Now we will see what can be done with a coffee filter from a Starbuck's (or other coffee shop that uses the 100 cup makers). My youngest daughter gave me a few from the coffee shop she was working at back in 2013 (I did make her ask her boss!) She called me one day from Atlanta and said, "Mom. Don't you do something with coffee filters in your quilting?" She was thinking of my Coffee Filter Fans classes. Coffee Filter Fans, now living with my dear Mother in Law When she sent me the photo of the coffee filters next to her hand, I had to gasp! These things are 20" in diameter. 20" coffee filters Let's see them in my own hands! Pretty big, huh?! I decided to draft a more complicated mariner's compass on one. I had to divide it into 8ths. The next photo shows two of these together (which make 1/4 of the compass). You can see my pencil drawn lines. One quarter of my 20" Mariner's Compass Here is how this section looks with the paper pieced ring o

Some small, some REALLY large! A coffee filter is nothing more than a paper circle. I've been intrigued with the sewing potential for almost 30 years. Here's the first one that I did some string piecing on. I cut the circle in half and used up some scraps.  And here it is from the back. I still take these with me to trunk show presentations! The first compass I drafted for a coffee filter appeared both in the pages of Quilt Magazine and also in my first book (Bold, Black and Beautiful, AQS 2004). Autumn Mariner's Compass. Block Size: 14" x 14". Quilt Size: 23" x 23" Drafting a compass has been around for hundreds of years. Take a look at the page I wrote for the compass quilt in my book. I made a larger one in green and it was the basis for a dozen or so workshops. We did not piece on coffee filters, but I took the concept and drafted the foundations on newsprint for my students. This appeared in my 3rd book (Paper Piecing Perfect Points). Block Size: 16

She's finished. Karen R. of my local quilt guild (Reston QU in Virginia) beautifully quilted this. I put the binding on. It is part of our charity quilt endeavors (probably will become a wheelchair lap quilt.) 7 Block Baby Blocks quilt: 38" x 40" I made these Baby Blocks the old fashioned way - with y-seams! You've seen these little blocks before. These are 4-1/2" rotary cut 60 degree diamonds. Single Baby Blocks Here is the y-seam from the back. You can see how the 3 seams come together in the center. Then the 1/4" where there is NO seam is spun. Lies flat that way. Baby blocks from wrong side. I squeezed the life out of that swirly fabric. I had to seam two diamonds - gasp! But, it works! This block measures 8" finished from flat side to flat side. I used 4-1/2" 60 degree triangles to set them together. Look closely and you'll see the seams in the multi-colored diamonds I used a mottled batik in a light print for those setting triangles. When

Antique Midnight Sun Quilt - 70" x 85" I'm often asked where I get my inspiration from. I have to say: from traditional quilts! Why should I reinvent the wheel when there are so many glorious quilts that are timeless? All I do is just change out their clothes, giving them new colors. This quilt appeared in a magazine years ago and is called "Midnight Sun." It was probably pieced by hand and used carefully cut templates. How did I update it? So glad you asked! Seeing Red - 38" x 38", Block Size: 15" Well, here you have it. Seeing Red is my version of the Antique Midnight Sun. Four blocks and I was done (could that be because I also ran out of fabric?) Don't you love those sharp points? And don't you just love templates and hand piecing - NOT!!! All foundation pieced. This appeared in my 2013 book, Paper Piecing Perfect Points. Yes, you can have blocks with VERY SHARP POINTS!  I loved the block so much that I am almost finished with another

To give you an idea of the size of various hexagons, I like to show my students my stack of GFG blocks with the smallest (that I make) being 3/4" hexagons. That's the blue one on the top with the yellow center. The next size is the pink one made using 1" hexagons. Then 1-1/2" (missing 1-1/4"), 1-3/4" and the bottom turquoise floral uses 2" hexagons. Stack of GFG blocks to show how size matters! I was working with some lovely Northcott sparkly fabrics in blues and browns and I decided to add another round. First, a block I made about 15 years ago using 1" hexagons. I appliquéd it to a background square in 2013. Still waits for a finish! Triple round GFG using 1" hexagons More on that block at a later date. Here is a closeup of the blocks I made using 3/4" hexagons. There are 6 medium brown hexagons surrounding the center dark brown hexagon and then 12 turquoise hexagons in that 3rd round. GFG using 3/4" hexagons And one with the colo

I work in some pretty powerful computer programs and sometimes I surprise myself! I was able to change the 2016 Calendar of 365 blocks to a 2022 calendar! It is just eye candy (no patterns), but I'm going to work on that once I identify where each block appeared in the 18 calendars I designed! I can only find them by name (and there are THOUSANDS). May 2022 Block a Day Calendar If you would like a copy for printing and hanging in your office or kitchen or sewing room, I would be delighted for you to have one. It must be PRINTED ON LEGAL SIZE PAPER. It's that long. I'm almost finished with the January through April months and I'll offer those here (I know - the months are gone, but there are some cute blocks.) Since I only recently realized I could repurpose my blocks, I'm doing some serious catchup. But go ahead and click the link for the pdf file of the  May 2022 Block a Day Calendar . And, once you look at them, let me know your favorite! kratovil@his.com Please D

Hard to believe, but I have authored 18 quilting calendars since 2006! 15 of those were desktop, block a day calendars with full instructions for making dozens of quilts in each. Do you remember these?  I began creating these in 2006 and my publisher retired the projects after 2020. Big sigh, but, to tell you the truth, they were a LOT of work! Besides having to create 320 unique quilt blocks for each one, I had to  have dozens of quilt patterns (and I mean DOZENS!) for each year. That meant not only designing them but calculating all the yardage, etc. You can bet I negotiated a much higher compensation after the first 2 years. Who works for 10 cents an hour (except in China) these days? Here's one from my 2016 calendar (July). I called it Gold Star Eagles. I used a vintage appliqué eagle combined with that awesome Rising Sun and variation blocks. They are 12" x 12" with the whole quilt finishing to 50" x 50". Gold Star Eagles from my 2016 Block a Day Calendar