FINISHED BLOCK: 9˝ × 9˝
FINISHED QUILT: 54˝ × 72˝
All you negative-space and ombré lovers, here’s your gem: a striking twin-sized quilt that would look fantastic in a modern bedroom, over the back of a sleek couch, or even as a wallhanging. Fun fact: The entire quilt is made from one block, reflected, rotated, and with different color placement to create variety.
Materials
I used a selection of Kona solids to create an ombré effect, moving from white, through some blues, to a deep purple. Moving through light tealy blues on the way to purple provided more interest and sparkle to the quilt than if I had used only blues.
NOTE
The pattern pieces have dashed lines because some blocks use larger pieces of white fabric, which end up covering more than one location. In these cases, the intended combined location will be indicated with hyphens (for example, White Piece 1-2-3 is a piece of white fabric that will cover locations 1, 2, and 3, preventing the need for seams between each of these pieces). If you desire, you can use a pen to make the dashed lines on the patterns solid, leaving them dashed only when you will cover multiple locations at a time.
Color A: Kona Regal, 1 yard
Color B: Kona Deep Blue, 1 yard
Color C: Kona Pacific, 1½ yards
Color D: Kona Lagoon, 1¼ yards
Color E: Kona Peacock, 1¾ yards
Color F: Kona Lake, 1¾ yards
White: 3½ yards
Backing: 62˝ × 80˝
Batting: 62˝ × 80˝
Binding: ⅔ yard (for 2½˝-wide binding strips)
Fabric labels or your favorite fabric-marking pen
Patterns: Make 35 copies of Icy Waters pattern Piece A and 9 copies of Icy Waters pattern Piece B on your favorite 8½˝ × 11˝ paper-piecing paper. The pattern will use 2 pieces of paper, which you’ll need to tape together with painter’s or masking tape.
Cutting Directions
WOF = width of fabric
All the fabric pieces are assigned a number (to coordinate with the order in which they are used on the pattern piece). As you cut out the fabric pieces, label each piece with the number indicated. Keep them in piles organized by their labels.
The cutting directions given are based on using solids, which do not have a right side.
CUTTING PIECE 1 FOR ALL COLORS:
Piece 1 is a stubbed triangle. For Piece 1 of each color, subcut the stubbed triangles as shown in the cutting guide.
COLOR A (KONA REGAL):
•Cut 1 strip 7˝ × WOF.
Subcut into 1 rectangle 7˝ × 10˝. Subcut the rectangle into stubbed triangles using the Cutting Piece 1 directions (Piece A1).
Trim the remaining amount of the strip to 5˝ wide. Subcut into 2 rectangles 5˝ × 10˝ (Piece A2).
•Cut 1 strip 4˝ × WOF. Subcut into 3 rectangles 4˝ × 13˝ (Piece A5).
•Cut 1 strip 3˝ × WOF. Subcut into 3 rectangles 3˝ × 11½˝ (Piece A6).
•Cut 1 strip 4½˝ × WOF. Subcut into 4 rectangles 4½˝ × 7˝ (Piece A3).
•From the remaining fabric, cut 1 rectangle 4˝ × 7½˝ (Piece A7) and 2 rectangles 3˝ × 6˝ (Piece A4).
COLOR B (KONA DEEP BLUE):
•Cut 1 strip 4˝ × WOF. Subcut into 5 rectangles 4˝ × 7½˝ (Piece B7).
•Cut 2 strips 4˝ × WOF.
Subcut 1 strip into 3 rectangles 4˝ × 13˝ (Piece B5).
Subcut 1 strip into 2 rectangles 4˝ × 13˝ (Piece B5).
•Cut 1 strip 5˝ × WOF. Subcut into 4 rectangles 5˝ × 10˝ (Piece B2).
•Cut 1 strip 7˝ × WOF. Subcut into 1 rectangle 7˝ × 10˝. Subcut each rectangle into triangles using Cutting Piece 1 directions (Piece B1).
•From the remaining fabric, cut 2 rectangles 3˝ × 6˝ (Piece B4), 1 rectangle 5˝ × 10˝ (Piece B2), and 1 rectangle 4½˝ × 7˝ (Piece B3).
Icy Waters, 54˝ × 72˝, pieced by Amy Garro; quilted by Angela Walters
COLOR C (KONA PACIFIC):
•Cut 1 strip 7˝ × WOF. Subcut into 4 rectangles 7˝ × 10˝. Subcut each rectangle into stubbed triangles using the Cutting Piece 1 directions (Piece C1).
