Crossroads Quilt
I love quiltmaking because of its sheer limitlessness. Even in its simplest form, with no tricky Y seams or curved angles, the possibilities are endless! My Crossroads Quilt operates within the confines of a grid, but by playing with prints and colors, basic squares and rectangles become so much more!
I carefully chose a variety of fabrics for this project that, together, create the illusion of overlapping lines. The soft blue Essex linen-cotton blend sets the stage for the cool White Hatches, which run vertically, and the warm Apricot Shot Cotton, which runs horizontally. These two fabrics meet at sweet Coral Checked intersections, or crossroads, giving my quilt its name! I bound the whole thing in a beautiful yarn dyed gray fabric, which puts the whole piece solidly in a frame, like the piece of art it is!
The only real skill you need to complete this project is rotary cutting. Rotary cutting is a very important basic quiltmaking skill, but it can be a little intimidating to the uninitiated. If you’re new to it or just want some helpful tips, I’ve put together a comprehensive Rotary Cutting Tutorial as a companion to this quilt. Click here to check it out. Once you get the hang of rotary cutting the Crossroads Quilt (or any other quilt for that matter) will be a breeze! — Molly
Materials
For the Top:
- 2 yards of Robert Kaufman’s Essex,in Light Blue. This is the Background Fabric.
- 3/4 yard of Robert Kaufman’s Architextures, White Hatches. This is the Vertical Strip Fabric.
- 1/2 yard of Rowan’s Shot Cotton in Apricot. This is the Horizontal Strip Fabric.
- 1/4 yard of Windham’s Citrus in Coral Triple Line. This is the Crossroad Fabric.
For the Binding:
- 1/2 yard of Kiyohara’s Fine Solids in Black
For the Backing:
- 2 yards of Moda’s 90-inch wide 200 Count Muslin
Quilter’s Dream’s Natural Request Dream Batting, 100% pure cotton, Twin Size.
Gutermann’s Cotton Thread, 274-yard spool in color 1006
Size
51 inches X 60 inches
Note
Prewash and dry all of the fabrics (but not the batting).
Pattern
Cut
If you’re new to rotary cutting, please refer to our Rotary Cutting Tutorial before you start.
Note: To keep all of the pieces in order you might want to label each one with its corresponding letter using an erasable fabric marker.
From the Background Fabric:
Cut eight 3 ½-inch wide strips from selvage to selvage. They will be roughly 41 inches long. Then, from these strips cut the following pieces:
A: Seven 3 ½-inch squares
B: Five 6½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
C: Six 9 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
D: Six 12 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
E: Two 18 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
F: Three 24 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
Cut two 6 ½-inch wide strips from selvage to selvage. Then, from these strips cut the following pieces:
G: One 6 ½-inch square
H: One 9 ½ X 6 ½-inch rectangle
I: Four 12 ½ X 6 ½-inches rectangles
Cut one 9 ½-inch wide strip from selvage to selvage. Then, from that strip cut the following pieces:
J: Two 15 ½ X 9 ½-inches rectangles
Cut one 12 ½-inch wide strip from selvage to selvage. Then, from that strip cut the following piece:
K: One 12 ½-inch square
From the Vertical Strip Fabric:
Cut seven 3 ½-inch wide strips from selvage to selvage. Then, from these strips cut the following pieces:
L: Six 3 ½-inch squares
M: Eight 6 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
N: Five 9 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
O: Four 12 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
P: One 18 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangle
Q: Three 24 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
From the Horizontal Strip Fabric:
Cut four 3 ½-inch wide strips from selvage to selvage. Then, from these strips cut the following pieces:
R: Seventeen 3 ½-inch squares
S: Five 6 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
T: Three 12 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
U: Two 18 ½ X 3 ½-inch rectangles
From the Crossroad Fabric:
Cut two 3 ½-inch wide strips from selvage to selvage. Then, from these strips cut the following pieces:
V: Twenty-three 3 ½-inch squares
Piece the Quilt Top
Notes
All of the seam allowances are ¼ inch and all piecing is done right sides together.
You will first assemble four quadrants and then sew them all together. Above is a diagram of the finished quilt with all the quadrants and all the pieces labeled.
You will construct each quadrant by first assembling two or three sections and then sewing these sections together.
