Backyard Garden

Here’s an easy two-block quilt.

MATERIALS

• 3/ 8 yard light aqua print* • 1/2 yard each 2 aqua prints* • 1/2 yard each 2 black/green prints* • 7/ 8 yard white solid* • 31/4 yards black/white/green large

floral* • Backing to size • Batting to size* • Thread • Basic sewing tools and supplies *Bellisimo fabric collection from Benartex; Tuscany Cotton Batting from Hobbs used to make sample.

CUTTING

From• Cut 7 light (11/4" aquaby fabric print: width) I/J flange strips.

From aqua prints: • Cut 4 (31/2" by fabric width) C strips each

fabric (8 total).

From black/green prints: • Cut 4 (31/2" by fabric width) D strips each

fabric (8 total).

From white solid: • Cut 9 (21/2" by fabric width) strips.

Subcut strips into 140 (21/2") B squares.

From black/white/green large floral: • Cut 6 (61/2" by fabric width) strips.

Subcut strips into 35 (61/2") A squares. • Cut 7 (31/2" by fabric width) G/H strips. • Cut 2 (11" by fabric width) strips. Subcut strips into 6 (11") squares and 2 (53/4") squares. Cut each 11" square on both diagonals to make 24 E triangles and each 53/4" square in half on 1 diagonal to make 4 F triangles. • Cut 7 (21/4" by fabric width) binding strips.

COMPLETING THE SNOWBALL BLOCKS

1. Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the wrong side of each B square. 2. To complete one Snowball block, select one A and four B squares. 3. Referring to Figure 1, place the B squares right sides together on each corner of A and stitch on the marked lines. Trim seams to 1/4"; press B to the right side to complete one block.

4.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 to make a total of 35 Snowball blocks.

COMPLETING THE FOUR- PATCH BLOCKS

1. Sew a C strip to a D strip with right sides together along length to make a C-D strip set; press. Repeat to make a total of eight C-D strip sets.

2. Subcut the C-D strip sets into 96 (31/2" x 61/2") C-D units as shown in Figure 2.

3. Join two C-D units to complete one Four-Patch block as shown in Figure 3; press. Repeat to make a total of 48 FourPatch blocks.

COMPLETING THE QUILT

1. Arrange and join the Four-Patch and Snowball blocks in diagonal rows with the E and F triangles, alternating blocks in rows referring to Figure 4; press.

2. Join the rows to complete the quilt center; press.

3. Using a straightedge and rotary cutter, trim the quilt edges, leaving 1" from the joining seams as shown in Figure 5.

4. Join G/H strips on short ends to make a long strip; press. Subcut strip into two each 3½" x 53" G strips and 3½" x 76" H strips.

5. Sew G strips to the top and bottom, and H strips to opposite sides of the trimmed center; press. 6. Create a quilt sandwich referring to Quilting Basics on page 110. 7. Quilt as desired. 8. Join I/J strips on short ends to make a long strip; press. Subcut strip into two each 1¼" x 76" I strips and 1¼" x 59" J strips.

9. Fold each I and J strip in half with wrong sides together to make flange strips; press.

10. Pin and then baste an I flange strip to opposite long sides of the quilt center, matching raw edges as shown in Figure 6.

11. Repeat step 10 with the J strips on the top and bottom, folding the corners at a 45-degree angle to simulate a mitered corner as shown in Figure 7.

12. Bind referring to Quilting Basics on page 110 to finish.