Celebration

A variation of the Kansas Dugout block is used in two different color arrangements to make a very happy quilt.

It's time to celebrate a brand-new year and new beginnings. There's no better way to do that than to clean, organize and use your orphaned fat quarters to make room for the new. Celebration is the perfect pattern to do just that. All this pattern needs is 18 fat quarters and a background fabric. You may enjoy it so much that you decide to make a few. Scraps would also work wonderfully in this layout.

Design by Sue Harvey

Project Notes

This quilt is made with two different block color placements, Celebration 1 block and Celebration 2 block. Each Celebration 1 block uses one main bright color for the corners and center, and four different bright colors for the diamond-shape pieces (diamond units). Each Celebration 2 block uses one main bright color for the side centers, and five different bright colors for the diamond-shape pieces (diamond units).

Each diamond shape is actually made as four corner triangles are joined. Be careful when choosing the colors for each block to use four of the same bright-color D pieces to create each diamond shape.

Project Specifications

Skill Level: Intermediate
Quilt Size: 54" x 72"
Block Size: 9" x 9"
Number of Blocks: 35

Materials

18 bright-colored print fat quarters
4 1/2 yards white-on-white print
Batting 58" x 76"
Backing 58" x 76"
All-purpose thread to match fabrics
Basic sewing tools and supplies, rotary cutter, mat and ruler

Instructions

Note: Fabrics will be referred to as bright or white throughout these instructions.

Step 1. Cut two strips each 2" x 48 1/2" and 2" x 63 1/2" from length of white; set aside for borders.

Step 2. Cut 51 strips white 1 1/4" by remaining fabric width and three strips 1 1/4" by full fabric width; subcut each strip into 1 1/4" square segments for B. You will need 1,460 B squares.

Step 3. Cut 30 strips white 2" by full fabric width; subcut each strip into 2" square segments for C. You will need 628 C squares.

Step 4. From each fat quarter, cut six strips 2" x 22"; subcut each strip into 2" square segments for A. You will need 56 A squares from each fat quarter.

Step 5. From each fat quarter, cut four strips 1 1/4" x 22"; cut each strip into 1 1/4" square segments for D. You will need 52 D squares from each fat quarter.

Step 6. Mark a diagonal line from corner to corner on the wrong side of each B and D square.

Step 7. To piece one Celebration 1 block, choose 20 same-bright A squares for the block main bright color. You will need eight main-bright D squares and four D squares each of four different bright colors to piece the block.

Step 8. Place B on opposite corners of A as shown in Figure 1; stitch on the marked line, trim seam allowance to 1/4" and press B open as shown in Figure 2. Repeat to make 12 A-B-B units.

Step 9. Repeat Step 8 except place B on only one corner of A as shown in Figure 3 to make an A-B unit; repeat to make eight A-B units.

Step 10. Join three A-B-B units with one A-B unit to make a bright corner unit as shown in Figure 4; repeat to make four bright corner units.

Step 11. Join four A-B units to make the bright center unit as shown in Figure 5.

Step 12. Place a bright D on one corner of C as shown in Figure 6; stitch, trim and press open. Repeat for four same-bright C-D units.

Step 13. Place a main-bright D on the opposite corner of a C-D unit as shown in Figure 7; stitch, trim and press open. Repeat for two C-D-D units.

Step 14. Join the four pieced units to make one diamond unit as shown in Figure 8; repeat to make four diamond units using a different bright D in the center of each unit, again referring to Figure 8.

Step 15. Join the bright corner units, bright center unit and diamond units in rows as shown in Figure 9; join the rows to complete one Celebration 1 block. Repeat to make 18 blocks, using a different bright for the main color of each block.

Step 16. To piece one Celebration 2 block, choose 16 same-bright A squares for the block main bright color. You will need eight main-bright D squares and four D squares each of five different bright colors to piece the block.

Step 17. Make eight A-B-B units referring to Step 8.

Step 18. Make eight A-B units referring to Step 9.

Step 19. Join two A-B-B units with two A-B units to make a bright side unit as shown in Figure 10; repeat for four bright side units.

Step 20. Make four same-bright C-D units referring to Step 12; repeat to make five different sets of four same-bright C-D units.

Step 21. Make one C-D-D unit each of four brights and four C-D-D units of the fifth bright referring to Step 13 and Figure 11.

Step 22. Join three same-bright C-D units with the same-bright C-D-D unit to make a corner diamond unit as shown in Figure 12; repeat for four corner diamond units.

Step 23. Join the four same-bright C-D-D units to make the center diamond unit as shown in Figure 13.

Step 24. Join the bright side units and corner and center diamond units in rows as shown in Figure 14; join the rows to complete one Celebration 2 block. Repeat to make 17 blocks, using a different bright for the main color of each block.

Step 25. Join three Celebration 1 blocks with two Celebration 2 blocks to make an A row as shown in Figure 15; repeat for four A rows.

Step 26. Join two Celebration 1 blocks with three Celebration 2 blocks to make a B row as shown in Figure 16; repeat for three B rows.

Step 27. Join the rows to complete the pieced center, beginning and ending with an A row.

Step 28. Sew the longer border strips cut in Step 1 to opposite long sides of the pieced center and the shorter strips to the top and bottom; press seams toward strips.

Step 29. To make the pieced borders, make two A-B-B units and two A-B units using the same-bright A squares and referring to Steps 8 and 9. Join the units to make a bright side unit referring to Step 19. Repeat to make 76 bright side units. Make three A-B units and one A-B-B unit using the same-bright A squares. Join the units to make a corner diamond unit; repeat for four units. Set aside remaining A and D squares for another project.

Step 30. Join 22 bright side units to make a strip referring to the Placement Diagram for positioning; repeat for two strips.

Step 31. Sew a strip to opposite sides of the pieced center; press seams toward strips.

Step 32. Join 16 bright side units to make a strip; repeat for two strips. Sew a corner diamond unit to each end of each strip; sew a strip to the top and bottom to complete the pieced top.

Step 33. Prepare for quilting and quilt as desired referring to the General Instructions. Note: The sample shown was professionally machine-quilted in an allover pattern.

Step 34. Prepare 7 1/2 yards self-made white-on-white print binding and apply.