St. Patrick's Day Project, Part 2

For those of you who have done the following steps and are waiting for the next part, scroll down--I've edited this post to add the next steps for the ribbon border and finishing the quilt top.

* * * * *

Continuing on, we'll add the sashing next. The sashing between the four blocks will be narrower than the sashing around the outside. Again, I'll put measurements for the larger version in parenthesis following the first set of measurements--if you're making the smaller project, ignore them.

From the background/cream fabric, cut:

Two strips 6-1/2" x 1"

One strip 13" x 1"

Two strips 13" x 1-3/4"

Two strips 15-1/2" x 1-3/4"

(Larger version:

Two strips 12-1/2" x 1-1/2"

One strip 25-1/2" x 1-1/2"

Two strips 25-1/2" x 3"

Two strips 30-1/2" x 3")

Lay out your blocks with the sashing as follows--remember the narrower sashing goes between the blocks and the wider sashing goes on the outside (my photo doesn't show the sashing that would go on the top or right side but yours will go all the way around):

Sew the blocks and the sashing pieces together. At this point, the smaller version will measure 15-1/2" and the larger version will measure 30-1/2".

Since I already made two of these quilts a couple years ago, I'm making yet another version, and I thought I'd show you mine so far:

Next we'll make the ribbon border. I'll give you the cutting instructions now so you can get started and I'll be back later to give instructions and photos on piecing the border. Remember you'll probably want to use two colors or shades for this border, and I'll just refer to them as "color 1" and "color 2."

From color 1, cut twenty (20) 2" squares.

From color 2, cut twenty (20) 2" squares.

From the background/cream fabric, cut eighty (80) 1-1/4" squares.

(For Larger Version:

From color 1, cut twenty (20) 3-1/2" squares.

From color 2, cut twenty (20) 3-1/2" squares.

From the background/cream fabric, cut eighty (80) 2" squares.)

PIECING THE RIBBON BORDER

Because I decided to make my project larger than originally planned, I didn't have enough of the background fabric, so I've decided to transition on the other side of the ribbon to a light brown fabric. I'm assuming the rest of you have enough fabric, so you'll be using the one background fabric. I wanted to explain, though, so you aren't confused by the brown AND cream in my photos.

On one corner of your 2" squares (color 1 and color 2), sew a square of the background fabric, stitching on the diagonal--you may chose to pencil a diagonal line on the background square to keep your stitching line straight.

On the opposite corner, stitch another background square. Note that these are opposite corners and not corners next to each other.

Press the corners back and trim under layers. Lay out your squares so they look like this, with the "ribbon" alternating in colors and the "zig" going up and then down again. (In the photo above, I hadn't trimmed the under layers yet.)

Sew the border pieces together into a strip. For each border side, you'll use five color 1 blocks and five color 2 blocks. Take another look at the quilt below and notice how the "ribbon" starts at the bottom of each border side and the tips meet at the corner.

Now, add the first two border strips on opposite sides of the quilt top. Cut four 2" squares of your background fabric and add them to either end of the remaining two border strips (see the plain corner squares in the quilt photo above?).

Once you have the ribbon border attached, you'll want to add another plain border of the background fabric--I would recommend you cut that the same width you cut the sashing before you added the ribbon border--1-3/4" for the smaller version or 3" for the larger version. If that looks like too much background space to you, you can always trim it down before adding the next border. Next, add a finishing plain border to the quilt. I always feel plain borders and the width you make them are a matter of personal taste, and I always make mine a little wider than I need and then trim them down after quilting, so see what looks good to your eye.

This morning I searched my stash for a border fabric I liked. Since I'd like to use this on my kitchen table, and my kitchen is primarily blue, I looked for and found a border fabric with blue and green and a touch of red--I picked my ribbon border fabric to go with the outside border fabric. Here's a look at what I'm going to use:

I'll post a photo of my quilt top when I get it put together.

I hope you've enjoyed making this project! Happy quilting!