square with upper left-hand corner of a white tone-on-tone 3-1⁄2 ×5" rectangle (Diagram 2; note direction of drawn line). Sew on drawn line; trim excess, leaving a 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press open attached triangle.

2.    Align a marked pink check square with lower right-hand corner of Step 1 white tone-on-tone rectangle (note direction of drawn line); sew, trim, and press as before.

3.    Align a second marked pink diagonal plaid square with lower left-hand corner of Step 2 unit (Diagram 2); sew, trim, and press as before. In same manner sew a marked pink small check 2" square to upper right-hand corner of Step 2 unit; trim and press to make a sashing rectangle. The sashing rectangle should be 5×3-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

4.    Referring to photo and Quilt Assembly Diagram for placement of marked 2" squares, repeat steps 1–3 to make 40 sashing rectangles total.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out assorted pink plaid, check, and floral 3-1⁄2" squares; teacup print 5" squares; white tone-on-tone 2×5" rectangles and 2" squares; sashing rectangles; and Flying Geese units in 11 rows. Sew together pieces in each row. Press seams away from Flying Geese units and sashing rectangles.

2.    Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 36-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

1.    Cut and piece white-and-pink floral 7-1⁄2  ×42" strips to make:

• 2--7 -1⁄2 ×50-1⁄2" border strips
• 2--7-1⁄2 ×36-1⁄2" border strips

2.    Sew short border strips to opposite 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.

2.    Quilt as desired. Cheryl Winslow machine–quilted an arc design around each of the star points and overlapping circles in the borders (Quilting Diagram).

3.    Trim batting and backing even with quilt top edges.

4.    Fold a dark pink floral 3" square in half diagonally with the wrong side inside to form a corner triangle; press. Repeat to make four corner triangles total. Aligning raw edges, pin a corner triangle in each corner of quilt top.

5.    Fold an assorted pink plaid, check, or floral 3" square in half diagonally with the wrong side inside; press. Fold the folded triangle in half again and press to make a prairie point. (Diagram 3). Repeat to make 92 prairie points total.

6.    Referring to Diagram 4, pin prairie points to edges of quilt top with raw edges aligned and prairie points pointing toward quilt center. Space them evenly and make sure all double-folded edges face same direction. Overlap adjacent edges. Once you are satisfied with placement of prairie points, sew them to quilt top with a scant 1⁄4" seam.

7.    Bind with pink-and-green floral binding strips.