Winter Berries

Designer: Karla Menaugh of Sunflower Pattern Co-Operative

• 1-3⁄4 yards solid black (appliqué foundations, borders, binding)
• 18×22" piece (fat quarter) solid green (stem, branch, and vine appliqués)
• 1⁄8 yard solid gold (vase appliqués)
• 1⁄2 yard solid red (middle border, berry appliqués)
• 1-5⁄8 yards backing fabric
• 57×30" batting
• Freezer paper
• Glue stick

Finished quilt: 50-1⁄2×23-1⁄2"

Finished block: 12×9"

Quantities are for 44⁄45"-wide, 100% cotton fabrics.

All measurements include a 1⁄4" seam allowance. Sew with right sides together unless otherwise stated.

To make the best use of your fabrics, cut pieces in the following order. Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern pieces. To use freezer paper for cutting appliqué shapes, complete the following steps.

1.    Lay freezer paper, shiny side down, over patterns. Trace pattern A three times and Pattern B 45 times. Cut out freezer-paper shapes on drawn lines.

2.    Using a hot, dry iron, press freezer-paper shapes, shiny sides down, onto the designated fabrics' wrong side; let cool. Cut out each shape, adding a 3⁄16" seam allowance to all edges. Cut seam allowances slightly narrower at points on A vases, and clip inner curves as necessary.

3.    On each appliqué shape, run glue stick along seam allowance wrong side, then finger-press seam allowances to back of freezer paper; let dry.

From solid black, cut:

• 4--4-1⁄2×42" strips for outer border
• 4--2-1⁄2×42" binding strips
• 2--2×36-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 3--14×11" rectangles
• 2--2×12-1⁄2" inner border strips
• 36--2-3⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 72 triangles total

From solid green, cut:

• 1--15" square, cutting it into enough 3⁄4"-wide bias strips to total 250" for vine, branch, and stem appliqués

From solid gold, cut:

• 3 of Pattern A

From solid red, cut:

• 36--2-3⁄8" squares, cutting each in half diagonally for 72 triangles total
• 45 of Pattern B

1.    Using diagonal seams, piece solid green 3⁄4"-wide bias strips together to make a 250"-long bias strip.

2.    Turn long edges of solid green 250"-long strip under 1⁄4" and press. (To speed the process, Karla used a 1⁄4" bias tape maker to prepare bias strips.)

3.    Cut solid green 250"-long strip to make:

• 2--52"-long vine appliqués
• 9--4-3⁄4"-long branch appliqués
• 6--3-3⁄4"-long branch appliqués
• 6--3"-long branch appliqués
• 8--1-3⁄4"-long stem appliqués
• 16--1-1⁄4"-long stem appliqués

1.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out a solid gold A vase, three 4-3⁄4"-long branches, two 3-3⁄4"-long branches, two 3"-long branches, and seven solid red B berries on each solid black 14×11" rectangle; baste.  (Karla recommends using basting glue.)

2.    Using a narrow zigzag stitch and threads that match the appliqué pieces, machine-appliqué pieces to foundation to make three appliquéd blocks total.

3.    Soak blocks in cold water to remove glue. Machine-dry with dry towel to help absorb excess water. Trim excess foundation fabric from behind appliqués, leaving 1⁄4" seam allowances. Peel away freezer paper.

4.    Press each block from wrong side. With appliquéd designs centered, trim blocks to 12-1⁄2×9-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

1.    Sew together appliquéd blocks in a horizontal row to make quilt center (Quilt Assembly Diagram). Press seams in one direction. The quilt center should be 36-1⁄2×9-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

2.    Sew long inner border strips to top and bottom edges of quilt center. Add short inner border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward border.

3.    Join a solid black triangle and a solid red triangle to make a triangle-square (Triangle-Square Diagram). Press seam toward black triangle. The triangle-square should be 2" square including seam allowances. Repeat to make 72 triangle-squares total.

4.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, sew together 26 triangle-squares to make a long middle border strip. Press seams in one direction. Repeat to make a second long middle border strip.

5.    Join 10 triangle-squares to make a short middle border strip (Quilt Assembly  Diagram). Press seams in one direction. Repeat to make a second short middle border strip.

6.    Sew long middle border strips to top and bottom edges of quilt center. Add short middle border strips to remaining edges. Press all seams toward inner border. The quilt center now should be 42-1⁄2×15-1⁄2" including seam allowances.

1.    Cut and piece solid black 4-1⁄2×42" strips to make:

• 2--4-1⁄2×50-1⁄2" outer border strips
• 2--4-1⁄2×15-1⁄2" outer border strips

2.    Referring to Quilt Assembly Diagram, lay out a 52"-long vine, 12 solid red B berries, four 1-3⁄4"-long stems, and eight 1-1⁄4"-long stems on each solid black 4-1⁄2×50-1⁄2" outer border strip; baste. Machine-appliqué all pieces to each strip. Referring to Appliqué Blocks, Step 3, soak, dry, and trim foundations behind appliqués. Remove freezer paper and discard.

3.    Sew short outer border strips to short edges of quilt center. Add appliquéd long 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. Pam Mayfield machine-quilted around each appliqué, spacing her quilting lines 1⁄4" apart. (This is called echo quilting.) In the inner border, she stitched a leaf-and-vine motif.

3.    Use solid black binding strips to bind quilt.