Mardi-Gras Magic Quilt Tutorial

Cutting Instructions – Use your own fabrics!

• 1/4 yard Mardi Gras Jester : Cut (1) strip 8″ wide by the WOF. From that strip, cut (5) 8″ squares
• 1/4 yard Mardi Gras Fleur-de-lis: Cut (1) strip 8″ wide by the WOF. From that strip, cut (5) 8″ squares
• 2-3/4 yard Background: Cut (2) strips 8″ wide by the WOF. From those strips, cut (10) 8″ squares. Cut (22) strips 3-1/2″ wide by the WOF. From those strips, cut (240) 3-1/2″ squares.
• 3/4 yard Mardi Gras Masks: Cut (7) strips 3-1/2″ wide by the WOF. From those strips, cut (40) 3-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ rectangles.
• 3/4 yard Mardi Gras Feathers: Cut (7) strips 3-1/2″ wide by the WOF. From those strips, cut (40) 3-1/2″ × 6-1/2″ rectangles
• 1 yard Toscana Deep Purple: Cut (13) strips 2-1/2″ wide by the WOF. 
• 1 yard Mardi Gras Music: Cut (7) strips 4-1/2″ wide by the WOF. 

The Magic Eight Method of Making HSTS

Mardi Gras Magic Quilt HSTs: In this section, you are sewing ahead a little bit. You will need (80)
3-1/2″ square HSTs by the end of this project, so you might as well make them now. Here is a detailed tutorial on how to make HSTs using the Magic Eight method.

This method works well when you need to make a lot of identically colored HST blocks. Make a test block first. (My personal preference is to cut the squares slightly too large so that I can square up the HST blocks later on. If you are sure of your 1/4″ seam, you can use 7-3/4″ blocks. )

If you don’t like the Magic Eight method, cut your 8″ squares into (4) 4″ squares (or (4) 3-7/8″ squares) so you can use the Traditional method. Here is a detailed tutorial on how to make HSTs using the Traditional method.

Assemble:

• (10) 8″ × 8″ Background Squares
• (5) 8″ × 8″ Jester Squares
• (5) 8″ × 8″ Fleur-de-lis Squares

Using your preferred method of making 40 HST blocks from each set of colors, create, press and square up to 3-1/2″:

(40) Background and Fleur-de-lis HSTs

and

(40) Background and Jester HSTs

Making Flying Geese

This is the traditional method of making Flying Geese Blocks. If you prefer another method, cut for that one, not the one shown below. Here is a detailed tutorial on using the Traditional Method to Make Flying Geese Blocks.

Read over the tutorial below before you start cutting. I do suggest some alternative ideas.

The Traditional Method of Making 40 Flying Goose Blocks

Assemble:

• (40) 3-1/2″ × 6-1/2″ Feather rectangles
• (80) 3-1/2″ Background squares

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of a 3-1/2″ Background square and place it on one corner of a
3-1/2″ × 6-1/2″ flying goose rectangle, right sides together.  I’m using the Quilt-in-a-Day Flying Geese ruler in the picture below because I like the way the 1/4″ seam shows and I will eventually be using this ruler to square up the block. I will NOT be using this method of making flying geese in this tutorial because not everyone has this ruler.

Sew on the line and finger press the square up to the corner of the rectangle. It should line up perfectly. Cut off the excess underneath before pressing the square to the corner.

Create all the left side corners before adding the right side. This is called chain piecing and saves a lot of time.

FYI: that’s my bottle of Best Press in the picture, as well as the Creative Grid stripology ruler. Neither is required for this quilt, they just make things a bit easier.

Repeat this process with the other side, overlapping the first square. Press and square up your block to
3-1/2″ × 6-1/2″.

Here is an idea: When you are drawing your sewing line for the corners, draw another one 1/2″ away. Sew on that line as well.

Then cut between the lines. Can you guess what will happen? Yes, indeed, you will get a bonus HST. It’s probably going to be 2-3/4″ square, but I square mine up to 2-1/2″. Don’t do that now – they aren’t used in this quilt. That ruler is from the Quilt-in-a-Day Square-Up set.

