This is my original version of the Canasta pattern. It's made with sets of four different 12.5" x 12.5" square-in-square blocks. Because there's no sashing to fuss with, the size of the quilt can be modified by simply making more or fewer sets of blocks.
Each set of 4 blocks is made with 4 fat quarters, as follows:
- 2 print fabrics
- 1 neutral solid fabric
- 1 contrasting solid fabric
Alternately, sets of 8 blocks can be made from 1/2 yard cuts.
The pattern includes color-coded cutting diagrams and printable reference sheets to hang in your sewing area to help you keep track of which pieces go with which blocks.
For this quilt, I used the same neutral solid in all of my block sets, which gives the look of crisp sashing without the process of piecing it between the finished blocks. For a more varied look, you could use a variety of different neturals.
The pattern also includes suggestions about how to integrate fussy cutting into your work. Fussy cutting takes more fabric, but you don't have to do very much of it to make a big impact. For example, in this quilt, I fussy-cut only one of the print fabrics that I used (the paint-by-number deer print). Just four blocks include that print, but they make lovely focal points on the finished quilt top!
The piecing layouts for each size quilt back include suggestions on where to add an optional scrap-pieced strip like the one I made for this quilt.
I free-motion quilted on my regular machine, using natural-colored thread (Gutermann 506).
Fabrics used in this quilt include: Denyse Schmidt's Hope Valley (Piney Woods colorway), Erin Michael's Lush, Carolyn Gavin's Wild Thyme, Essex cotton/linen in Ivory, and Kona solids in Olive, OD Green, Artichoke, Curry, Moss, and Brick.
