Square Marbles

Yardage and Cutting instructions are given for traditional piecing without the use of specialty rulers.  If you prefer cutting large and trimming down,  use slightly more yardage. 
If needed, click here for templates for a 3 ½ x 3 ½  Triangle in a Square unit.

Yardage Needed:

• Light Green:  ¼ yard  or 7 inches (enough to get two 3 ½ inch strips)

• Dark Green:  ¼ yard  or 7 inches (enough to get two 3 ½ inch strips) 

  • • OR, Six precut 10 inch squares.  

• Various Bright Prints: Various 3 ½ inch strips (about ¾ yards).

  • • OR, A 10 inch precut with various bright prints.

• Yellow:  ⅓ yard   

• White: 1 ¾ yards

• Red: ⅔ yards for inner border.

• Dark Blue: 1 yard for the outer border. ½ yard for binding. 

Cutting Instructions:

• Light Green Fabric:  Cut two strips 3 ½ x WOF  

• Dark Green Fabric:  Cut two strips 3 ½ x WOF  

  • If using six 10 inch precuts, cut two 3 ½ x 7 in rectangles from each print for six sets of four dark greens.

• Various Bright Prints:  Using the Triangle in a Square Template and various  3 ½ inch strips (or your favorite method to create these units), cut 116 main triangles. They can be all scrappy, or cut in matching sets to surround the yellow cornerstones.

  • If using a 10 inch precut, you can get six triangles from a ten inch square.  Two sets of three or one set of four with two triangles left over for another scrap project. Cut enough sets for: 

  • 17 sets of 4 prints

  • 16 Sets of 3 prints

• Yellow:  Cut thirty five 3 ½ inch yellow squares 

• White: 

  • Cut four strips 3 ½ x WOF 

    • OR if using 10 inch squares for the dark green, Cut four strips 3 ½ x WOF.  Subcut two of the strips into twelve 3 ½ x 7 inch rectangles 

  • Cut seven 3 ½ inch strips. Subcut 116 left side triangles and 116 right side triangles (or 116 mirrored pairs). 

  • Cut five 3 inch strips for inner border.

• Red:  Cut six 2 inch strips for second inner border.

• Dark Blue:  

  • Cut six 5 ⅕ inch strips for outer border.

  • Cut seven 2 ⅕ inch strips for binding.

Sewing Instructions:

Make 24 Four Patches:   These measure 6.5 inch square. (6 inch square in the finished quilt)

Make strip sets:

• Sew a light green strip to a white strip on the long edge.  Make two.

• Sew a dark green strip to a white strip on the long edge.  Make two.

  • OR, if using 10 inch precut squares, sew a white 3.5 x 7 inch rectangle to a dark green rectangle to create twelve shorter strip sets.

• Subcut each strip into 3.5 x 6.5 inch rectangles to get:

  • 24 light green/white paired rectangles.

  • 24 dark green/white paired rectangles.

• Pair a light green/white and dark green/white rectangle with each other, rotating the rectangles so the green squares are opposite each other.  Sew together to create a four patch.  Make 24.

Make 116 Triangle in a Square Blocks:

• Sew a left side triangle to the main triangle.

• Sew a right side triangle to the main triangle.

• Trim to 3 ½ x 3 ½ inch blocks if needed. 

• If using fabric sets, keep the triangles paired in:

  • 17 sets of 4 prints

  • 16 Sets of 3 prints

Layout Quilt:

• Layout the four patches first, four across, and six down, leaving space for sashing and cornerstones.  

• Rotate the four patch blocks so the dark green patches are in the center of a group of four, visually creating six groups of four,  Two across and three down.  If using the 10 inch precut squares, keep the same dark green prints together.

•  Place the cornerstones into the layout.

Add the Triangle in a Square Units:  If using scrappy units, place the units anywhere around each yellow cornerstone, with the points facing away from the yellow cornerstones.  

If using sets of four and three:

• Take a set of four triangle units and place two of the units on the top left corner with the points facing away from the yellow cornerstone and place the other two units in the opposite corner at the bottom right. 

• Take another set of four triangle units and repeat for the top right and bottom left corner.

• Using the 16 sets of three, place the triangle units around the cornerstones along the outer edge of the quilt, again making sure the points are facing away from the yellow cornerstone.

• Fill in the center cornerstones with the remaining sets of four triangle units.

• Rearrange color sets as needed till you get a layout you like.

Creating the Sashing:

• Sew each pair of triangle units together, point to point, to create the 3.5 x 6.5 inch rectangles for the sashing. 

• Place sashing units back in the layout to help keep everything in order for sewing rows. 

Create Rows:  The rows in the quilt rotate between “sashing and cornerstone" rows (odd rows) and “sashing and four patch” rows (even rows).  

• Based on your layout, sew each row together.

• Then sew all the rows together to create the inside of the quilt top.

Add Borders: Use the strips set aside from the White, Red,  and Dark Blue fabric strips to make the borders. 

• For each set of fabrics, sew strips together on the short end to create one very long strip. You will have three sets of long strips, White, Red, and Dark Blue. 

• Subcut the following:

  • White Fabric:

    • Side Borders: Cut Two at 57 ½ x 3

    • Top and Bottom Borders: Cut Two at 44 ½ x 3 

  • Red Fabric:

    • Side Borders: Cut Two at 62 ½ x 2

    • Top and Bottom Borders: Cut Two at 47 ½ x 2 

  • Dark Blue Fabric: 

    • Side Borders: Cut two at 65 ½ x 5 ½

    • Top and Bottom Borders: Cut two at 57 ½ x 5 ½ 

• For all borders, sew the side borders on first, then add the top and bottom.

Binding:  After quilting, use the remaining  2 ½ dark blue strips for the binding.