I promised that I would share the measurements for making my Right Round Medallion, so here they are! These are very basic instructions. If you don’t know how to make a particular block (HST, Economy Block and Drunkard’s Path), you will need to look up a tutorial. Let me know if something is really unclear!
ALL MEASUREMENTS INCLUDE SEAM ALLOWANCE!
Finished Quilt measures about 73″ x 73″
•••
Center Medallion
You will need to begin with a center medallion that is 24-1/2″ x 24-1/2″ (that’s including seam allowance). You can use my Right Round pattern, my New York Beauty pattern, or any other pattern, as long as it is 24-1/2″ x 24-1/2″. If it isn’t quite measuring up, just add a border around it, to bring it to size.
•••
Border 1
This is a plain border. Cut two strips 4-1/2″ x 24-1/2″ and two strips 4-1/2″ x 32-1/2″. I would actually cut them each a bit longer and trim as you sew them on. When you sew borders to your center ALWAYS lay the pieces flat on the table or floor and pin. If you don’t, your edges will stretch and you will end up with a warped, concave medallion.
Alternate Suggestion: If you like, you could make this border from twenty-eight 4-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ blocks. YOU pick the block!
•••
Border 2 (Economy Blocks)
Border 2 top and bottom: make 2
Border 2 Sides: Make 2
Make twenty 8-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ Economy Blocks.
I included a paper-piecing template here, but if you’d like to rotary cut and free piece them (save a tree), here are the cutting measurements (Per 8-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ Block):
Once you make the blocks, sew them into border strips. The sides borders have four blocks each and the top and bottom border have six blocks each.
•••
Border 3: Drunkard’s Path Blocks
Border 3 Top and Bottom: make 2
Border 3 sides: make 2
Make forty-eight 4-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ Drunkard’s Path Blocks and four 5-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ Corner Blocks
Use this template to cut the pieces for both types of block. You will also need to cut four strips from the background fabric measuring 1-1/2″ x 48-1/2″ (piece the strips to make them long enough and as with border 1, I like to leave extra length)
Corner Block: make 4
The corner blocks go together like the diagram on the right.
Once you have your blocks made, sew the drunkard’s path blocks into four border strips of twelve blocks each. Then sew a 1-1/2″ x 48-1/2″ strip to the top of each border. Trim the excess fabric from the sides. Sew the corner blocks to two of the border strips (use the Border 3 images above as reference).
•••
Border 4
This is another plain border (woo-hoo!)
You will need to cut two strips 1-1/2″ x 58-1/2″ and two strips 1-1/2″ x 60-1/2″ (again, piece as needed and cut them longer than needed. Trim as you sew them on).
•••
Border 5: Half-Square Triangles (HSTs)
Border 5: Make 4
This is the tricky border! You will need to start by making sixty 3-1/2″ x 3-1/2″ HSTs. To do this, cut thirty 4″ x 4″ background squares and thirty 4″ x 4″ squares from your main fabrics and make those HSTs!
Next, cut twenty-eight more 4″ x 4″ background squares and cut them in half diagonally and cut thirty-two more 4″ x 4″ main fabric squares and cut those in half diagonally too.
You are going to very carefully piece each border like this:
Sew diagonal strips with a HST in the middle and triangle on the top and bottom, then sew the strips into a border. I did another pattern with a border very much like this and you can download it for free here for more information.
Once the borders are made, sew them on, stopping 1/4″ before the end of each seam. You are sewing bias, so the border is going to look too long, but it will ease in. Pin the middle of the border to the quilt top, pin the ends and then gently ease the rest in with it laying flat.
Once you sew the borders to the quilt top, then sew the mitered sides.
•••
Border 6
You almost made it! This is another plain border.
Cut two strips 3-1/2″ x 69″ and two strips 3-1/2″ x 75″. You’ll obviously need to piece them to make them long enough. I would cut them longer, but mark the exact length on each strip. Border 5 was all bias, so you want to make sure you don’t stretch it when you sew the Border 6 on. Lay your quilt top flat, pin the middle and each end and then ease in any excess fabric.
•••
You did it!!!
Below is a diagram of how the entire quilt goes together. You can print it out, if you like, here.
Do not be surprised if your last border is a little wavy, or your center is a little concave. Once you quilt the top, you won’t notice. I also had you cut Border 6 extra wide, so you can true the quilt up once quilted.
Enjoy your quilt and if you post photos on Instagram use the hashtag #rightroundmedallion and tag me (@betteroffthread) so I see it!
For reference:
If you want more information on making Medallions, check out my book: The Modern Medallion Workbook.
I love flying geese and this pattern caught my eye immediately!!! Thanks for sharing the tutes and will purchase your patterns on Craftsy.
Thanks so much!!!! This is seriously one of my most favorite quilts ever!!!
As a long arm quilter I am curious as to how quilting it will get the wonkiness out of it? My experience has always been if borders are wavy when quilted they will be fuller than the rest of the quilt. Wondering if you know a secret?!
Hi Michelle! The outer border cannot be TOO wonky (which is why the borders should be laid on a flat surface and pinned, to reduce stretching), but I found that as long as I have cut the outer border extra wide, I can quilt it on my mid-arm and then when I true the edges up, I just cut off the 1/2″ that is still wavy and had to be pleated in. I hope that makes sense!
Since making Midnight at the Oasis, I’ve fallen in love with medallion quilts, and have been searching for another one to make. This is it! Thank you for sharing, can’t wait to finish up the quilt on my design wall and get started on this.
I love your quilt, so thank you for providing a tutorial of how to go about it!! Lovely!!
By my math, the next-to-last border will finish at 63.63″, to the midpoint. This is 3″ x 1.414 x 15 HST blocks. This is more than 3″ longer than the prior border. Maybe this is the reason it looks “too long,” needs to be eased in, and has a wavy final border. If so, you could size the HST differently to make a better fit, or you could size border 4 differently so it fits better.
Is this right, or am I reading this all wrong?
Hi Melanie!
I’m not sure what you mean by “3″ x 1.414 x 15 HST blocks”. There are 14 half triangles across the bottom which measure 4.25 across (a 3″ square measures 4.25″ on the diagonal). This measures 59.5 (60″) with seam allowance, so with all the bias stretching, it eases into the 60″ border nicely. The midpoint of the triangle border IS longer, because it is a mitered border. Does that make sense?