Nana's Cozy Quilts

STEP 1: Sew five 2 1/2" light fabric strips and ten 2 1/2" dark fabric strips together into five strip sets of dark-light-dark. Press the seams carefully, keeping the strip set straight.

STEP 2:Cross-cut the dark-light-dark sets at 2 1/2" intervals to yield 72 units. First, trim the beginning edge square, then cut units by keeping the seam lines and edges parallel with markings on the ruler.

STEP 3: Sew six 2 1/2" light fabric strips and three 2 1/2" dark fabric strips together into three strip sets of light-dark-light. Press the seams carefully, keeping the strip set straight.

STEP 4: Cross-cut the light-dark-light sets at 2 1/2" intervals to yield 36 units.

STEP 5: Sew two dark-light-dark units on both sides of one light-dark-light unit to make a nine-patch block. Make 36 nine-patch blocks.

STEP 6: From the 6 1/2" strips, cut 31 squares.

STEP 7: Begin sewing the nine-patch blocks and plain 6 1/2" squares together side-by-side, alternating them. Each row has seven blocks. Note that a pieced block is in each corner. Five of the rows have four pieced blocks and four have three pieced blocks. Press all the seams toward the plain squares. The seams alternate when sewing the rows together.

STEP 8: Next, sew the rows together, pinning at seam intersections. Press the top of the quilt.

STEP 9: Sew the remaining light strips together, end-to-end, for the side borders and for the top and bottom borders. Do the same with the dark strips. Make light-dark-light strip sets with these long strips. These pieced strips will make the borders for each side of the quilt.

STEP 10: Measure the length and width of the quilt in several places through the middle. Take an average of these measurements in each direction if necessary. Cut the side borders to the measurement of the length, and the top and bottom borders to the measurement of the width. Pin and sew the side borders to the quilt. Press toward the quilt.

STEP 11: Add the extra nine-patch blocks to both ends of the top and bottom borders, pinning and matching seams. Press toward the borders. Sew to the top and bottom of the quilt.

STEP 12: Press the quilt top.

STEP 13: Layer with batting and backing. Finish quilt as desired.

"That girl with the bonnet", Sunbonnet Sue, Dutch Doll, Bonnie Bonnet, Sun Bonnet Babies... whatever the block pattern is called, the Sunbonnet Sue block is one of the most widely recognized quilt block patterns.

You'll find the block made into nursery quilts, appliquéd onto clothing and decorated with ribbons and lace. The Sue figure has been depicted working, playing, and getting into mischief.

The Sue block has even given rise to Sunbonnet themed quilts. Sue is eliminated in "the Death of Sunbonnet Sue" or celebrated in "Sunbonnet Sue comes of age".

The design of a playful girl with a big bonnet can be traced back to illustrators who worked in the late 1800s and early 20th century.

MAKE BOW TIE BLOCK

Step 1

Choose the fabric for you background and the bow tie. It is best if the background fabric is white or a light color. The bow tie fabric should be a darker color since it will be the focus of the quilt. Cut the background fabric and cut it into two 4 1/2 inch squares.

Step 2

Cut the bow tie fabric into two squares that are 4 1/2 inches and two squares that are 2 1/2 inches. These four squares along with the two squares from the background fabric will make one block of the bow tie pattern. Draw a line diagonally across both of the 2 1/2 inch squares from one corner to another with a fabric pen.

Step 3

Pin one 4 1/2 inch background square and one of the 2 1/2 inch bow tie squares together so that the right sides are facing. The 2 1/2 inch square will go into one of the corners of the 4 1/2 inch squares. The edges of the two fabrics should be even. Make sure that the line that was drawn in Step 4 goes from edge to edge of the larger square rather than from corner to corner.

Step 4

Stitch a seam following the line that you drew in step 4. Iron the smaller square back flat so that it forms a triangle of color in the corner of the larger square.

Step 5

Sew the new square you just created to a 4 1/2 inch square of bow tie fabric. Make sure that you stitch the square of bow tie fabric to the edge that has both the background fabric and edge of triangle of bow tie fabric. Iron the seam flat.

Step 6

Pin a fabric square of the background and a fabric square of the main fabric together with the sides facing each other. Make sure that the lines you drew on the back are going in the same direction. Repeat Steps 5 through 9 to make another rectangle block. Be sure to make the second block identical to the first one.

Step 7

Sew the two rectangle blocks together with the right side facing with the same fabric blocks across from each other. The bow tie fabric square will be on top of the background square with the triangle of bow tie fabric and vice versa for the other half of the blocks. Iron the all the seams flat. This will complete the first block of the bow tie quilt.

MAKE THE QUILT

Step 1

Complete the steps above to complete as many blocks as you need for the quilt.

Step 2

Sew together all the blocks and ironing each seam flat as you go.

Step 3

Sew and bind the quilt top to the batting and backing to finish the quilt.