Triangle Dream

Inspired by Richly Red from designer Mary Elizabeth Kinch

Quilt tester: Laura Boehnke

Machine quilter: Marie Eldredge of Handi Quilter

• 1 yard cream print (blocks, borders 2 and 4)
• 5⁄8 yard purple print (blocks, borders 2 and 4)
• 1⁄2 yard red print (blocks, border 2)
• 5⁄8 yard total assorted brown-and-cream prints (blocks)
• 5⁄8 yard total assorted pink prints (blocks)
• 5⁄8 yard cream tone-on-tone (border 1)
• 1⁄2 yard tan floral (border 3)
• 7⁄8 yard brown tone-on-tone (border 5)
• 1⁄2 yard red plaid (binding)
• 3-1⁄2 yards backing fabric
• 63" square batting

Finished quilt: 54-1⁄4" square

Finished block: 7-1⁄2" 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.

Quilt tester Laura Boehnke cut her setting triangles as quarter-square triangles instead of half-square triangles to maintain the grain line. These instructions are for this method.

Note: The quarter-square and half-square triangles are identical in size. Label your triangles so you will be sure to use the quarter-square triangles in the blocks and in setting units 1–4 and the half-square triangles in setting units 5–8.

From cream print, cut:

• 256--2-1⁄8" squares
• 2--2-1⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 4 small triangles total

From purple print, cut:

• 160--2-1⁄8" squares

From red print, cut:

• 96--2-1⁄8" squares
• 2--2-1⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 4 small triangles total

From assorted brown-and-cream prints, cut:

• 4--6-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 16 quarter-square triangles total (you will use 14)
• 1--4-1⁄2" square, cutting it in half diagonally for 2 half-square triangles

From assorted pink prints, cut:

• 4--6-1⁄4" squares, cutting each diagonally twice in an X for 16 quarter-square triangles total (you will use 14)
• 1--4-1⁄2" square, cutting it in half diagonally for 2 half-square triangles

From cream tone-on-tone, cut:

• 2--5-1⁄2×31-3⁄4" border 1 strips
• 2--5-1⁄2×21-3⁄4" border 1 strips

From tan floral, cut:

• 2--3×41-3⁄4" border 3 strips
• 2--3×36-3⁄4" border 3 strips

From brown tone-on-tone, cut:

• 5--5-1⁄2×42" strips for border 5

From red plaid, cut:

• 6--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips (Note: the red plaid binding we used was printed on a diagonal. To achieve a similar look, you may need more yardage to cut strips on the bias.)

1.    Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each cream print 2-1⁄8" square.

2.    Layer a marked cream print square atop a purple print 2-1⁄8" square. Sew together with two seams, stitching 1⁄4" on each side of marked line (Diagram 1). Cut pair apart on marked line and press open to make two purple triangle-squares. Each should be 1-3⁄4" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 320 purple triangle-squares total.

3.    Using marked cream print squares and red print 2-1⁄8" squares, repeat Step 2 to make 192 red triangle-squares total.

1.    Referring to Diagram 2, sew together two brown-and-cream print quarter-square triangles and two pink print quarter-square triangles in pairs. Join pairs to make an hourglass unit. The hourglass unit should be 5-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make five hourglass units total.

2.    Sew together four purple triangle-squares to make a short row (Diagram 3; note orientation of purple print triangles). Repeat to make eight purple short rows total.

3.    Sew together six purple triangle-squares to make a long row (Diagram 4; again note orientation of purple print triangles). Repeat to make eight purple long rows total.

4.    Sew short rows to brown-and-cream print edges of an hourglass unit (Diagram 5). Add long rows to pink print edges to make a block. The block should be 8" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four purple blocks total.

5.    Using red triangle-squares, repeat steps 2 and 3 to make two red short rows and two red long rows. Sew red short rows to brown-and-cream print edges of an hourglass unit. Add long rows to pink print edges to make a red block.

To complete the following steps, refer to diagrams. Carefully note direction of triangle-square seam allowances, positions of red and cream prints in each setting unit, and pressing directions.

1.    Sew together a pink print quarter-square triangle and a brown-and-cream print quarter-square triangle to make Unit A (Diagram 6). Repeat to make a second A unit.

2.    Sew together a brown-and-cream print quarter-square triangle and a pink print quarter-square triangle to make Unit B (Diagram 7). Repeat to make a second B unit.

3.    Referring to Diagram 8, lay a red triangle-square on cutting mat with seam running vertically and red print triangle on the left. Align 1⁄4" line of an acrylic ruler with left- and right-hand corners of the triangle-square. Cut along edge of ruler to make Unit C. Repeat to make four C units total.

4.    Referring to Diagram 9, position red triangle-squares with cream print triangles on the left and repeat Step 3 to make four D units.

5.    Referring to Diagram 10, sew together one cream print small triangle and four red triangle-squares in a vertical row. Join one cream print small triangle and five red triangle-squares in a horizontal row. Sew vertical row to brown-and-cream print edge of an A unit; join horizontal row to pink print edge to make Setting Unit 1.

6.    Referring to Diagram 11, sew together one Unit C and four red triangle-squares in a horizontal row. Join one Unit C and five red triangle-squares in a vertical row. Sew horizontal row to pink print edge of a Unit B; join vertical row to brown-and-cream print edge to make Setting Unit 2.

7.    Referring to Diagram 12, sew together four red triangle-squares and one Unit D in a horizontal row. Join one Unit D and five triangle-squares in a vertical row. Sew horizontal row to pink print edge of a Unit B; join vertical row to brown-and-cream print edge to make Setting Unit 3.

