cute as a button

Designed, pieced, and quilted by Paige Alexander

Nesting plus signs within circles made from colorful fabrics creates fun motifs resembling buttons appliquéd onto background squares.

Materials

Yardages are based on fabric that is 40˝ wide.

Appliqué: 1 charm square pack (or 36 squares 5˝ × 5˝)

Background: 2 yards

Binding: ½ yard

Batting: 48˝ × 48˝

Backing: 2⅔ yards

Paper-backed fusible web: 36 squares 5˝ × 5˝

Iron-on tear-away stabilizer: 36 squares 5½˝ × 5½˝

Cutting

BACKGROUND

Cut 8 strips 7˝ × width of fabric (WOF).

Subcut into 36 squares 7˝ × 7˝; each strip yields 5 squares.

Cut 4 strips 2˝ × WOF.

BINDING

Cut 5 strips 2½˝ × WOF.

Fabrics: Sun Print 2015 and Sun Print 2016 by Alison Glass for Andover Fabrics, Inc.

instructions

See Fusible Machine Appliqué to appliqué the blocks.

Block Assembly

1. Create 36 appliqué shapes using the Cute As a Button circle plus pattern, the appliqué fabric squares, and the paper-backed fusible web.

2. Center and fuse the appliqué shapes onto the background squares.

3. Center and iron the stabilizer onto the back of the background squares.

4. Using a zigzag satin stitch or your desired stitch, appliqué around the outside and inside of the 36 circle plus appliqué shapes. Carefully remove the stabilizer from the blocks.

A 6½˝ × 6½˝ ruler can be used to quickly square up the blocks.

5. Trim the Plus blocks to 6½˝ × 6½˝.

Plus block

Quilt Top Assembly

Seam allowances are a scant ¼˝ unless otherwise noted. Press all seams open unless otherwise noted.

1. Arrange the Plus blocks in a 6 × 6 arrangement according to the quilt top assembly diagram (at right).

2. Sew the blocks into rows. Sew the rows together to make the quilt top, which should measure 36½˝ × 36½˝ before the borders are added.

Borders

1. Measure the average height of the quilt top, and trim 2 background 2˝ × WOF strips to fit (approximately 36½˝). Attach the side borders to the quilt top.

2. Measure the average width of the quilt top, and trim 2 background 2˝ × WOF strips to fit (approximately 39½˝). Attach the top and bottom borders to the quilt top.

Finishing

Refer to Finishing Your Quilt as needed.

1. To make the quilt back, cut the 2⅔ yards into 2 pieces each 48˝ × WOF, trim off the selvage edges, and sew the pieces together along the trimmed selvage edges. Trim to approximately 48˝ × 48˝.

2. Layer the quilt top, batting, and backing. Baste and quilt as desired. Bind and enjoy! This version of Cute As a Button was quilted by outlining the inside and outside of the appliqué shapes and with straight lines echoing the block seamlines.

Quilt top assembly