Quadrant 1
Quadrant 1, Section 1:
Strips 1 and 3: Sew a short side of a B piece to one side of an R piece. Then sew the short side of an F to the opposite side of the R. Make a second identical strip. Orient Strips 1 and 3 vertically so B is at the top.
Strips 2 and 4: Sew a short side of an M to one side of a V. Then sew the short side of a Q to the opposite side of the V. Make a second identical strip. Orient Strips 2 and 4 vertically so M is at the top.
Sew the right side of Strip 1 to the left side of Strip 2.
Sew the right side of Strip 2 to the left side of Strip 3.
Sew the right side of Strip 3 to the left side of Strip 4.
Orient this section so B/M/B/M is at the top and F/Q/F/Q is at the bottom.
Quadrant 1, Section 2:
Piece 1: Sew a long side of an I to a long side of a T. Orient the piece horizontally so I is on top.
Piece 2: Sew one side of an A to one side of an R. Then sew the short side of a C to the opposite side of the R. Orient this piece vertically so A is on top and then sew the left edge to a long side of a J.
Piece 3: Sew one long side of an S to one long side of a G. Orient this piece so S is on top. Sew a V to a short side of an M. Orient this piece so V is on top. Sew the right side of the V/M piece to the left side of the S/G piece. Then sew a long side of a C to the left side of the V/M piece.
Sew the bottom side (the T side) of Piece 1 to the top side of Piece 2 (the J/A side).
Sew the bottom side of Piece 2 (the J/C side) to the top side of Piece 3 (the C/V/S side).
Orient this section so I is at the top and C/M/G is at the bottom.
Quadrant 1, Section 3:
Sew the following pieces, short side to short side, in the following order (from top to bottom): M, V, L, V, N, V, M.
Sew Quadrant 1 Together:
Sew the right side of Section 1 to the left side of Section 2. Then sew the right side of Section 2 to the left side of Section 3.
Quadrant 1 is complete; put it aside for now.
Quadrant 2
Quadrant 2, Section 1:
Strip 1: Sew the following pieces, short side to short side, in the following order (from top to bottom): B, R, A, R, C, R, B.
Strip 2: Sew the following pieces, short side to short side, in the following order (from top to bottom): M, V, L, V, N, V, M.
Sew the right side of Strip 1 to the left side of Strip 2.
Quadrant 2, Section 2:
Strip 1: Sew the following pieces, short side to short side, in the following order (from top to bottom): I, S, H, S.
Strip 2: Sew the following pieces, short side to short side, in the following order (from top to bottom): O, V, N, V.
Strip 3: Sew the following pieces, short side to short side, in the following order (from top to bottom): D, R, C, R.
Sew the right side of Strip 1 to the left side of Strip 2.
Sew the right side of Strip 2 to the left side of Strip 3.
Sew the bottom S/V/R side to a long side of an I piece.
Orient this section so I/O/D is at the top and I is at the bottom.
Quadrant 2, Section 3:
Strip 1: Sew the following pieces, short side to short side, in the following order (from top to bottom): O, V, N, V, M.
Strip 2: Sew the following pieces, short side to short side, in the following order (from top to bottom): D, R, C, R, B.
Sew the right side of Strip 1 to the left side of Strip 2.
Orient this section so O/D is at the top and M/B is at the bottom.
Sew Quadrant 2 Together:
Sew the right side of Section 1 to the left side of Section 2. Then sew the right side of Section 2 to the left side of Section 3.
Quadrant 2 is complete; put it aside for now.
Quadrant 3
Quadrant 3, Section 1:
Strip 1: Sew an R to a short side of an F. Orient this piece vertically so R is at the top.
Strip 2: Sew a V to a short side of a Q. Orient this piece vertically so V is at the top.
Sew the right side of Strip 1 to the left side of Strip 2.
Orient this section so R/V is at the top.
Quadrant 3, Section 2:
Strip 1: Sew an R to an A. Orient so R is at the top.
Strip 2: Sew a V to an L. Orient so V is at the top.
Strip 3: Sew an R to an A. Orient so R is at the top.
Sew the right side of Strip 1 to the left side of Strip 2. Then sew the right side of Strip 2 to the left side of Strip 3.
Sew the bottom side (the A/L/A side) to a short side of a J piece. This is Piece 1.