8.    Referring to Diagram 13, sew together one red print small triangle and four red triangle-squares in a vertical row. Join one red print small triangle and five red triangle-squares in a horizontal row. Sew vertical row to brown-and-cream print edge of an A unit; join horizontal row to pink print edge to make Setting Unit 4.

9.    Referring to Diagram 14, sew together one Unit D, four red triangle-squares, and one red print small triangle in a horizontal row. Join row to long edge of a brown-and-cream print half-square triangle to make Setting Unit 5.

10.  Referring to Diagram 15, sew together one red print small triangle, four red triangle-squares, and one Unit C in a horizontal row. Join row to long edge of a pink print half-square triangle to make Setting Unit 6.

11.  Referring to Diagram 16, sew together one cream print small triangle, four red triangle-squares, and one Unit D in a horizontal row. Join row to long edge of a pink print half-square triangle to make Setting Unit 7.

12.  Referring to Diagram 17, sew together one Unit C, four red triangle-squares, and one cream print small triangle in a horizontal row. Join row to long edge of a brown-and-cream print half-square triangle to make Setting Unit 8.

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out blocks and setting units 1–4 in three diagonal rows; rotate blocks and units as shown to create an alternating triangle-square pattern. Join pieces in each row. Press seams in one direction, alternating direction with each row. Sew together rows; press seams in one direction.

2.    Sew setting units 5–8 to designated corners of joined rows to make quilt center. Press seams toward setting units. The quilt center should be 21-3⁄4" square including seam allowances.

Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew cream tone-on-tone 5-1/2×21-3⁄4" border 1 strips to top and bottom edges of quilt center. Add 5-1⁄2×31-3⁄4" border 1 strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward border 1. The quilt center now should be 31-3⁄4" square including seam allowances.

1.    Referring to Diagram 18, sew together 29 red triangle-squares to make the top red row. (Refer to Quilt Assembly Diagram for orientation of triangle-squares.) Press seams toward red print triangles. Repeat to make the bottom red row, again noting Quilt Assembly Diagram for orientation.

2.     Referring to Diagram 19, sew together 27 purple triangle-squares and two red triangle-squares to make the top purple row. (Refer to Quilt Assembly Diagram for orientation of triangle-squares.) Press seams toward purple print triangles. Repeat to make the bottom purple row, again noting Quilt Assembly Diagram for orientation.

3.     Sew together top red row and top purple row to make the top border 2 strip (Quilt Assembly Diagram). Press seam toward bottom row. The strip should be 3×36-3⁄4" including seam allowances. Repeat to make the bottom border 2 strip.

4.    Referring to Diagram 20, sew together 25 red triangle-squares to make the red left-hand side row. (Refer to Quilt Assembly Diagram for orientation of triangle-squares.) Press seams toward red print triangles. Repeat to make the red right-hand side row, again referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram for orientation.

5.    Referring to Diagram 21, sew together 25 purple triangle-squares to make the purple left-hand side row. (Refer to Quilt Assembly Diagram for orientation of triangle-squares.) Press seams toward purple print triangles. Repeat to make the purple right-hand side row, again referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram for orientation.

6.    Sew together the red and purple left-hand side rows to make the left-hand side border 2 strip (Quilt Assembly Diagram). Press seam toward purple row. The strip should be 3×31-3⁄4" including seam allowances. Repeat with red and purple right-hand side rows to make the right-hand side border 2 strip.

7.     Sew side border 2 strips to side edges of quilt center. Add top and bottom border 2 strips to corresponding edges. Press all seams toward border 1. The quilt center now should be 36-3⁄4" square including seam allowances.

1.    Sew tan floral 3×36-3⁄4" border 3 strips to top and bottom edges of quilt center. Add tan floral 3×41-3⁄4" border 3 strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward border 3. The quilt center now should be 41-3⁄4" square including seam allowances.

2.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, join 33 purple triangle-squares to make a side border 4 strip. Press seams toward purple triangles. The strip should be 1-3⁄4×41-3⁄4" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second side border 4 strip. Add the side border 4 strips to side edges of quilt center. Press seams toward border 3.

3.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram join 35 purple triangle-squares to make a top/bottom border 4 strip. Press seams toward purple print triangles. The strip should be 1-3⁄4×44-1⁄4" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second top/bottom border 4 strip. Sew top/bottom border 4 strips to quilt center long edges. Press seams toward border 3. The quilt center now should be 44-1⁄4" including seam allowances.

4.    Cut and piece brown tone-on-tone 5-1⁄2×42" strips to make:

• 2--5-1⁄2×54-1⁄4" border 5 strips
• 2--5-1⁄2×44-1⁄4" border 5 strips

5.    Sew short border 5 strips to top and bottom quilt center edges. Add long border 5 strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward border 5.

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

2.    Quilt as desired. Click on "Download this Project" above for full-size feather quilting pattern. Handi Quilter Studio Educator Marie Eldredge combined stitching in the ditch and free-motion quilting (Quilting Diagram) for a design that complements the piecing rather than distracting from it. "Every little triangle needed its space defined and deserved its own attention," says Marie, who used monofilament thread to stitch in the ditch around each one. With free-motion quilting throughout the quilt, she produced a leafy feather design with slight variations, including in the quilt center larger triangles. Multiple lines of straight stitching 1⁄2" inside the seams on two of the borders defines those spaces and draws the eye to that area.

3.    Bind with red plaid binding strips.