Sea Turtle Stepping Stones
Featuring two blender collections: Stepping Stones (#M7500)
and Skinny Stripes (#L7300) – both produced by Hoffman California Fabrics
Quilt Design by Linda Fitch, art director ©August 2014
36” x 54” quilt size
WOF=Width of Fabric
RST=Right Sides Together
Knowledge of Paper Piecing is recommended.
When printing the paper to be used, make sure your printer is set to “Do Not Scale” or at 100%.
Being that the fabrics to be added to the main turtle body, (for the head, tail and etcetera) are striped
and intended to go in specific directions, we have found it simpler to pre-cut the pieces using the cutting
templates, even if you choose to Paper Piece. Note that the stripes for the heads and tails run sideways
and the stripes for the legs run up and down (lengthwise).
Cutting
As you are cutting for the pieced block and the outside border, to stay organized, keep like sizes
together.
Fabric A
Cut (1) WOF strip at 3 ¼ ". Sub-cut (6) 3 ¼ x 2 ¾ ". With the balance, trim the strip to 3" wide and cut
(4) 3 x 3 ¼ ". It is important to cut this way in order for the direction of the stripes to be as shown in
photo. Any leftover will be used when paper-piecing the turtle.
Fabric B
Cut (1) WOF strip at 3 ¼ ". Sub-cut (6) 3 ¼ x 2 ¾ " pieces. Trim the balance of strip to 3" wide and cut
(4) 3 x 3 ¼ ". For the binding, cut (5) WOF strips @ 2 ½ ". The leftover will be used when paper-piecing
the turtle.
Fabric C
Will be cut later, when paper-piecing.
Fabric D
Cut (1) WOF strip at 3 ¼ ". Sub-cut (6) 3 ¼ x 2 ¾ ". With the balance, trim the strip to 3" wide and cut (4)
3 x 3 ¼ ". Any leftover will be used when paper-piecing the turtle.
Fabric E
Cut (1) WOF strip at 3 ¼ ". Sub-cut (6) 3 ¼ x 2 ¾ ". With the balance, trim the strip to 3" wide and cut (4)
3 x 3 ¼ ". Any leftover will be used when paper-piecing the turtle.
Fabric F
Will be cut later, when paper-piecing the turtle.
Fabric G
Cut (1) WOF strip at 6 ¼ ". Cut (1) turtle body center using hexagon Template 11.
Trim the balance of this strip to 6” and then sub-cut into (6) 6 x 2 ¾ " pieces for pieced block.
From the balance of this strip, cut (4) 5 ½ x 3” rectangles, for outside border.
For the sashing and inner border, cut (3) 1 ½ " WOF. Sub-cut (8) 1 ½ x 11 ½ " pieces. Cut (5) 1 ½ " WOF
strips. Sub-cut (5) 1 ½ x 31" strips. Cut (3) 1 ½ " WOF strips. Sew together at short ends and put aside
for now.
Fabric H
Cut (1) WOF strip at 6 ¼ ". Cut (1) turtle body using hexagon Template 11.
Trim the balance of this strip to 6” and sub-cut into (6) 6 x 2 ¾ " pieces, for pieced block.
From the balance of this strip, cut (4) 5 ½ x 3” rectangles, for outside border.
Fabric I
Cut (1) WOF strip at 6 ¼ ". Cut (1) turtle body using hexagon Template 11.
Trim the balance of this strip to 6” and sub-cut into (6) 6 x 2 ¾ " pieces, for pieced block.
From the balance of this strip, cut (4) 5 ½ x 3” rectangles, for outside border.
Fabric J
Cut (1) WOF strip at 6 ¼”. Cut (1) turtle body using hexagon Template 11.
From the balance of this strip cut a 3 ¼” strip and a 3” strip. Sub-cut the 3 ¼” strip into (12) 3 ¼ x 2 ¾”
pieces for pieced block.
Sub-cut the 3” strip into (6) 3 x 3 ¼ " pieces and (2) 3 x 5 ½” pieces, for outside border.
Fabric K
Cut (1) WOF strip at 6 ¼ ". Cut (1) turtle body using hexagon Template 11.
Trim the balance of the strip to 6” and sub-cut into (6) 6 x 2 ¾ " pieces, for pieced block. Trim again
WOF to 5 ½” and cut (4) 5 ½ x 3” rectangles, for outside border.
Fabric L
Cut (1) WOF strip at 6 ½”. Cut (1) turtle body hexagon Template 11.