Strip 4: Sew one side of an A to a short side of an S. Orient this piece horizontally so that A is on the left.
Sew a long side of a C piece to the bottom of Strip 4. This is Piece 2.
Sew the top side of Piece 2 (the A/ S side) to the bottom side Piece 1 (the J side).
Orient this section so R/V/R is at the top and C is at the bottom.
Quadrant 3, Section 3:
Sew the following pieces, short side to short side, in the following order (from top to bottom): V, P, V, L.
Sew Quadrant 3 Together:
Sew the right side of Section 1 to the left side of Section 2. Then sew the right side of Section 2 to the left side of Section 3.
Quadrant 3 is complete: put it aside for now.
Quadrant 4
Quadrant 4, Section 1:
Strip 1: Sew a long side of an S to a short side of an I. Orient vertically so S is at the top.
Strip 2: Sew one side of a V to a short side of an O. Orient vertically so V is at the top.
Strip 3: Sew one side of an R to a short side of a D. Orient vertically so R is at the top.
Strip 4: Sew one side of a V to a short side of an O. Orient vertically so V is at the top.
Sew the right side of Strip 1 to the left side of Strip 2.
Sew the right side of Strip 2 to the left side of Strip 3.
Sew the right side of Strip 3 to the left side of Strip 4.
Orient this piece so S/C/R/V is at the top and I/O/D/O is at the bottom. This is Piece 1.
Strip 5: Sew the following squares together in order from left to right: A, R, V, R, V. Orient this strip horizontally with A on the left and V on the right.
Strip 6: Sew one side of an L to a short side of a D. Orient horizontally so L is on the right.
Strip 7: Sew one side of a V to a short side of T. Orient horizontally so V is on the right.
Strip 8: Sew one side of an L to a short side of a D. Orient horizontally so L is on the right.
Sew the bottom side of Strip 5 to the top side of Strip 6.
Sew the bottom side of Strip 6 to the top side of Strip 7.
Sew the bottom side of Strip 7 to the top side of Strip 8.
Orient this piece so A/R/V/R/V is at the top and D/L is at the bottom. This is Piece 2.
Sew the bottom side of Piece 1 to the top side of Piece 2.
Orient this section so S/V/R/V is at the top and D/L is at the bottom.
Quadrant 4, Section 2:
Strip 1: Sew a long side of a T piece to one side of a K. Orient so T is at the top.
Strip 2: Sew one side of a V to one short side of an N. Sew an A to the opposite short side of the N. Orient vertically so V is at the top.
Strip 3: Sew one side of an R to a short side of D. Orient vertically so R is at the top.
Sew the right side of Strip 1 to the left side of Strip 2.
Sew the right side of Strip 2 to the left side of Strip 3.
Orient so that J/V/R is at the top and K/A/D is at the bottom. This is Piece 1.
Strip 4: Sew the following pieces, long side to long side, in the following order (from top to bottom): U, E, U, E.
Sew the top side of Strip 4 (the U side) to the bottom side of Piece 1 (the K/A/D side).
Orient this section so J/V/R is at the top and E is at the bottom.
Sew Quadrant 4 Together:
Sew the right side of Section 1 to the left side of Section 2.
Quadrant 4 is complete.
Sew the Quadrants Together
Sew the right side of Quadrant 1 (the side where M is at the top and bottom) to the left side of Quadrant 2 (where B is at the top and bottom)
Sew the right side of Quadrant 3 (the side where V is at the top and M is at the bottom) to the left side of Quadrant 4 (where S is at the top and D is at the bottom).
Sew the long bottom side of Quadrants 1 and 2 (the side where F is on the left and B is on the right) to the top side of Quadrants 3 and 4 (where R is on the left and right).
You’re all done with the top!
For instructions on how to quilt and bind the top please refer to Corinne’s Denim Pinwheel Quilt and scroll down to the “Finishing the Pieced Top” section. I quilted my top with a 3-inch grid, stitching in the ditch when the quilting ran along any seams, but you can quilt it in any style you like!
Update 2024: You can explore our current collection of beautiful fabrics and supplies on our page of Sewing Tools + Notions!
This is BEAUTIFUL.
This is simple and beautiful! I've been wanting/needing to make a quilt for the master bedroom (down duvet is just too warm in the summer months). Would love to see conversion measurements for other sizes. I'm interested in making a queen. Lovely work as always. I definitely feel Purl Bee is the leader in modern sophisticated projects. Thanks for a wonderful resource!