Making 40 More Flying Goose Blocks

Assemble:

• (40) 3-1/2″ × 6-1/2″ Mask rectangles
• (80) 3-1/2″ Background squares

Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of a 3-1/2″ Background square and place it on one corner of a
3-1/2″ × 6-1/2″ flying goose rectangle, right sides together. 

Sew on the line and finger press the square up to the corner of the rectangle. It should line up perfectly. Cut off the excess underneath before pressing the square to the corner. Create all the left side
corners before adding the right side.

Repeat this process with the other side, overlapping the first square. Press and square up your block to
3-1/2″ × 6-1/2″.

Cutting Strips for Borders and Binding

Assemble:

• (13) 2-1/2″ wide Solid Purple strips
• (7) 4-1/2″ wide Music strips

You will need some long strips to create the border and binding. To save time, sew all these strips end to end ahead of time.

Working with each group individually, create 2 groups of LOONG strips. Trim seams to 1/4″ and press open.  Miter the joins if you like by sewing the two strips right sides together at an angle as shown to left. Cut off the excess 1/4″ from the seam.  Press the seam open.

Making Pinwheels

To make the pinwheels, assemble:

• (40) Fleur-de-lis HSTs
• (40) Jester HSTs

Here is a graphic from the pattern. Take note of the pressing directions, they WILL make a difference.

Here is my unsewn block:

Here are my block steps.

Make 40 of each colorway and press.

Mardi Gras Magic Block- Partial Seam Piecing

Here comes the hard block! Honestly, it’s not that bad. Just take your time. Use a basting stitch if you have never made a block using partial seam piecing before. Here are the blocks you are making.

Assemble:

• (20) Pinwheel Blocks that you just made
• (40) Mask Flying Geese blocks
• (40) Feather Flying Geese Blocks
• (80) 3-1/2″ Background squares.

Making the Rows

Alternating the pinwheel colors of the blocks, create (5) rows like the one below. Press the seams to the right.

Piecing the Quilt Top

Rotating every other row by 180 degrees, sew the rows together as shown below. Notice how the Flying Goose blocks make a secondary design. Because of the way you have pressed your seams, they should just touch each other at the intersection. Use pins to encourage this behavior.

Press and measure. Your quilt top should measure 48-1/2″ × 60-1/2″.

Completing the Quilt Top

Assemble:

• The long 2-1/2″ wide Solid Purple strip. Cut this strip into (2) strips that are 52-1/2 long and (2) that are 60-1/2″ long.
• The long 4-1/2″ wide Music strip. Cut this strip into (2) strips that are 60-1/2″ long and (2) that are 64-1/2″ long.

It’s always a temptation to simply sew on a strip border and then cut off the excess but don’t do that here. Forcing your quilt to match identically cut borders will force it to remain flat. If one side of the quilt is just the tiniest bit larger than the border, place the quilt top down on the bed of your sewing machine when sewing the border on. The feed dogs will help take up the slack. Reverse the process if it is your border that is bigger.

Using a walking foot, sew the (2) 60-1/2″ long Solid Purple strips to either side of the quilt top, taking care to match the center of the strip with the center of the quilt top. Press to the quilt top. Again using a walking foot and matching centers, sew the (2) 52-1/2″ long inner border strips to the top and bottom of the quilt top. Press to the quilt top.

For the outer border, sew (2) 64-1/2″ long Music strips to either side of the quilt top, taking care to match the center of the strip with the center of the quilt top. Press to the quilt top. Again matching centers, sew the (2) 60-1/2″ long outer border strips to the top and bottom of the quilt top. Press to the quilt top. It should measure 60-1/2″ × 72-1/2″.

You are done! Pin your top to the wall for a couple of days in an obvious place so you can enjoy it and your family can praise you. Use this time to decide on a quilting design. Don’t forget to add a label.

Preserve your place in history! Sign and date your quilts!