Happy Jacks, More Cutting and Piecing, Part 2

Did you see THIS story today about how you can clean your house in 19 minutes? I think they're talking about 19 minutes a day, although I admit I haven't read it completely. Too busy cooking, cleaning, working, and sewing, I guess. But I figured I'd pass it on since we could all use a little help to free us up for more quilting time!

Are you ready to continue on with your Happy Jacks project? So here's where I left you last night--some pumpkin blocks done. (Sorry the photo's a bit dark.)

And, of course, you can set your blocks any way you want--but I'll give you directions and cutting instructions for the way I set mine. I like working on a design wall but if you don't have one, just lay out your blocks on the floor or a handy bed or other surface where you won't knock them off while sewing.

First, the cutting instructions for the next step, the sashing.

If you're making a quilt with FOUR PUMPKIN BLOCKS, cut from your main sashing fabric (black for mine):

Four 8" by 2" rectangles
Two 17" by 2" rectangles

Two 20" by 2" rectangles

From the fabric you'll use for the center star (yellow for mine):

One 2" square

Eight 1-1/4" squares

If you're making a quilt with NINE PUMPKIN BLOCKS, cut from your main sashing fabric (black for mine):

Twelve 8" by 2" rectangles
Two 26" by 2" rectangles

Two 29" by 2" rectangles

From the fabric you'll use for the center star (yellow for mine):

Four 2" square

Thirty-Two 1-1/4" squares

Here are all my cut pieces placed into position on the design wall:

The piecing directions I'll give you below apply to the version with four pumpkins. If you're making one with nine pumpkins, refer to the photo of the quilt in my sidebar to determine how many sashing strips will need star points and where to place them. I believe you will need to put star points on both ends of four of your sashing strips and one end of the others.

For setting four pumpkin blocks--making the center star:

First of all, take those little 1-1/4" squares and your four 8" sashing strips over to your sewing machine. Place four of the small squares on the upper right hand corners of your sashing strips and sew on the diagonal as you did with the pumpkin stems and pumpkin corners yesterday.

Press them back.

Now take your remaining four squares and place them on the upper left hand corner. Sew on the diagonal.

Again, press them back. Take your pieces back to the design wall and put them in place.

If every thing looks fine, start sewing your rows together.

I pressed my seams in the "pumpkin rows" toward the pumpkins and in the center "star row" toward the center of the star. Then attach the three rows to one another to make the center of your quilt.

Now add the top and bottom sashing pieces. And then the side sashing pieces.

Are you ready for the borders? Here are cutting measurements for the borders. The first measurements will be for the 4 pumpkin version; in parentheses are the cutting measurements for the 9 pumpkin version.

Inner Border (I used yellow):

Two 1-1/4" by 20" strips (1-1/4" by 29")

Two 1-1/4" by 21-1/2" strips (1-1/4" by 30-1/2")

Outside Border

Two 4" x 21-1/2" strips (4-1/2" by 30-1/2")

Two 4" x 29" strips (4-1/2" x 39")

First stitch on the inner border strips; then the outer border strips. At this point, your top should look something like this (ignore those applique blocks to the sides of the quilt!):

Congrats on finishing your pumpkin top! While you're waiting for the next set of instructions, you may want to select a backing fabric for your quilt or piece leftovers to make a back. Tomorrow we'll pin the quilt and add the "faces" while quilting it. See you back here then!