Where the Heart Is

Inspired by Row Houses from designer Avis Shirer of Joined at the Hip

Quilt tester: Laura Boehnke

Machine quilters: Vicki Hoth, Marie Eldredge, Cheryl Duncan, and Angie Balling

• 4" square piece solid green (bow tie blocks)
• 1⁄8 yard gray floral (house blocks)
• 1⁄8 yard solid black (house blocks)
• 3⁄8 yard dark multicolor stripe (house blocks)
• 1⁄4 yard magenta print (house blocks)
• 1⁄2 yard solid pink (house blocks, binding)
• 1⁄8 yard solid teal (house blocks)
• 1⁄4 yard green print (house blocks)
• 3⁄8 yard cream floral (bow tie blocks)
• 1⁄4 yard blue print (bow tie blocks)
• 1⁄4 yard pink print (bow tie blocks)
• 2⁄3 yard black print (inner border, outer border)
• 1⁄4 yards light multicolor stripe (middle border)
• 2-5⁄8 yards backing fabric
• 46" square batting
• 3-1⁄2" square lightweight fusible web

Finished quilt: 3-1⁄2" square

Finished blocks: 9" 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.

Cut pieces in the following order.

To use fusible web to prepare bow tie center appliqués, complete the following steps.

1. Following manufacturer's instructions, center and press fusible-web 3-1⁄2" square onto wrong side of solid green 4" square.

2. Referring to Diagram 1, cut eight 1" squares from fused solid green square to make bow tie center appliqués. Peel off paper backings.

From gray floral, cut:

• 10--2" squares
• 5--7⁄8x3-1⁄2" rectangles
• 10--7⁄8x2-3⁄4" rectangles
• 5--7⁄8" squares

From solid black, cut:

• 5--2x6-1⁄2" rectangles
• 5--2" squares
• 15--7⁄8" squares

From dark multicolor stripe, cut:

• 3--9-1⁄8x3-1⁄2" rectangles
• 2--3-1⁄2x9-1⁄8" rectangles

From magenta print, cut:

• 4--2x6-1⁄2" rectangles
• 4--1-1⁄4x2-3⁄4" rectangles
• 8--1-5⁄8" squares
• 16--1-1⁄4x1-5⁄8" rectangles

From solid pink, cut:

• 5--2-1⁄2x42" binding strips
• 40--1-1⁄4x1-5⁄8" rectangles

From solid teal, cut:

• 5--2x2-3⁄8" rectangles

From green print, cut:

• 6--2x6-1⁄2" rectangles
• 12--1-5⁄8" squares
• 6--1-1⁄4x2-3⁄4" rectangles
• 24--1-1⁄4x1-5⁄8" rectangles

From cream floral, cut:

• 2--2-3⁄4x42" strips
• 8--5" squares

From blue print, cut:

• 1--2-3⁄4x42" strip

From pink print, cut:

• 1--2-3⁄4x42" strip

From black print, cut:

• 2--3-1⁄2x37-1⁄2" outer border strips
• 2--3-1⁄2x31-1⁄2" outer border strips
• 2--1-1⁄2x29-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 2--1-1⁄2x27-1⁄2" inner border strips

From light multicolor stripe, cut:

• 2--1-1⁄2x31-1⁄2" middle border strips
• 2--1-1⁄2x29-1⁄2" middle border strips

1. Use a pencil to mark a diagonal line on wrong side of each gray floral and solid black 2" square.

2. Referring to Diagram 2, align a marked gray floral 2" square with upper left-hand corner of a dark multicolor stripe 3-1⁄2x9-1⁄8" rectangle; note direction of stripes on rectangle and drawn line on square. Stitch on marked line. Trim excess fabric, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowance. Press attached triangle open, pressing seam toward triangle. Align a marked solid black square with adjacent corner of the same dark multicolor stripe rectangle (Diagram 3; again note direction of drawn line). Stitch, trim, and press as before to make a side unit. The unit still should be 3-1⁄2x9-1⁄8" including seam allowances.

3. Align a marked gray floral 2" square with right-hand end of a solid black 2x6-1⁄2" rectangle (Diagram 4). Stitch, trim, and press as before to make roof segment. The segment still should be 6-1⁄2x2" including seam allowances.

