Cut the border fabric into seven 5½in x WOF strips. Sew end to end and cut into two 63in and two 73in lengths.
Cut the backing fabric into two equal lengths and the binding fabric into seven 2½in x WOF strips.
You will make the 2in half square triangles (HSTs) in sets of twelve, using one 2in half square triangle (HST) template and two 6¼in x 9¼in fabric rectangles per set.
You will make the 1½in HSTs in sets of sixteen, using one 1½in HST template and two 5¼in x ¼in fabric rectangles per set.
Pin the two fabric rectangles to the back of one of the HST templates with the red fabrics right sides together and the background fabric next to the paper.
Step 8
Shorten your machine stitch to 1.5 and sew along all the red lines.
Then rotary cut the template and fabric along all the blue lines.
Step 9
Trim off the corners on each triangle, along the green lines.
Press each HST unit open and remove the paper from the back of the HST units.
Step 10
Make sixty-four half star units using the 1½in HST units, the 2⅜in HSTs (triangles cut from 2⅜in squares) and the 3in HSTs (triangles cut from 3in squares).
Step 11
Following the diagram above, sew into two (2) central rows using the 2⅜in HSTs on each end.
Sew those rows together, then sew the 3in background HSTs on the top and bottom. Trim as needed.
Top Tip for your two color quilt
Throughout this piecing, take care with the placement of the dark red and light red triangles and with the orientation of the HST units.
Step 12
Make sixty-four A blocks by sewing together the half stars made at step 11, the 2in HST units, and the background 2½in x 2¾in rectangles, following the diagram above.
Will I have any leftover blocks/HSTs?
After making these sixty-four blocks, there will still be 2in HSTs left over. Most of these are used for the thirty-six B blocks, although you will also be left with some HSTs which are not needed.
Step 13
First, sew the 2½in x 2¾in background rectangles to one side of sixty-four 2in background/dark red HST units and sixty-four 2in background/light red HST units (as shown above).
Step 14
Sew the sixty-four 2in dark red/light red HSTs and sixty-four of the half stars (made in step 11) into a four-patch, as shown above.
Step 15
Make thirty-six B blocks by sewing together the 2in HST units, the 2½in background squares and the 2¾in x 4½in and 2¾in x 6¾in background strips, following the steps above.
First, sew the HST units and the background 2½in squares into a four-patch (the first image).
Then sew the background 2¾in x 4½in strip to one side, then the 2¾in x 6¾in background strip to the adjacent side (the second and third image).
Step 16
Sash the sides with the shorter border strips and the top and bottom with the longer border strips, to finish.
Sew the two pieces of backing fabric together along the long sides using a ½in seam. Press seam open.
Make a quilt sandwich, basting together the backing, batting, and quilt top. Lynne used Odif 505 spray for quick and easy basting.
Quilt as desired. Lynne quilted a diagonal cross-hatch of wavy lines approximately 2in apart using a cream Aurifil 40wt thread on the front and back.
Sew the binding strips end to end using diagonal or straight seams as preferred. Fold and press in half, wrong sides together, along the length. Bind the quilt taking care to mitre the corners.
