As I've shared here before, I'm a BenartExpert (a fabric ambassador) for Benartex. The latest fun is a FREE block hop and sew along with a new design for a 12" block revealed once a week. The first one is  March 5 !  That's Thursday and I want to give you time to sign up! (I'll remind you again in a few days.) Here is the link to sign up:  BenartExperts Spring Block Hop  . You will need to scroll down to bottom of the page for the sign up info. And what are the 12 blocks that will be offered? Yes, that's my Squash Blossom block on the bottom left! She's SO thrilled to be there. This is all based on the  Superior Solids Collection . Of course, you can use whatever fabrics you wish. With each block release, there will be a link (sent to your email - that's why you have to sign up) that takes you to each of the 12 BenartExpert's web site to get the FREE pattern. Each of us received 6 solids to create our blocks. I seem to have only used 4. I hope I...

Today is February 28 and the calendar block for today is the Gems Block. Lots and lots of  half-square and quarter square triangles - with a few squares thrown in. I designed it in two colors. Here is the calendar image: Gems Block: 15" Here is the version that my sister Janet G. made. She prefers low contrast in her quilts. The multi-colored print is in the blue position of the block above. She also made another block for February, the 18" Double Geese. I shared mine almost 2 weeks ago on February 16. Here's Janet's: Double Geese: 18" Now, if this was a leap year, we'd have February 29 tomorrow and not March 1. Because my perpetual calendar has to work for any year, we added a block for February 29 (BIG WOW!) The block for February 29 is Chicago Geese. It's a block I designed about 25 years ago when I was visiting Chicago and saw a variation on flying geese in some print ad. I  moved some triangles around and here she is: Chicago Geese: 12" I had a ...

Today is February 24 and the calendar block for today is Sage Bud. My Calendar Girlfriend, Julia R. made her block using the Duchess Collection by Windham Fabrics. Duchess Collection by Windham Fabrics Here's Julia's block: Sage Bud: 12" by Julia R. Thank you, Julia, for sewing those triangles with precision and taking advantage of the lovely prints. What a fun block, huh? Do you have your own calendar yet? Did you want one for Christmas but they were sold out? Please let my publisher know that you were disappointed about that (as I am). General inquiries, website orders, product support:  ctinfo@ctpub.com Marketing department:  marketing@ctpub.com Sales department:  sales@ctpub.com It has taken 4 months to get the next batch of calendars and I'm hoping they're back in stock at the end of the month . . .

Today is February 23 and I'm sharing a block that came in last week while I was out of town and not able to post it. It's called Crow's Nest and is the February 19 block in my Quilter's Block a Day Calendar. It first appeared in the Kansas City Star in 1932 with an extra set of sashings around it. Mine is based on the 1933 version: Crow's Nest from Kansas City Star Here is the 1932 version as it appeared in today's fabrics. This was made by Patricia Bryant from my 2007 Block a Day Calendar . Yes. that's a crow peering at the block! Crow's Nest made by Patricia Bryant And here it is by one of my Calendar Girls, Susan B: Crow's Nest by Susan B. Thank you, Susan, for a lovely block in the middle of a dreary Winter! Do you have your own calendar yet? Did you want one for Christmas but they were sold out? Please let my publisher know that you were disappointed about that (as I am). General inquiries, website orders, product support:  ctinfo@ctpub.com Mark...

George Washington was our first president here in the USA. Washington Square is the block for today. What? You forgot what Washington looked like? Allow me . . . Printed fabric with vintage image of Washington Today is Washington's 293rd birthday. I even wrote a blog post about it here . And you can see ALL sorts of Americana quilts here  where I wrote another post about his birthday. Now, the calendar block for today is just triangles and squares, of course. My Calendar Girlfriend, Barb R. did a lovely job with her fabrics. As you can see, she had a bit of that fabulous Insectarium fabric to give a bit more personality to the blenders. Washington Square: 12" I made the same block using some Christmas fabrics: Washington Square with Christmas fabrics Thank you, Barb, for a lovely block in the middle of a dreary Winter! Do you have your own calendar yet? Did you want one for Christmas but they were sold out? Please let my publisher know that you were disappointed about that (as...

It slipped right by me - I just turned the page in my Quilter's Block a Day Calendar and here it is February 21 and the block for today is King's Crown! I've made several quilts using this fun block and I want to share those with you. The block in the center of this brown quilt is the King's Crown and I was using a Windham Fabrics collection. Center Block is King's Crown The next quilt uses 4 King's Crown Blocks and I stitched this for Blank Quilting. It appeared in Quilt Magazine in 2007 when I was an editor. Four King's Crown blocks The next quilt also uses four blocks, but they are placed side by side with some tricks with those corner squares. This was also sewn for a fabric company, but I forget which one! Here's one I made using some Kaffe Fassett prints. Again - four blocks set side by side with some fabrics changing in those corner squares. These blocks feature a center 8" square that is perfect for capturing an awesome motif. Here's a d...

I have a LOT of blocks in my calendar that have the word "goose" or "geese" in them. This one is a wild goose, or a goose in the wild or . . . Wild Goose Chase is the name of the block for today, February 20. Karen B (one of my Calendar Girls) made it using the Watermark and Insectarium Collections. What I want to know is who is chasing who? Wild Goose Chase: 10"  Here is a look at the lovely fabrics she chose: I wonder what the geese would do about all those butterflies flapping through the air? Do you have your own calendar yet? Did you want one for Christmas but they were sold out? Please let my publisher know that you were disappointed about that (as I am). General inquiries, website orders, product support:  ctinfo@ctpub.com Marketing department:  marketing@ctpub.com Sales department:  sales@ctpub.com It has taken 4 months to get the next batch of calendars and I'm hoping they're back in stock at the end of the month . . .