I made this block last year and never posted it here. I heard it crying in the closet so I gently took it out, wiped away the tears and promised I would share it today. Now, she's singing and dancing. Wanna see? Basket of Squares: 18" x 18" This appears in my Quilter's NEW Perpetual Block a Day Calendar by C&T Publishing on August 12. I made it using some Kaffe Fassett prints and a white/gray background. Go check it out. And if you do a search here on the blog for Quilter's Block a Day Calendar , you will find dozens more blocks stitched up in real fabric!

There will be 4 blocks. Here are the first 3. Scroll down to see my approach to Emma's block #3.  NMAI - Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian asked several quilters who are Indigenous Americans to provide quilt blocks that emphasize various time periods. The Quilt Along runs from June through October. Click that link and you can sign up for each block (even the past ones) and also be notified by email of the ones coming (includes a border). I shared the first by Lauren Good Day. The Bison. Her pattern was for 5 bison on a 10" block. I decided to make just one. Block #1 Block #2 was designed by Cissy Serao and is Hawaiian: Block #2 by Cissy Serao My Hawaiian block: My machine stitched block Block #3 was designed by Emma Alcazar: Block #3 by Emma Alcazar These are 45 degree diamonds. The block background size is 10" finished. I was able to follow Emma's directions to sew 2" strips together and then recut into 45 degree diamonds, but first needed to visualize...

A pattern published in the Kansas City Star by Ruby McKim in April of 1929 is called “Noon Day Lily”, which inspired the name “Ruby’s Lilies” for a quilt I made in 1996! I also came across a vintage quilt made of Carolina Lily blocks. I think I only paid $10 for it as it was very worn with lots of shredding on several of the blocks. Here it is spread out on queen sized bed. Carolina Lily quilt It was hand quilted (of course). You can see some of the shredding in the top right corner in the red fabric. Here is one of the blocks up close: Carolina Lily block, well worn Here is the Ruby's Lillies quilt I made in 1996 from some leftover block parts from another project. Notice that the setting square in the center is different fabric than the outside setting triangles. You make do with what you have, right?! The blocks are 12" Ruby's Lillies: 38" x 38" Most of my inspiration comes from vintage quilts and blocks. This is certainly one of those!

I love to play with my rulers and find new ways to use them. I am NOT one to buy the latest (weird) ruler with all sorts of lines that promises to make one block and costs upwards of $30 or more. Yes, I've been a pattern designer for these rulers, but that doesn't mean I can't make it easier on myself or my customers. One such block is the Delectable Mountains. Traditionally sewn with odd templates, it can be stitched using patches cut from a traditional 60 degree triangle ruler. I've also called it the Arrowheads block. Here is a quilt I finished 10 years ago using some lovely Kaffe Fassett prints. Finally photographed in 2024! Arrowheads: 40" x 40" I patterned this for two fabric companies and a ruler company. I've made it half-a dozen times. I enjoy the easy process and I think you will, too. Here's the one I created for Michael Miller called Arrowheads in the Dessert. It was made using their Horse and Rider collection. You can find the pattern at m...

A vintage Mountain Mist pattern (#59) called Friendship Plume captured my attention about 25 years ago. I had to redraft it for a digital pattern as the only thing available was a hand drawn image from an old magazine. Quilters used those paper patterns to make beautiful quilts, as you can see! Two vintage Friendship Plume quilts Here's one I made using Fossil Ferns. I still own this beautiful pillow. While it may not have originated in Hawaii, it still has that personality, doesn't it? I'm not sure about it's history. Mountain Mist Friendship Plume (pattern #59) I transferred the pattern to freezer paper which was folded into fourths. I cut out the 4 layers and then opened it up. Next, I ironed it to my fabric. This is a 15-1/2" piece of beautiful Fossil Ferns (Benartex). Freezer paper pattern ironed to fabric for cutting out. I do NOT hand appliqué. Everything is by machine. I fused interfacing to the wrong side of the fabric (not double sided fusible). I didn...

The breadfruit is the symbol of abundance. To try your hand at fold, cut and sew appliqué you can use the breadfruit pattern. But what does it look like? Breadfruit Block : 18" The method for cutting out this appliqué block is to first do some paper folding. I shared some of those steps the other day when I showed the Lover's Knot. The Breadfruit block has an 18-1/2" background square. I also cut an 18" square of freezer paper for the appliqué design. We need to fold the template into 8ths. Look at these diagrams from Quilt Magazine 25 years ago (and they still work!) The key is to make sure your pattern is aligned as shown in Diagram 7. I'm going to show you my own folded sample. I folded my paper as shown in Diagrams 1-6. Then I cut out the paper template in the pattern and clipped it to the folded template material (I like to use Reynold's Freezer paper). Since I am going to stitch this by machine, I will remove the seam allowances in gray. If you want to ...

Sometimes we think we know what we're talking about and even publish it - yikes! Here is a page from Quilt Magazine 2004. Isn't this a beauty? But it's NOT a Hawaiian quilt! Vintage red and white appliqué quilt owned by Polly Mello I did some consulting on the Vintage Quilts Facebook page (which is filled with the best and brightest and most experienced in these things) and what I found out is that it is a Pennsylvania quilt! But doesn't it look Hawaiian? I heard from several antique quilt experts who verified that it was indeed from PA and that it is wool appliqué! Here is an identical quilt, but only a top, owned by Polly Mello. I share it here with her permission. Wool appliqué quilt top owned by Polly Mello But, why does it look Hawaiian? Because of the influence of 18th century American missionaries who went to Hawaii and shared their skills. "Fold, cut and sew appliqué is a technique used extensively in early Pennsylvania quilts. It was brought to Hawaii by 1...