•Cut 2 strips 5˝ × WOF.
Subcut 1 strip into 3 rectangles 5˝ × 10˝ (Piece D6).
Subcut 1 strip into 2 rectangles 5˝ × 10˝ (Piece C2).
•Cut 1 strip 4½˝ × WOF. Subcut into 3 rectangles 4½˝ × 7˝ (Piece C3). From the remaining fabric, cut 1 rectangle 4˝ × 13˝ (Piece C5).
•Cut 5 strips 3˝ × WOF.
Subcut 1 strip into 6 rectangles 3˝ × 6˝ (Piece C4).
Subcut 1 strip into 3 rectangles 3˝ × 6˝ (Piece C4) and 1 rectangle 3˝ × 11½˝ (Piece C6).
Subcut 3 strips into 3 rectangles 3˝ × 11½˝ (Piece C6).
COLOR D (KONA LAGOON):
•Cut 1 strip 7˝ × WOF. Subcut into 2 rectangles 7˝ × 10˝. Subcut each rectangle into stubbed triangles, using Cutting Piece 1 directions (Piece D1).
•Cut 1 strip 5˝ × WOF. Subcut into 4 rectangles 5˝ × 10˝ (Piece D2).
•Cut 2 strips 3˝ × WOF.
Subcut 1 strip into 3 rectangles 3˝ × 11½˝ (Piece D6).
Subcut 1 strip into 1 rectangle 3˝ × 11½˝ (Piece D6).
•Cut 1 strip 4˝ × WOF. Subcut into 4 rectangles 4˝ × 7½˝ (Piece D7).
•Cut 3 strips 4½˝ × WOF.
Subcut 2 strips, each into 5 rectangles 4½˝ × 7˝ (Piece D3).
Subcut 1 strip into 1 rectangle 4½˝ × 7˝ (Piece D3).
From the remaining fabric, cut 1 rectangle 4˝ × 13˝ (Piece D5) and 3 rectangles 3˝ × 6˝ (Piece D4).
COLOR E (KONA PEACOCK):
•Cut 1 strip 7˝ × WOF. Subcut into 3 rectangles 7˝ × 10˝. Subcut each rectangle into stubbed triangles, using Cutting Piece 1 directions (Piece E1).
•Cut 1 strip 5˝ × WOF. Subcut into 3 rectangles 5˝ × 10˝ (Piece E2).
•Cut 1 strip 5˝ × WOF. Subcut into 4 rectangles 5˝ × 10˝ (Piece E2).
•Cut 1 strip 13˝ × WOF. Subcut into 10 rectangles 13˝ × 4˝ (Piece E5).
•Cut 2 strips 4˝ × WOF. Subcut each strip into 3 rectangles 4˝ × 13˝ (Piece E5).
•Cut 1 strip 7½˝ × WOF. Subcut into 10 rectangles 7½˝ × 4˝ (Piece E7).
•Cut 1 strip 3˝ × WOF. Subcut into 4 rectangles 3˝ × 6˝ (Piece E4).
•Cut 1 strip 3˝ × WOF. Subcut into 2 rectangles 3˝ × 11½˝ (Piece E6).
•Cut 1 strip 4½˝ × WOF. Subcut into 3 rectangles 4½˝ × 7˝ (Piece E3).
COLOR F (KONA LAKE):
•Cut 1 strip 7˝ × WOF. Subcut into 3 rectangles 7˝ × 10˝. Subcut each rectangle into stubbed triangles, using Cutting Piece 1 directions (Piece F1).
•Cut 3 strips 5˝ × WOF.
Subcut 2 strips into 4 rectangles 5˝ × 10˝ (Piece F2).
Subcut 1 strip into 3 rectangles 5˝ × 10˝ (Piece F2).
•Cut 2 strips 4˝ × WOF. Subcut each strip into 3 rectangles 4˝ × 13˝ (Piece F5).
•Cut 2 strips 3˝ × WOF. Subcut each strip into 3 rectangles 3˝ × 11½˝ (Piece F6).
•Cut 2 strips 4˝ × WOF. Subcut each strip into 5 rectangles 4˝ × 7½˝ (Piece F7).
•Cut 1 strip 4½˝ × WOF.
Subcut into 3 rectangles 4½˝ × 7˝ (Piece F3).
From the remaining fabric, cut 1 rectangle 4˝ × 7½˝ (Piece F7).
•Cut 1 strip 6˝ × WOF. Subcut into 9 rectangles 6˝ × 3˝ (Piece F4).