Your fabric choices couldn't be more perfect! Nicely done! I love this quilt and I've pinned it to my "Quilty Goodness" board on Pinterest (with proper credit, of course!). Feel free to follow me if you'd like: http://pinterest.com/lipglass/quilty-goodness/
Beautiful quilt. Simple. Elegant. Thoughtful color choices. I, too, would appreciate conversion measurements for queen.
Hi Barbara and Katie-
We don't have plans to re-size this quilt in lots of sizes but I can let you know how to do it if you like:
First of all, keep in mind that for a traditionally pieced quilt like this you always cut the pieces 1/2-inch larger than their finished dimensions because you are working with a 1/4-inch seam allowance. This quilt is made with mostly 3 1/2-inch strips which become 3-inches finished. To find out the finished size of any piece just subtract 1/2-inch from both sides. For instance: a 3 1/2-inch X 6 1/2-inch piece has a finished size of 3 X 6-inches. When changing the dimensions, figure out the finished sizes of the pieces first and then add the 1/2-inch to the calculation.
A Queen sized quilt is usually around 90-inches wide. This quilt is 51-inches so you need it to be about 1.75 times larger. That means you will multiply the FINISHED SIZE of every piece by 1.75 and then add a 1/2-inch. So, in the first cutting section, instead of first cutting a 3 1/2-inch strip you would cut a 5 3/4-inch strip because 3 (the FINISHED SIZE of the strip) X 1.75= 5.25 + .5-inch seam allowance= 5 3/4-inches.
Here is how that would convert in the first cutting section. The original measurements are outside the parenthesis , the queen sized measurements are inside:
From the Background Fabric:
Cut eight 3 -inch (5 3/4-inch) wide strips from selvage to selvage. They will be roughly 41 inches long. Then, from these strips cut the following pieces:
A: Seven 3 -inch (5 3/4-inch) squares
B: Five 6 X 3 -inch (11 X 5 3/4-inch) rectangles
C: Five 9 X 3 -inch (16 1/4 X 5 3/4-inch) rectangles
D: Six 12 X 3 -inch (21 1/2-inch X 5 3/4-inch) rectangles
E: Two 18 X 3 -inch (32 X 5 3/4-inch) rectangles
F: Three 24 X 3 -inch ( 42 1/2 X (32 X 5 3/4-inch) rectangles (You would have to cut this piece in the opposite direction because the fabric isn't 42 1/2-inches wide.)
After you convert all of the cutting measurements everything else in the pattern would be the same. However, you would need about 3 1/2 times more of each fabric as well as larger batting and more thread.
Thanks so much for your questions!
Molly
Dear Molly – I am converting this quilt to a queen as you directed in one of your replies. Do you mean that after all the background fabric is cut to the new queen size dimensions that the rest of the cutting instructions remain the same? ( sorry – am math challenged – can only do 40% off ?). Thank you. Can’t wait to start my crossroads quilt !
Carmen Doll
Hi Carmen,
Thanks for writing in to us. After multiplying all your measurements by 1.75 you’ll follow all the instructions as is in the pattern. Hope this helps!
Adam
Hi Molly – I am utterly in love with this quilt but wonder what you would recommend to downsize a bit for a baby quilt. Two inch strips seem tiny, so perhaps I would just use only part of the pattern?
Hi Rebekka-
Thanks so much for your kind words about this quilt! If you'd like to resize this quilt please read my response to Barbara and Katie in the comments section above. For a baby I think making at 3/4 scale would be good. That means that you have to multiply all of the finished sizes of the pieces by .75 and then add 1/2 and inch.
If this seems too complicated I think doing just one section would be great! Maybe just Quadrant 1 with the addition of the first strip of Quadrant 2 (B R A R C R B) and the top section of Quadrant 3 and 4 (R V R V R V S V). I would piece these two additional sections separately and sew them on to the completed Quadrant 1.
Please let us know if you need any more help with this!
Thanks!
