The calendar block for today is the Autograph Block. It is a vintage design and has been used for signature quilts for well over 200 years. The calendar size is 14" and here is how my Calendar Girl Diann C. made it: Autograph Block: 14" Note the center light "cross" section. That's where the signature would go. Diann has staged this with pens at the ready! She's been working with the Tempest Collection by Windham Fabrics. Aren't they lovely?! Thank you, Diann, for sharing your block with us today.

Today is January 22 and the block for today is the Underground Railroad. So much history to this block! So much mystery and intrigue and secret places for safety. Yes, I'm referring to the dark days of slavery here in America and the paths out of bondage into freedom. Lots of stories about the Underground Railroad and so there, naturally, is a quilt block! Underground Railroad: 12" (in my calendar) I made a really small set of blocks for this quilt because I wanted to use a tiny panel in the center. This was made 25 years ago. I still have this sweet quilt. Underground Railroad with 4-1/2" (finished) blocks! - 35" x 35" I also used the block in a digital quilt I designed and published in my 2006 desktop quilter's calendar. It is the same layout as the quilt above, except I added some half-square triangles and stencils. Underground Railroad This timeless block has so much history behind it. And it creates so much movement when the blocks are arranged in a zig...

Today is January 21 and the calendar blocks for today are Crowning Glory. It's a 12" block and my Calendar Girls Karen B. and Julia R. AND Diane L. have been using Windham's fabrics to make their series of blocks. Yes, I had 3 of my Calendar Girls select this block and they didn't conspire to do it! Fat quarters of Insectarium and Watermark are used by Karen Here is Karen's Crowning Glory block with a fantastic butterfly in the center: 12" Crowning Glory block by Karen B. Karen also took a photo of the blocks she has made so far. 7 of the 8 are the same size. The top center one will need a few spacer strips around the outside so it can fit in. Julia R. also made a Crowning Glory block using her Duchess Collection by Windham Fabrics: Crowning Glory by Julia R. Here are some of Julia's fabrics: And the third block by Diane L. is being admired by a sweet doggy in his tuxedo! Crowning Glory by Diane L. And her fabrics are Grounded by Windham. Thank you, ladies...

Today is January 20 and the block is Shoofly Mosaic. Kathy G. is one of my Calendar Girls and she used the Under the Canopy fabrics by Windham to make it - and is having fun at the same time! Under the Canopy Collection by Windham I would be having fun, too, with these various forest critters scattered around. What do you think? 12" Shoofly Mosaic by Kathy G. If you do a search here on the blog for "Under the Canopy" you will come up with more of Kathy's blocks. I look forward to her final quilt made, inspired by my calendar and these fabrics. If you don't have your calendar yet: Check your local quilt shop for my calendar so you can have your own  Shoofly Mosaic   blocks. You can find my calendar here, also: on  Amazon at  C&T Publishing and in  Barnes & Noble  stores Of course, you may have received it for a Christmas or Hanukkah gift. What are you waiting for - go make your own Shoofly Mosaic block!

Yes, it's still January and I put a Double Hearts block in this month and not in February! Why? Have no clue. Double Hearts: 16" (not 8" - that's a draft copy) I used a collection by Benartex Fabrics called Hugs and Kisses. Hugs and Kisses fabrics by Benartex But, just think: if you make it in January, then you are ready for Valentine's Day in February! Let's see how I made it. First, the center (which measures 8"): Center of Double Hearts Then I moved on to the outer heart. When I was finished, my hot pink crochet project insisted it be in the photo! Double Hearts: 16" x 16" This would make a sweet pillow or the center of a larger quilt. I have a good bit of those fabrics remaining. I think I will pull this block out and hang in my sewing room as I get ready for Valentine's Day (whatever that means, right?)

. . . and they're NOT from my calendar, but inspired by Katja Marek's "The New Hexagon Perpetual Calendar." I don't have a photo of her block, but it's fairly simple with triangles, diamonds and half-hexagons. For me, it was easy to convert this to rotary cut and machine piece! I decided to make it in a 12" (high) size. Here are some units before the final seams: January 17 Block  I stitched them all together and then made a small table topper using another set of fabrics. I had still one more block in mind, this time in browns using the Sgrafitto Collection by Benartex: This was an orphan block for several years and I turned it into another one of those Meals on Wheels placemats the other day. Here it is: Placemat: 15" x 17" Now I'm on the hunt for the block at the top of the page. It would make another lovely placemat, right?

A castle in the air? Or a mansion in heaven? No - just the block for today, January 15, which is Air Castle. Not sure where that name came from, but it's a simple block with easy patches to cut out and stitch. Air Castle page. 9" block Susan B. stitched her Air Castle block using the Moonlit Collection by Windham Fabrics. A lovely collection of blenders with a tiny print scattered on each. Moonlit by Windham Fabrics Just to show you how well they "play" with busy prints, here are a few I kept for myself. These are combined with another Windham collection called Solstice: Moonlit and Solstice Now for Susan's block. It seems Frosty is quite happy with what she did! Air Castle by Susan B. If you've been making any of the blocks from my calendar, I would love to see them. And I would love to post them here on my blog to show them off! Just send me a photo of your block via email: kratovil@his.com. And make sure I have your name!