I Love Precut Quilts!

60˝ × 60˝, designed and made by Tricia Maloney, machine quilted by Karen Shields of Karen’s Quilting Studio

When I design quilts, I usually begin with my favorite simple blocks. I am constantly amazed at the unique and sophisticated designs that evolve from those basic quilt blocks. This quilt, believe it or not, features simple Rail Fence blocks. The unusual vertical design in this quilt is created by manipulating the fabric placement and block direction. With a little planning, your quilt will be a masterpiece, too.

Shopping List

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

FAT QUARTERS: 13 (1 fuchsia print, 5 coral prints, 5 mint-green prints, 2 gray prints)

WHITE SOLID: 1⅝ yards

BINDING: ⅝ yard

BACKING: 4 yards

BATTING: 68˝ × 68˝

Cutting

FUCHSIA FAT QUARTER

• Cut 4 rectangles 5½˝ × 10½˝ (4 or 5 from each fat quarter).

CORAL FAT QUARTERS

• Cut 24 rectangles 3˝ × 10½˝.

MINT-GREEN FAT QUARTERS

From 1 fat quarter:

• Cut 6 rectangles 5½˝ × 10½˝.

From the remaining 4 mint-green fat quarters:

• Cut 20 rectangles 3˝ × 10½˝ (5 from each fat quarter).

GRAY FAT QUARTERS

From 1 fat quarter:

• Cut 3 rectangles 5½˝ × 10½˝.

From 1 fat quarter:

• Cut 6 rectangles 5½˝ × 10½˝.

WHITE SOLID

• Cut 1 strip 5½˝ × width of fabric; subcut 2 rectangles 5½˝ × 10½˝.

• Cut 15 strips 3˝ × width of fabric; subcut 26 rectangles 3˝ × 10½˝ and 4 squares 3˝ × 3˝. (Save the remaining strips for the border.)

BINDING

• Cut 7 strips 2½˝ × width of fabric.

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

1. To make Block 1, sew a gray 5½˝ × 10½˝ rectangle between 2 coral 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangles. Make 6.

Most of the time I suggest pressing seams toward the darker fabric. But sometimes it works better to press the seams in a different direction in order to reduce bulk or to make seams between sections, blocks, or rows lock together.

2. To make Block 2, sew a coral 5½˝ × 10½˝ rectangle between a white 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangle and a mint-green 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangle. Make 4.

3. To make Block 3, sew a mint-green 5½˝ × 10½˝ rectangle between a white 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangle and a coral 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangle. Make 6.

4. To make Block 4, sew a fuchsia 5½˝ × 10½˝ rectangle between 2 mint-green 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangles. Make 4.

5. To make Block 5, sew a gray 5½˝ × 10½˝ rectangle between 2 white 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangles. Make 3.

6. To make Block 6, sew a white 5½˝ × 10½˝ rectangle between 2 mint-green 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangles Make 2.

1. Referring to the quilt assembly diagram, arrange the blocks in 5 rows, 5 blocks per row, turning the blocks as shown. Sew the blocks together into rows. Press the seams in rows 1, 3, and 5 to the right and the seams in rows 2 and 4 to the left so that the seams will lock together.

1. Sew 2 white 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangles between 3 coral 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangles, as shown in the quilt assembly diagram. Make 2. Sew a pieced strip to each side of the quilt center.

2. Sew 2 mint-green 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangles between 3 white 3˝ × 10½˝ rectangles, as shown in the quilt assembly diagram. Then add a white 3˝ × 3˝ square to each end. Make 2. Sew these pieced strips to the top and bottom of the quilt.

3. To make the outside border strips, sew the remaining 6 white 3˝ × width of fabric strips together end to end. Cut 2 strips 3˝ × 54½˝ and 2 strips 3˝ × 60½˝.

4. Sew the white 3˝ × 54½˝ strips to the sides of the quilt. Then sew the white 3˝ × 60½˝ strips to the top and bottom.