From the balance of that strip cut (1) WOF strip at 3 ¼ " and (1) WOF strip at 3”. Sub-cut the 3 ¼” strip
into (6) 3 ¼ x 2 ¾ " pieces, for pieced block and the 3” strip into (8) 3 x 3 ¼ " pieces, for outside border.
Fabric M
Cut (3) WOF strips at 1 ½” and sub-cut into (12) 1 ½ x 6 ½” strips…to be used in the turtle block (sides).
At this time you may wish to cut pieces 5 & 6 for the head and tail sections. Using the templates given,
cut (12) of Piece 5 & 6 from the page with the Paper Piecing Tail diagram and (12) of Piece 5 & 6 from
the Paper Piecing Head diagram.
The balance of the fabric will be used when Paper Piecing the turtle block.
Pieced Block
This block uses the 3 ¼” x 2 ¾” pieces and the 6 x 2 ¾” pieces. All blocks have the same fabric
placement. Refer to photo.
1. Sew a Fabric L to a Fabric B at short sides RST. Repeat using the same fabrics (5) times. Add a
Fabric H rectangle to the left side of the 2 pieces (just sewn) with fabric L on top. Repeat (5)
times.
2. Sew a Fabric J to a Fabric D at short sides RST. Repeat using the same fabrics (5) times. Add a
Fabric G rectangle to the left side of the 2 pieces (just sewn) with Fabric J on top. Repeat (5)
times.
Sew sections 1 and 2 together, attaching Fabric G to the right side of Fabrics L and B. Repeat (5)
times.
3. Sew a Fabric E to a Fabric J at short sides RST. Repeat using the same fabrics (5) times. Add a
Fabric I rectangle to the left side of the 2 pieces (just sewn) with Fabric E on top. Repeat (5)
times.
4. Sew a Fabric A to a Fabric L at short sides RST. Repeat using the same fabrics (5) times. Add a
Fabric K rectangle to the left side of the 2 pieces (just sewn) with Fabric A on top. Repeat (5)
times.
Sew sections 3 and 4 together attaching the right side of Fabric I to the left side of pieced Fabrics A
and L. Repeat (5) times.
Sew the bottom sections 1 and 2 to the top of sections 3 and 4. Compare to the color photo to match.
You now have 6 pieced blocks.
Paper Piecing
Again, being that the fabrics to be added to the turtle body, (for the head, tail and legs) are striped and
intended to go in specific directions, we have found it simpler to pre-cut the pieces using the cutting
templates given. Note that the direction of the stripes for the heads and tails go sideways and all four
legs go up and down (lengthwise). Compare to photo for reference.
Make (6) copies of the page with all of the Paper Piecing diagrams.
Follow the order given numerically, to build the sections. Linda opted to not include Template 11 in the
paper piecing. She simply attached all of the Paper Pieced appendages to the pre-cut body shape
(hexagon). Add all four legs to the body first. Then attach the Fabric M strips to each side and then the
sections with the heads and the tails.
Make 6 turtle blocks. Each block should measure 9 ½ x 11 ½ ”, at this point.
Putting it All Together
Position and lay out 3 blocks per row, using the color photo for reference, adding in (2) 1 ½” x 11 ½”
strips of Fabric G in between the 3 blocks. Make 4 rows.
Add a 1 ½” x 31” strip to the bottom of all rows, plus the top of row 1.
Measure your quilt length (down the middle, for more accuracy) and cut (2) pieces from the leftover
Fabric G strips to this measurement. Add one strip to the right side and the other to the left.
Take all of the 3 x 3 ¼” pieces and the 5 ½ x 3” rectangles and piece together, following the color photo
for fabric placement.
Attach the top and bottom borders first, then attached the sides. Please note that the two side borders
will be a little longer than what is needed. Measure your quilt top (down the middle) or you may wish
to line up some of the seams from the pieced block to the seams of the pieced outer border. If you
need to trim, trim from all ends to make even.
Layer the backing, the batting and the pieced quilt top and quilt as desired.
Bind and enjoy!
Sea Turtle Diagram (pg1 of 2)
Sea Turtle Diagram (pg2 of 2)
Template for Body
11
Template for Tail
1
4
2
3
Template for Legs
5
2
1
4
3
6
9
7
8
10
Template for Head
3
2
4
1
Paper Piecing Head
Paper Piecing Tail
Paper Piecing Legs
2
5
1
4
9
2
2
1
7
3
6
10
8
1
5&6
3
4
4
3
5&6