4. Gather a set of magenta print pieces (two 2x6-1⁄2" rectangles, two 1-1⁄4x2-3⁄4" rectangles, four 1-5⁄8" squares, and eight 1-1⁄4x1-5⁄8" rectangles), eight solid pink 1-1⁄4x1-5⁄8" rectangles, and one solid teal 2x2-3⁄8" rectangle.

5. Referring to Diagram 5, sew together two magenta print 1-1⁄4x1-5⁄8" rectangles, three solid pink 1-1⁄4x1-5⁄8" rectangles, and two magenta print 1-5⁄8" squares to make a window row. Press seams away from solid pink rectangles. The row should be 6-1⁄2x1-5⁄8" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second window row.

6. Sew together two magenta print 1-1⁄4x1-5⁄8" rectangles and one solid pink 1-1⁄4x1-5⁄8" rectangle in a row (Diagram 6). Press seams away from solid pink rectangle. Add a magenta print 1-1⁄4x2-3⁄4" rectangle to bottom edge of row to make a window segment. Press seam toward magenta print rectangle. The segment should be 2-3⁄4x2-3⁄8" including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second window segment.

7. Sew together window segments and solid teal 2x2-3⁄8" rectangle to make door row (Diagram 7). Press seams toward solid teal rectangle. The door row should be 6-1⁄2x2-3⁄8" including seam allowances.

8. Referring to Diagram 8, sew together a roof segment, window rows, magenta print 2x6-1⁄2" rectangles, and door row to make front unit. Press seams away from window and door rows. The front unit should be 6-1⁄2x9-1⁄8" including seam allowances.

9. Referring to Diagram 9, lay out two gray floral 7⁄8x2-3⁄4" rectangles, three solid black 7⁄8" squares, one gray floral 7⁄8" square, and one gray floral 7⁄8x3-1⁄2" rectangle in a row. Join pieces to make chimney unit. Press seams in one direction. The chimney unit should be 9-1⁄2x7⁄8" including seam allowances.

10. Sew together the side unit and front unit (Diagram 10). Press seam toward side unit. Add chimney unit to top edge of joined units to make a magenta house block. Press seam away from chimney unit. The magenta house block should be 9-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

11. Repeat steps 2–10 to make two magenta house blocks.

12. Using green print instead of magenta print and dark multicolor stripe rectangles with the stripes running lengthwise instead of widthwise, repeat steps 2–10 to make three green house blocks total.

1. Sew together a cream floral 2-3⁄4x42" strip and a blue print 2-3⁄4x42" strip to make a strip set (Diagram 11). Press seam toward blue print strip. Cut strip sets into eight 2-3⁄4"-wide segments.

2. Referring to Diagram 12, sew together two 2-3⁄4"-wide segments to make a blue Four-Patch unit. Press seam in one direction. The Four-Patch unit should be 5" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make four blue Four-Patch units total.

3. Referring to Diagram 13, position a prepared solid green bow tie center appliqué on a blue Four-Patch unit. Following manufacturer's instructions, fuse appliqué in place. Using green thread, machine-blanket-stitch around appliqué edges to make a blue bow tie unit. Repeat to make four blue bow tie units total.

4. Sew together two cream floral 5" squares and two bow tie units in pairs (Diagram 14). Press seams toward cream floral squares. Join pairs to make a blue bow tie block. Press seam in one direction. The block should be 9-1⁄2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make a second blue bow tie block.

5. Using pink print instead of blue print, repeat steps 1–4 to make two pink bow tie blocks total.

1. Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out house blocks and bow tie blocks in three horizontal rows. Sew together blocks in each row. Press seams toward bow tie blocks. Join rows to make quilt center. Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 27-1⁄2" square including seam allowances.

2. Sew black print 1-1⁄2x27-1⁄2" inner border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add black print 1-1⁄2x29-1⁄2" inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border.

3. Sew light multicolor stripe 1-1⁄2x29-1⁄2" middle border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add light multicolor stripe 1-1⁄2x31-1⁄2" middle border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward middle border.

4. Sew black print 3-1⁄2x31-1⁄2" outer border strips to opposite edges of quilt center. Add black print 3-1⁄2x37-1⁄2" outer border strips to remaining edges to complete quilt top. Press all seams toward outer border.

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

2. Quilt as desired (Quilting Diagram).

3. Bind with solid pink binding strips.