The quilt illustrated can be used as a large wallhanging, a throw or a picnic blanket. You can easily make a rectangular bed quilt by sewing additional blocks to widen and lengthen the quilt.
Block and Quilt Size
Illinois Road quilt blocks and variation of the Calico Puzzle quilt blocks: 12" x 12" square
Finished quilt size, with border: 72" x 72"
Make a Scrap Quilt or Keep it Orderly
Sew the quilt orderly or make it as scrappy as you like. Instructions are a cross between the two.
Quilting Fabrics & Other Materials
It's difficult to estimate fabrics for a scrap quilt, so yardages assume you will construct your quilt in an orderly fashion. Read through the pattern for help with assembling the quilt from a variety of fabrics.
Instructions assume you will use the easy sandwich method to make half square triangle units (HSTs) for the Calico Puzzle quilt blocks. Alter cutting instructions if you plan to use another method, such as sewing on a long strip or grid. HSTs should finish at 4" x 4" (in other words, measure 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" before sewing them to their neighbors).
For Illinois Roads Quilt Block
Assorted bright fabric(s) for pinwheel-like units: 2-1/4 yardsLight tone on tone fabric for pinwheel-like background: 2-1/4 yards
Light neutral, small floral or other print for squares: 1 yard
For Calico Puzzle Variation Quilt Block
Dark print for HSTs: 1/2 yardMedium print for HSTs and center square: 3/4 yard
Medium-light print for remaining squares (darker than adjacent squares in Illinois Road blocks): 7/8 yard
Other Materials
Border: 1-3/8 yards for crosswise grain strips pieced to achieve length; 2-1/8 yards for one-piece strips cut on the lengthwise grain (you will have leftover fabric)Backing: 4-/12 yards or a single piece of wide backing fabric that measures about 80" x 80". (Quilt Backing Instructions)
Low loft batting: approximately 80" x 80"
Binding: About 315 running inches of doublefold binding to finish at 1/4" wide or another width of your choice (Binding Strip Instructions)
Always begin any quilt pattern (mine and others) by cutting just enough fabric for sample blocks only. We all make errors -- I make them, other writers make them, and quilters do, too.
