Today is May 25 and Memorial Day in the USA. It is a day for remembrance of those whom we've lost in defense of our freedom. It's not a day to celebrate but to remember. Yes, there are a lot of barbeques and family get togethers and lots of red, white and blue. My sister Janet has been working with my calendar and stitching a block a month. She made 12 blocks and turned 9 of them into this fabulous quilt for a sick friend. These are 18" blocks! Hey, Hey USA by Janet Gawbill You can do a search here on the blog for "Calendar Girls" or even "Janet" to see her awesome blocks. Here's one I really love and have made it several times myself: Old Glory Star: 18" Thank you, Janet, for being such a trouper to make all these blocks. But, just think: you have a gorgeous quilt for your friend. Let's not forget how "a quilt is not a quilt unless it's quilted." Have a wonderful day wherever you live. (We're getting swamped with rain, bu...

Today's block is the Easy Logs #2. Same logs on the outside with an hourglass in the center. These Easy Logs blocks finish to 8". Easy Logs Block #2 - 8" finished  Let's see all 5 of them together again: Five Easy Logs Blocks Very simple. Very fat quarter friendly. I was using fat quarters of the Benartex Equinox Collection for these and it was fun to not have to think about pulling fabrics. They go together so well! Equinox fabrics by Benartex Of course, you will need your own copy of the  calendar  to know how to cut and stitch each of the 12 blocks. Remember, if you don't have yours yet, the 15% off coupon is still available until the end of this month (May).

Yes, I did say EASY and these truly are. And when they are put together into a quilt, they create a lot of movement. I will be featuring each block individually, but here they are together: Five of the Easy Logs Blocks using Benartex Equinox fabrics Here is Linda D.'s block #1. Easy Logs Block #1 by Linda D. My friend Jan Jolly made a quilt using this block over 20 years ago. Here it is: Easy Logs Quilt by Jan Jolly: 64" x 76" You can see the calendar block for today on the left in the top photo. I went on to design 4 more and they'll be shared in the next 4 days. Stay tuned! And I'll show you how I've combined them with some fun novelty prints for a great kid's quilt.

Today is May 22 and my calendar block today is a whopping 16". But it has a lot of parts and is stitched in diagonal rows, so that can be a challenge.  First, let's see the block as it appears in the calendar. Actually, it was recolored in lovely blenders by the C&T graphic artist, so it looks a lot better in the calendar ! Antique Album: 16" I cut and stitched it several months ago using the Benartex Collection of blenders called Equinox. Here are the parts: Patches are sewn along the diagonals Here is the block sewn: Antique Album in Equinox fabrics: 18" And here is a quilt made using 9 of these Antique Album blocks. This was made by my friend and fellow editor Jean Ann Wright. It appeared in my second book, Supersize 'Em Quilts (2009). If you have a copy, it's on page 76! Secret Garden Album by Jean Ann Wright: 72" x 72" And, yes, the "album" part of the block's name is for that center white fabric for gathering signatures in a ...

The calendar block for today is Country Lanes Variation. Barb R, one of my Calendar Girls, made one using the Windham Watermark Collection. Notice the different sized squares. Country Lane Variations: 12" Here is a photo of some fabrics from the Windham site: This is a VARIATION of Country Lanes. Do you remember the block I shared in a post on July 11 by Susan B? The squares in this block are equal size. Country Lanes by Susan B - 12" This appeared in my 2012 Quilter's Block a Day Calendar, which is very hard to find used. Do you still have yours? 2012 Quilting Block a Day Calendar (and lots of quilts!) I just found mine in a cupboard out in the garage. What a trip down Memory Lane! I actually created 15 of these calendars - hard to believe! Here is the quilt that combines the Country Lanes block with the Contrary Wife block: Black, Red and White Quilt: 76" x 76" (12" blocks) Of course, you will need your own copy of the  calendar  to know how to cut and st...

Such a funny name for a block, huh? But maybe not so funny to the man married to such a lady! Two Three  Four! of my Calendar Girlfriends chose to make this block for today. The 4th one came in yesterday and I am delighted to add it. And I actually have a digital quilt that uses it along with the block for tomorrow (Country Lanes), which I'll share tomorrow. Here is the block made by Kathy G using the Windham fabrics called Under the Canopy: Contrary Wife by Kathy G. - 12" And here's the block done by Julia R. with her fabulous Duchess Collection: Contrary Wife by Julia R. Kathy M. made her block using the Benartex Collection called Find Your Way: Contrary Wife by Kathy M. Diane L. made her Contrary Wife block using Windham's Grounded Collection: Contrary Wife by Diane L. Thank you, dear friends, for staying with me in this calendar journey. Most of my 12 Calendar Girls have stitched 12 blocks and so I eagerly wait to see how they want to put them together. I'll b...

Today is May 18 and our calendar block for today is Grandmother's Basket. It is 10" finished and you really have to pay attention to your 1/4" seam allowance. Here is a lovely block stitched by my Calendar Girl Karen B. She even stayed with the same colors in the printed calendar! Grandmother's Basket: 10"  She has been working with the Insectarium and Watermark Collections by Windham Fabrics: Thank you, Karen, for a lovely block. This is added to her other blocks: Can't wait to see how she puts these together into a quilt! There's still time to get that 15% coupon off the price of the calendar. It goes until the end of May. Of course, you will need your own copy of the  calendar  to know how to cut and stitch each of the 12 blocks. Remember, if you don't have yours yet, the 15% off coupon is still available until the end of this month (May).