Molly
The color choices here couldn't have been more spot on! I think my next quilt is going to be in this vein! I love this quilt and I've pinned it to my "Quilty Goodness" board on Pinterest (with proper credit, of course!). Feel free to follow me if you'd like: http://pinterest.com/lipglass/quilty-goodness/
Love this pattern so much. I bought fabric for it the day after I saw the post, and I'm piecing the quilt top now. I thought I'd comment to mention that although the directions say to cut seven "M" pieces and five "C" pieces (6.5" x 3.5" vertical stripe and 9.5" x 3.5" background respectively), when I counted on the finished diagram, it seems that we actually need eight and six. I still had plenty of fabric left to cut these extra pieces, but it did cause some confusion before I figured it out.
Hi Kristina-
Thank you so much for pointing this out! I have corrected the pattern and I'm so so sorry for the confusion this caused!
Thank you again!
Molly
Hi Molly,
Thank you so much for this beautiful quilt design. I making it as is (my fabric order arrived!).
A few corrections to the directions:
For piece C six need to be cut, piece M eight, piece T need 3, and piece V need twenty three.
If the recommended amounts of fabric are purchased, there it still plenty to accommodated the extra cutting.
Thanks again. I'm trilled with how this is turning out. I hope the recepient loves it as much as I do.
Hi Margie-
Thank you so much for this kind comment and for pointing this out. The pattern has been corrected. I'm so sorry for any trouble this caused you!
Best-
Molly
This quilt is absolutely stunning. I would like to modify the colors to fit a nursery color scheme of grey and orange. Do you think the Essex gray is a light enough color to maintain the light and airy feel of this quilt. The gray looks dark on the purlsoho website but looks lighter on other websites. Thanks for any guidance!
-Merleelah
Hi Merleelah-
Great Question! I think the Essex Gray is a bit dark. For something like this I think it’s best to go as light as possible so that the quilt doesn’t look weighed down (especially if it’s for a baby!) Here are some suggestions:
Kona Cotton in “Shadow” (scroll down, it’s the lightest gray) https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/1710-Robert-Kaufman-Kona-Cotton
Oxford in Small Black Stripe. This fabric will look light gray from a far and isn’t really “black” but rather gray and white striped, it’s beautiful fabric and will add another texture to the quilt. I think it would be cool if the stripes went in all different directions! https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8816-Robert-Kaufman-Oxford
There are also a couple of pretty gray prints in this collection (the “mist” color) that I think would be beautiful: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/9377-Windham-Fabrics-Mormor
I hope this helps! We would love to see the quilt on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter when you’re done!
Thanks for getting in touch!
Molly
Wow Molly, thank you for offering several alternatives. I can’t wait to receive my fabrics and to get started!
I can’t seem to open the link for the binding and quilting instructions. Love the quilt. Making it my summer project. Please help
Hi Samantha,
Thank you so much for reaching out and letting us know! We have fixed the link and I am including the link here for you as well!
https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2013/08/22/corinnes-thread-denim-pinwheel-quilt/
Best,
Cassy
I purchased the Crossroads quilt package some time ago and I am hoping your comment and response section is still ‘open!’ I did not see any directions on how to press seams before sewing strips or sections together. Please advise.
Thank you.
Hi Grace,
Our deepest apologies for the delayed response! What an oversight! This was one of our earlier quilts and I see that we neglected to add this information! My recommendation would be to press the seam towards the more opaque fabric so that the darker colors cannot be seem through the less opaque fabrics.
Best,
Cassy
Anxious to make the Crossroads quilt! The fabric I’m using for the strips will only allow 2 1/2″ width. As a beginner quilter, I don’t know what size to cut the squares and rectangles of background fabric assuming they would have to be smaller than the pattern calls for. Am I wrong? Can you help me?
Hi JoAnn,
That’s so exciting that you’re preparing to make this beautiful quilt! One thing that’s important to know about our patterns is that all seam allowances are included in the cutting measurements we provide. In this case, all of the seam allowances are ¼ inch and all piecing is done with the right sides together. This means that you’ll want to cut out exactly the measurements that are listed and when sewing together, use your sewing machine’s ruler guide for ¼ inch to get the finished dimensions required for the whole quilt.
As for the fabric you’re using, if it’s only 2 1/2 inches wide I’d recommend looking into an alternative that has more space for you to cut across. You could technically “piece” smaller sections together, but to do that for so many sizes would be pretty cumbersome and have extra seams everywhere leading to a less cohesive look.
I hope that helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
Zha Zha