ARIZONA BREEZE
Evoke the spirit of the desert valleys with super-sized traditional blocks in earthy ochre, cool greys and inky blues
NOTES
■ Seam allowances are ¼in, unless otherwise noted.
■ Press seams open, unless otherwise instructed.
■ HST = Half-square Triangle.
■ QST = Quarter-square Triangle.
■ RST = right sides together.
■ WOF = width of fabric.
■ Fabric supplied by Art Gallery Fabrics (artgalleryfabrics.com)
FABRICS USED
Prints are from the Arizona After collection by April Rhodes for Art Gallery Fabrics.
■ Fabric A: Strata Mist
■ Fabric D: Tomahawk Stripe Cloud
■ Fabric E: Clay Sundot Dusk
■ Backing fabric: Pano Spring
■ Binding fabric: Ojos Smoke
Solids are from the Pure Elements collection, also by Art Gallery Fabrics.
■ Fabric B: Snow
■ Fabric C: Denim Blue
■ Fabric F: Nocturnal
■ Fabric G: Toasty Walnut
CUTTING OUT
From Fabric A cut:
1
■ Six (6) 5½in x WOF strips. Subcut into forty (40) 5½in squares.
■ Two (2) 6¾in x WOF strips. Subcut into ten
(10) 6¾in squares.
■ Four (4) 6½in x WOF strips. Subcut into twenty (20) 6½in squares.
■ Seven (7) 3½in x WOF strips. Subcut one
(1) strip in half to give two (2) 3½in x 21½in strips. Remove selvedges.
2
From Fabric B cut:
■ Seventeen (17) 2"/ in x WOF strips.
3
From Fabric C cut:
■ Five (5) 2"/ in x WOF strips.
4
From Fabric D cut:
■ Six (6) 2"/ in x WOF strips.
5
From Fabric E cut:
■ One (1) 2"/ in x WOF strip.
■ Four (4) 6½in x WOF strips. Subcut into twenty (20) 6½in squares.
6
From Fabric F cut:
■ Four (4) 6¾in x WOF strips. Subcut into twenty (20) 6¾in squares.
7
From Fabric G cut:
■ Two (2) 6¾in x WOF strips. Subcut into ten (10) 6¾in squares.
■ One (1) 2"/ in x WOF strip.
8
From the binding fabric cut:
■ Eight (8) 2½in x WOF strips.
MAKING THE NINE-PATCH BLOCKS
9
Using a scant ¼in seam sew two Fabric B 2"/ in x WOF strips to either side of one Fabric C 2"/ in x WOF strip, along the long edges. Press seams towards the darker fabric. Your strip set should be 5½in wide.
10
Repeat step 9 with the following:
■ Two Fabric C 2"/ in x WOF strips and one Fabric G 2"/ in x WOF strip.
■ Two Fabric C 2"/ in x WOF strips and one Fabric B 2"/ in x WOF strip.
■ Two Fabric B 2"/ in x WOF strips and one Fabric E 2"/ in x WOF strip.
11
Cut the pieced strip sets as follows (Fig A):
■ Fabric B/C/B: twenty (20) 2"/ in x 5½in.
■ Fabric C/G/C: ten (10) 2"/ in x 5½in.
■ Fabric C/B/C: twenty (20) 2"/ in x 5½in.
■ Fabric B/E/B: ten (10) 2"/ in x 5½in.
12
Sew two Fabric B/C/B strips to either side of one Fabric C/G/C strip to make one 5½in square nine-patch A, using a scant ¼in seam allowance (Fig B).
13
Repeat step 12 to make a total of ten nine-patch A blocks. Press each of the seams open.
14
Sew two Fabric C/B/C strips to either side of one Fabric B/E/B strip to make one 5½in square nine-patch B, using a scant ¼in seam allowance (Fig C). Repeat to make a total of ten nine-patch B blocks. Press seams open.
QUARTER-SQUARE TRIANGLES
15
Draw a line on the wrong side of one Fabric A 6¾in square. Place the Fabric A square RST with a Fabric F 6¾in square and sew a ¼in seam on either side of the drawn line. Cut on the line and press the seam towards the darker fabric. Repeat to make twenty Fabric A/F HSTs.
16
Repeat step 15 to make a total of twenty Fabric F/G HSTs.
17
Place one Fabric A/F HST RST with one Fabric F/G HST. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of one HST, perpendicular to the seam. Sew a ¼in seam on both sides of the drawn line, and then cut on the line, making two QST units. Square up each QST unit to measure 5½in. Make a total of forty QST units.
HALF-SQUARE TRIANGLES
18
Draw a line on the wrong side of twenty Fabric A 6½in squares. Place each one RST with a Fabric E 6½in square, and sew a ¼in seam on both sides of the line. Cut on the drawn line and press seams open. Square up each HST to 5½in. Make a total of forty HST units.
MAKING THE RAIL UNITS
19
Using a scant ¼in seam, sew two Fabric B 2$/ in x WOF strips to either side of one Fabric D 2$/ in x WOF strip, along the long edges. Press seams towards the centre fabric. Repeat to make a total of six Fabric B/D/B strips. Each strip set should measure 5½in wide.
20
Cut forty 5½in squares from the Fabric B/D/B strips (Fig D).
MAKING THE STAR BLOCKS
21
Arrange four Fabric A 5½in squares, four QST units and one nine-patch A as shown (Fig 1). Sew the units together in rows, pressing seams open. Sew the rows together, taking care to orient correctly to achieve the diamond frame to complete one Star Block.
22
Repeat step 21 to make a total of ten Star Blocks.
MAKING THE DIAMOND BLOCKS
23
Arrange four HSTs, four Rail units and one nine-patch B as shown (Fig 2). Sew the units together in rows, pressing seams open. Sew the rows together, taking care to orient the units correctly to make one Diamond Block. 24
Repeat step 23 to make a total of ten Diamond Blocks.
PIECING THE QUILT TOP
25
Arrange all twenty blocks in five rows of four, alternating the two block designs and referring to the quilt photography for placement. Sew the blocks into rows, pressing seams open.
26
Sew the rows together, pressing seams open as you go.
27
Sew one Fabric A 3 in x WOF strip to one Fabric A 3 in x 21 in strip, end-to-end, to make the top border. Press seams open. Repeat to make the bottom border.
28
Sew two Fabric A 3 in x WOF strips end-to-end, to make the side border. Press seams open. Repeat to make a second side border.
29
Measure the width of your quilt at the centre. Cut both the top and bottom border strips to this measurement, approx 60 in. Sew the top and bottom borders to the pieced quilt top, pressing the seams open.
30
Measure your quilt top’s length at the centre. Cut both side border strips to this measurement, approx 81 in. Sew side borders to the pieced quilt top.
QUILTING AND FINISHING
31
Cut the backing fabric in half across the width. Remove the selvedges and sew the two pieces together using a in seam. Press the seam open.
32
Press the quilt top and backing well. Make a quilt sandwich by placing the backing fabric right side down, the batting on top, then place the quilt top centrally and right side up. Baste the layers together using your preferred method.
33
Quilt as desired. Karen has quilted overlapping circles of different sizes. Trim off the excess batting and backing fabric and square up the quilt.
34
Sew the binding strips end-to-end using diagonal seams. Press the seams open. Fold in half lengthways, wrong sides together, and press.
35
Sew the binding to the right side of the quilt, creating a neat mitre at each corner. Fold the binding over to the back of the quilt and hand stitch in place to finish.