Big Bow Ties

Finished block: 19˝ × 19˝ Finished quilt: 88˝ × 88˝

88˝ × 88˝, designed and made by Tricia Maloney, machine quilted by Karen Shields of Karen’s Quilting Studio

I’m not much into making “big bed quilts,” but this quilt was fast and fun to make with sixteen—count ‘em—sixteen huge Bow Tie blocks. Add a couple of narrow borders to contain the giant blocks, and you have a very visually striking yet simple bed quilt without a large time commitment. After finishing the top, send it happily off to your favorite longarm quilter. This quilt is virtually painless to create.

Shopping List

Yardage is based on 42˝-wide fabric, unless otherwise noted.

LAYER CAKES: 16 matching pairs of squares 10˝ × 10˝ for a total of 32 layer cake squares

CHARM SQUARES: 16 pairs of squares 5˝ × 5˝ that match the layer cake squares for a total of 32 charm squares

WHITE SOLID: 3½ yards

TEAL TONAL: 1 yard

BINDING: ⅞ yard

BACKING: 2¾ yards of 108˝-wide fabric

BATTING: 96˝ × 96˝

Cutting

WHITE SOLID

•  Cut 8 strips 10˝ × width of fabric; subcut 32 squares 10˝ × 10˝.

•  Cut 9 strips 3½˝ × width of fabric.

TEAL TONAL

•  Cut 8 strips 3½˝ × width of fabric.

BINDING

•  Cut 10 strips 2½˝ × width of fabric.

Construction

Seam allowances are ¼˝ unless otherwise noted. Press after each step, following the pressing suggestions.

Making the Bow Tie Blocks

Each block uses 2 layer cake squares, 2 charm squares, and 2 white 10˝ × 10˝ squares. The prints of the layer cake squares and the charm squares must match each other.

Big Bow Tie block

1.  To make a Big Bow Tie block, place a charm square on the corner of a white 10˝ × 10˝ square with right sides together. Draw a diagonal line from corner to corner on the back of the charm square.

2.  Sew on the diagonal line. Trim away the excess fabric ¼˝ from the sewing line. Press the triangle toward the open corner. Make 2 matching corner units.

Sew on the line; trim ¼˝ from the sewing line, and press.

3.  Sew the 2 matching corner units and 2 matching layer cake squares together to complete the block. Press the seams in opposite directions so that they lock together.

4.  Repeat Steps 1–3 to make a total of 16 Big Bow Tie blocks.

Making the Quilt Center

1.  Referring to the quilt assembly diagram (next page), arrange the quilt blocks, alternating the direction of every other block.

2.  Sew the blocks together into rows. Press rows 1 and 3 to the right and rows 2 and 4 to the left.

3.  Sew the rows together. Press the seams open to reduce bulk.

Adding Borders

1. Sew the teal tonal 3½˝ × width of fabric strips together end to end. Cut 2 teal tonal 3½˝ × 82½˝ strips and 2 teal tonal 3½˝ × 76½˝ strips.

2.  Sew the teal tonal 3½˝ × 76½˝ strips to the sides of the quilt, matching the centers. Then sew the teal tonal 3½˝ × 82½˝ strips to the top and bottom of the quilt. Press the seams toward the border.

3.  Sew the white 3½˝ × width of fabric strips together end to end. Cut 2 white 3½˝ × 88½˝ strips and 2 white 3½˝ × 82½˝ strips.

4.  Sew the white 3½˝ × 82½˝ strips to the sides of the quilt, matching the centers. Then sew the white 3½˝ × 88½˝ strips to the top and bottom of the quilt. Press the seams toward the border.

Finishing

Layer, quilt, and bind as desired.

Quilt assembly

Tricia’s CRAYON BOX

Chic grays add cool sophistication to the bedroom.

There’s nothing more traditional than a blue-and-white quilt.