Puzzled Quilt

Hi Everyone! I’m Kristy from St. Louis Folk Victorian and this is my very first Moda Bake Shop project. I’m super excited to have the opportunity to share my PUZZLED Quilt with you, and hope that you’ll grow to love this design as much as I do. It looks complicated; but let me tell you a secret…it’s goes together pretty easy.

I’m working with Cosmo Cricket’s Circa 1934 today and let me tell you, it’s softer palette certainly has a great vintage vibe.

For Quilt Top:
1 Jelly Roll (minimum 36 pieces)
3/4 yard of a coordinating solid

For Backing:
3 yds of a coordinating print
-I love pieced backs, so I used 2 yds of one print and 1 yd of another

For Binding:
1/2 yd of a coordinating print

PUZZLED is made from a combination of just 2 shapes

2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ square
2 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ rectangle

Step 1

Let’s start by cutting the 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ squares. You’ll need a total of 162 squares for this project.

Take the 3/4 yard of coordinating Solid and cut 11 strips measuring 2 1/2″ wide x 42″

Step 2

Now let’s subcut those lengths into squares measuring 2 1/2″ x 2 1/2″.

*Once you’ve cut 10 of the 11 strips, you’ll have 160 squares; but as noted above you need 162. So please note that you only need to cut 2 additional squares out of your last strip. The balance you can save.

You should have a stack that looks like this.

Step 3

Now, let’s open up that Jelly Roll and select 36 pieces.

Begin cutting the Jelly Roll strips into lengths measuring 2 1/2″ x 8 1/2″. Each Jelly Roll length should yield 5 rectangles; but cut carefully as it is a tight fit.

Once you are done cutting, you should have a stack that looks like this.

Step 4

Remember when I said earlier that PUZZLED is made from 2 different shapes, well it’s also made from 2 different blocks that are similiar but different.

As you can see, they are built the same way; but Block A includes 5 rows running horizontal and Block B only 4 rows running vertical.

We need to do a little prep work before we start sewing; but I wanted you to understand the blocks that you would be building.

Step 5

Organize all of your rectangles in stacks of 5. Now comes the hard part…which print/stack should become Block A and which print/stack should become Block B. You’ll need a total of 18 stacks for each Block.

Organize now and when you are ready to start sewing I’ll be here waiting…

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Step 6

So nice of you to come back.
Before we start sewing anything together, I want to take a second to mention how important it is to use a precise 1/4″ seam allowance. If you use any other measurement, your blocks will not line up properly.

Now let’s take all of the rectangles you selected from Block A and let’s start sewing 1 rectange and 1 square right sides together. I encourage you to chain piece these, because as you will quickly see there are alot of them.

Step 7

Now before you start chain-piecing the stack for Block B, you’ll need to pull out 1 rectangle from each group, as you only need 4 rectangles per print (remember in the Block diagram above, there are only 4 rows, not 5 for Block B). Save those extras though, as you can use them on the back or as part of the binding.

Okay, now you can chain-piece the square and rectangle together; but make sure that you keep this group separate from the Block A group. We wouldn’t want confusion later when assembling the blocks.

Cut the chains and press the block open with seam allowances towards the rectangle.

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Step 8

Let’s start building Block A. As a reminder, here is what it looks like. Notice the square moves from left to right and the rectangles are horizontal.

As you can see in the below diagram, you’ve already completed the part highlighted in red, just follow the diagram, sewing each row together, making sure that the square is in the proper position.

You should have a total of 18 blocks. Press the seams however you would like.

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Step 9

Now, let’s start building Block B. As a reminder, this is what Block B looks like. The main difference is that the rectangles are now vertical and the square moves from bottom to top.

As you can see in the below diagram, you’ve already completed the part highlighted in red, just follow the diagram, sewing each column together, making sure that the square is in the proper position.

You should have a total of 18 blocks. Press the seams however you would like.

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Step 10

Grab all of your blocks and find either a big empty floor or if you are lucky enough to have a design wall, let’s start playing with the layout of color and print. The diagram below shows you how the blocks fit together alternating Block A and Block B according to the layout below.

Here’s what mine looked like as I was playing with them on the floor. Feel free to spend all the time that you need trading this block for that block, so long as you keep the overall block layout consistent as shown in the diagram above.

Step 11

Once you have established your layout, let’s carefully pick up the first row and sew each block to the one next to it, making sure to match those seams.

Now that your first row is complete, put it aside. Let’s pick up Row 2 and sew those blocks together. Then Row 3, etc.

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Step 12

I want to draw special attention to something before you start sewing each row to the one below it. What makes the PUZZLED Quilt interesting is the where the seams actually meet up between rows. In the diagram below, I’ve noted with a pink dot those seams. As you can see, due to the block construction, the seams alternate. Just a friendly heads up so you didn’t think something was wrong.

You can now begin sewing each row to the one below it until all 6 rows are finished. You are now done with your quilt top, make sure that your press those seams flat.

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Step 13

Time to prepare your backing; which you can piece however you wish, maybe adding some of those leftover rectangles in a fun and interesting way, or just make a simple seam in your fabric.

As you can see in the below photo, I choose to piece mine.