WHITE (KONA WHITE):
•Cut 2 strips 7˝ × WOF.
Subcut 1 strip into 4 rectangles 7˝ × 10˝ (Piece 1).
Subcut 1 strip into 3 rectangles 7˝ × 10˝. Subcut each piece into stubbed triangles, using Cutting Piece 1 directions (Piece 1).
•Cut 1 strip 7˝ × WOF. Subcut into 6 rectangles 7˝ × 4½˝ (Piece 3).
•Cut 1 strip 3˝ × WOF. Subcut into 5 rectangles 3˝ × 6˝ (Piece 4).
•Cut 2 strips 4˝ × WOF.
Subcut 1 strip into 3 rectangles 4˝ × 13˝ (Piece 5).
Subcut 1 strip into 1 rectangle 4˝ × 13˝ (Piece 5).
•Cut 1 strip 11½˝ × WOF. Subcut into 11 rectangles 11½˝ × 3˝ (Piece 6).
•Cut 1 strip 7½˝ × WOF. Subcut into 8 rectangles 7½˝ × 4˝ (Piece 7).
•Cut 2 strips 10˝ × WOF.
Subcut 1 strip into 2 squares 10˝ × 10˝ (Piece 1-2-3-4-5), 1 square 10˝ × 10˝ (Piece 1-2-3-4-5-6), and 1 rectangle 10˝ × 8˝ (Piece 2-3-4).
Subcut 1 strip into 1 rectangle 10˝ × 5˝ (Piece 2), 1 rectangle 10˝ × 7˝ (Piece 2-3), 2 rectangles 10˝ × 9½˝ (Piece 1-2-3-4), and 1 rectangle 10˝ × 8½˝ (Piece 1-2-3).
•Cut 1 strip 10˝ × WOF. Subcut into 1 rectangle 10˝ × 8½˝ (Piece 1-2-3); then cut the remaining strip lengthwise into 1 strip 5½˝ × WOF and 1 strip 4½˝ × WOF.
From the 5½˝ strip, subcut into 4 rectangles 5½˝ × 6½˝ (Piece 3-4).
From the 4½˝ strip, subcut into 2 rectangles 4½˝ × 11½˝ (Piece 6-7).
•Cut 1 strip 13˝ × WOF. Subcut into 2 rectangles 13˝ × 4½˝ (Piece 5-6) and 3 rectangles 13˝ × 7˝ (Piece 5-6-7).
•From the remaining fabric, cut 1 square 18½˝ × 18½˝ (Block 1-2-7-8).
Quilt Top Construction
PAPER-PIECING ASSEMBLY
To help you keep track of your blocks, each pattern piece has a line on which to write the block number.
Sew each printed paper-piecing pattern. Begin with Piece 1 and work your way through Piece 7 on each pattern, referring to the block key to find the unique color placement for each block. The blocks in the key are shown in the same orientation to make it easier to follow along while piecing. Refer to Paper-Piecing Basics as needed.
Tricky Pattern Pieces
Pieces 2 and 3 on the paper-pieced patterns have jutting corners. Follow the directions in Jutting Corners to place your fabric correctly.
TIP
I suggest making a color copy of the key and crossing off each block as you complete it.
LAYOUT AND FINAL ASSEMBLY
When your blocks are done, lay them out in order. Use the row construction diagrams to rotate the blocks into their correct placement.
Rows 1 and 2
1. Sew the 9˝ blocks together into 2 rows. Press the seams open.
2. Sew these 2 short rows together. Press the seams open.
3. Sew the 2 short rows to Block 1-2-7-8. Press the seams open.
REMAINING CONSTRUCTION
1. For remaining rows, sew the 9˝ blocks together into rows.
2. Sew the rows together. Press the seams open.
3. Sew these remaining rows to Rows 1 and 2. Press the seams open.
Finishing the Quilt
Baste, quilt, and bind using your favorite methods. Refer to Finishing Your Quilts as needed.
SUGGESTED QUILTING OPTIONS
Angela used patterns that mimicked the movement one might see in choppy waters—ranging from shapes like swirls and pebbles to wavy lines with swoops. Shifting between these free-motion patterns emphasized the movement within the quilt pattern.
Some other quilting ideas:
•Random straight lines hitting the quilt at all different directions would fit really well with this quilt’s random-seeming array of shapes and angles.
•Customized quilting will really complement the design of this quilt, but an allover pattern that is quieter and lets the pattern speak for itself will work well also. Gentle waves moving across the quilt will help give some movement without taking the focus away from the graphic impact of your project.
