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Black Friday – 64″ x 80″
If you’d like for your top to be larger or smaller, simply add more blocks. Keep the borders the same size and because the blocks are 8″, and the border blocks are 4″, more border blocks will be needed but there will not need any adjustments to the border sizes to get the borders to fit.
Start by digging through your stash and finding at least nine sets of light and dark fabrics. Remember that light/dark is relative. If you want to use more mediums for your “darks”, then use lighters for your “lights”. Try to keep the value the same. Remember that your darks should not be so dark as to not show up against your black.
If you want to use the same fabric for all the black, you’ll need about 2-3/8 yards. I did the binding in black which requires an additional 3/4 yards.
For the body of the quilt, 35 – 8″ blocks are needed. For the pieced border, 56 – 4″ blocks are needed.
I used nine colors (nine each light and dark fabrics) and as a start, cut the following:
Each dark:
1 – 4-1/2″ strip
1 – 2-1/2″ strip
Each light:
2 – 2-1/2″ strips
Black:
7 – 2-1/2″ strips
For each block, cut:
Dark:
1 – 4-1/2″ square
1 – 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ rectangle
1 – 2-1/2″ square
Light:
2 – 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ rectangles
2 – 2-1/2″ squares
Black:
1 – 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ rectangle
1 – 2-1/2″ square
Save the leftovers — they’ll be used in the borders.
For the Blocks:
1. Use sew together a dark and light 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ rectangle. Press the seam allowance towards the darker fabric
2. Sew a dark and light 2-1/2″ square to the sides of a 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ black rectangle. Press all seam allowances towards the dark 2-1/2″ square.
3. Sew a 2-1/2″ light square to a 2-1/2″ black square. Press the seam allowance towards the black square.
4. Sew the unit from Step 3 to a 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ light rectangle. Don’t matter how you press this seam allowance! 
5. Sew the unit from Step 4 to a black 4-1/2″ square. Press the seam allowance towards the 4-1/2″ square.
6. Sew the unit from Step 1 to the unit from Step 2. Do not press the seam allowance any direction yet.
7. Sew the unit from Step 5 to the unit from Step 6 to complete the block. Do not press the seam allowance any direction yet.
The reason I asked that you not press the seam allowance for the rows in any direction was so that when you start putting the blocks together, you can press those seam allowances going opposite so that the seams will “nest”. Once you get your blocks on the design wall, press the seams for one block going up, seams for the next block going down, etc. and they’ll all nest. As you put the blocks together to create the rows, press the seam allowances between blocks on one row going to the left, on the next row going towards the right and all your seams will nest and be perfect and you’ll be a happy quilter!
Make 7 rows of 5 blocks each.
The top should measure 40-1/2″ x 56-1/2″, including seam allowances. Make sure this is what your top measures or the pieced border may not fit correctly. For non-pieced borders, sides are added first, then the top and bottom borders are added.
Border #1: Black and cut at 2-1/2″. Sides should be cut 2-1/2″ x 56-1/2″. Top and bottom borders should be cut 2-1/2″ x 44-1/2″.
Border #2: Pieced – 4″ squares. To make the border blocks:
56 – 4″ blocks are needed. Use up the leftover pieces of the lights and darks for the colored portions of these blocks.
Colored fabrics:
1 – 2-1/2″ square
1 – 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ rectangle
Black:
1 – 2-1/2″ square
B-1. Sew a black 2-1/2″ square to a colored 2-1/2″ square.
B-2. Sew a colored 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ rectangle to the unit from Step B-1.
Before sewing the blocks together for the border rows, look at the quilt drawing. Some may want to rotate their blocks to have the black square either facing the outer border or inner border all the way around. I have mine placed so that the black squares are all going the same direction.
B-3. Sew together 15 blocks for the side borders. Attach. Sew together 13 blocks for the top and bottom. Attach. At this point, your top should measure 52-1/2″ x 68-1/2″. Check it! You want this quilt top to be very flat and not ruffly!
Border #3: Black and cut at 2-1/2″. Sides should be cut 2-1/2″ x 68-1/2″. Top and bottom borders should be cut 2-1/2″ x 56-1/2″.
Border #4: Pieced from various lengths of 4-1/2″ wide strips of the colored fabric. Side strips should measure 4-1/2″ x 72-1/2″. Top and bottom strips should measure 4-1/2″ x 64-1/2″.
Here’s mine!
©2009, Judy Laquidara
