Serene Garden - Free Pattern - Designed by Theresa Litz

I'm thrilled to share this pattern for a quilt I designed recently.  It does require The Learning Curve Ruler designed by Linda Warren.  If you cannot find it in your local shop, you can purchase it directly from the designer at this LINK.

Serene Garden – 72” x 72”

Designed by Theresa Litz – c2014

REQUIRED FABRICS

3 yds – Focal Fabric (Asian Inspired Floral) – blocks, outer          

               border

1 ¾ yds – Light Blue background – blocks

1 ½ yds – Light Cream background – blocks

1 yd -  Dark Teal – blocks, inner border

SPECIAL TOOLS

The Learning Curve Ruler designed by Linda Warren

CUTTING CHART

Focal Fabric – Asian Inspired Floral

     100 -  3 ¼” x 5 ½” rectangles for blocks

               (cut 9 – 5 ½” wide x WOF strips, then sub-cut into 100     

                  Rectangles)

     25 -  4 ½” squares for center of each block (cut 3 – 4 ½” x WOF strips, sub-cut into 25 squares)

      7  -  4 ½” x WOF strips – for outer border

Light Blue –

     52 – 3 ¼” x 5 ½” rectangles for blocks -  (cut 5 – 5 ½” wide x WOF strips, then sub-cut into 52                    rectangles)

     52 – 4 ½” squares for blocks – (cut 6 – 4 ½” x WOF strips, sub-cut into 52 4 ½” squares)

Light Cream –

     48 – 3 ¼” x 5 ½” rectangles for blocks – (cut 4 – 5 ½” wide x WOF strips, then sub-cut into 48                     rectangles)

     48 – 4 ½” squares for blocks – (cut 6 – 4 ½” x WOF strips, sub-cut into 48 4 ½” squares)

Dark Teal –

     100 – 2 ½” squares for blocks – (cut 7 – 2 ½” x WOF strips, sub-cut into 100 squares)

     6  - 2 ½” x WOF strips – for inner border

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USING THE LEARNING CURVE RULER

(Reference Method 2 on Ruler Instruction Pamphlet)

You will use The Learning Curve Ruler, to trim all 100 - 3 ¼” x 5 ½” FOCAL FABRIC rectangles.

****For a refresher, go to my Tutorial for using The Learning Curve Ruler for Method 2

As photo below demonstrates, line up the left edge of the rectangle with the “A” Line of the ruler and carefully trim along the curved edge of the ruler.

 All FOCAL FABRIC rectangles should now look like this. 

 Next, trim the 52 light blue 3 ¼” x 5 ½” rectangles AND the 48 light cream 3 ¼” x 5 ½” rectangles.

As photo demonstrates, line up the left edge of the rectangle with the “C” Line of the ruler and carefully trim along the curved edge of the ruler.

 All light blue AND light creamrectangles should now look like this.

 We are now finished using The Learning Curve Ruler.

Now we just need to sew all the Focal Fabric curved pieces to the Light Blue and Light Cream curved pieces.

LINK to my tutorial showing how to sew these two pieces together.

Use the instruction sheet that came with your ruler for Method 2 to trim your curved square down to 4 1/2" - or use my past blog tutorials to view detailed photos for using the ruler to trim these units.

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STITCH AND FLIP

Draw a diagonal line on the back of all 100 Dark Teal 2 ½” squares.

Place a 2 ½” square, face to face in ONE corner of all 52 – 4 ½” light blue squares and all 48 – 4 ½” light cream squares.

Sew along the center diagonal pencil line. 

Trim approximately a ¼” from seam, flip the Dark Teal triangle face up and press with iron.

****Side note:  You may notice in the photo above that I have drawn two lines rather than just one down the center.  I am very frugal and enjoy getting "bonus triangles" that can be used in a future project rather than to throw away the corners we don't need for this quilt.  I learned how to obtain a usable, 2" unfinished Half-Square Triangle from the well-known Quilt Designer, Instructor (and too many other titles to list), Bonnie K. Hunter of Quiltville.  You can view and learn this method for Bonus Triangles at this LINK. 

 You should now have 52 – 4 ½” light blue squares that look like this:

 And 48 – 4 ½” light cream squares that look like this:

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ASSEMBLE BLOCKS

Blocks should measure 12 ½” unfinished

Assemble 13 light blue blocks using photo below as a guide.

 Assemble 12 light cream blocks using photo below as a guide.

  

Blocks should measure 12 1/2" once sewn together at this point.

Sew blocks into rows using quilt photo as a guide, for a total of five rows of five blocks each.

Sew rows together.  In a perfect world, if all your seams are an accurate 1/4", the center of your quilt top should measure 60 1/2" x 60 1/2" at this point.

Add Dark Teal Inner Border 

Add Focal Fabric Outer Border

If you make your own Serene Garden Lap Quilt, please share a photo!  Not only would I love to see it but I'll add the photo to this post so others can enjoy it as well!   (With your permission of course.) :)

Until next time!  By the way, I hope to be sharing the pattern for another quilt top within the next few days.