Instructions

Making the Quilt Top

Step 1: Sew five 2 1/2" light fabric strips and ten 2 1/2" dark fabric strips together into five strip sets of dark-light-dark. Press the seams carefully, keeping the strip set straight.

Step 2: Cross-cut the dark-light-dark sets at 2 1/2" intervals to yield 72 units. First, trim the beginning edge square, then cut units by keeping the seam lines and edges parallel with markings on the ruler.

Step 3: Sew six 2 1/2" light fabric strips and three 2 1/2" dark fabric strips together into three strip sets of light-dark-light. Press the seams carefully, keeping the strip set straight.

Stitch the four remaining 2 1/2" strips of light green print fabric on both sides of the two remaining 2 1/2" background strips. Press seams toward light green print fabric. Cut these two units into forty 2 1/2" pieces. Set aside for the 9 patch lattice posts.

Step 4: Cross-cut the light-dark-light sets at 2 1/2" intervals to yield 36 units.

Step 5: Sew two dark-light-dark units on both sides of one light-dark-light unit to make a nine-patch block. Make 36 nine-patch blocks.

Step 6: From the 6 1/2" strips, cut 31 squares.

Step 7: Begin sewing the nine-patch blocks and plain 6 1/2" squares together side-by-side, alternating them. Each row has seven blocks. Note that a pieced block is in each corner. Five of the rows have four pieced blocks and four have three pieced blocks. Press all the seams toward the plain squares. The seams alternate when sewing the rows together.

Step 8: Next, sew the rows together, pinning at seam intersections. Press the top of the quilt.

Step 9: Sew the remaining light strips together, end-to-end, for the side borders and for the top and bottom borders. Do the same with the dark strips. Make light-dark-light strip sets with these long strips. These pieced strips will make the borders for each side of the quilt.

Step 10:Measure the length and width of the quilt in several places through the middle. Take an average of these measurements in each direction if necessary. Cut the side borders to the measurement of the length, and the top and bottom borders to the measurement of the width. Pin and sew the side borders to the quilt. Press toward the quilt.

Step 11:Add the extra nine-patch blocks to both ends of the top and bottom borders, pinning and matching seams. Press toward the borders. Sew to the top and bottom of the quilt.

Step 12: Press the quilt top.

Step 13: Layer with batting and backing. Finish quilt as desired.

Quilting Suggestion

Quilt (by hand or machine) diagonal lines through the "chain", or diagonal lines on both sides of the chain, as shown in the photograph of the quilt.



(Click on image at top for larger view.)

Don't forget to sign and date your quilt! Enjoy!