18 tatami mat

18 tatami mat
top completed 2025
84 by 72 inches
block finishes 6 inches

168 blocks
96 blocks all scrap Block A
72 blocks with solid center Block B; I used Kona Glacier

I love tatami mat layouts for using 1:2 rectangles.
My 1 1/2 by 2 1/2 inch neutrals/pastels bin was overflowing so it was time to go to a project that had been in my sketch book for a while.
The box is no longer overflowing...

Cutting:
Scraps rectangles 1 1/2 inches by 2 1/2 inches
1728 scraps for Block A
1152 scraps for Block B
Total 2880 scraps
Solid 2 1/2 inch squares
72 solid squares for Block B

Very simple pieceing that works well for times I need to sit at the machine and think.
My mom did her best thinking at her sewing machine.
My dad, in the fields. He referred to this as "tractor time".

Piecing
For Block A start with two rectangles paired into a square
For both blocks, surround center squares with scraps as shown in photograph below.
Press all seams away from the center square.

Block A

Block B

Block A

Block B

Sew into pairs, rotating every other block
Press away from the block that has three scraps on the side
Sew pairs into a unit of four blocks
For the quilt shown, I needed 24 units of Block As and 18 units of Block Bs

Rotate the lower unit, pair up the 4 block units into 8 block units.
Make sure you are consistant in the rotations. Mine, I kept the ending with 3 scraps on the left of the top unit and on the right of the bottom unit
Do not press these units yet
I needed 12 of Block A and 9 of Block B

Piece into large 12 large units. There will be three remaining Block A units for the final layout
Await pressing

Piece large units into columns, adding the remainder of the Block A at the bottom of the columns
Press middle column up and side columns down
The solid squares give a sprocket look.

Three columns ready for final two seams

Stay-stitch around the quilt top to keep the seams from popping.
I plan to bind it with the solid Kona Glacier

My design, use at your pleasure.

Backing by Rae Ritchie for Dear Stella, DRR2372