My Diamonds Have the Blues

I have a LOT of diamonds. Oh, not the shiny, rock, EXPENSIVE kind. I just have chips on my wedding band! I cut about 200 diamonds from some blue and green Kaffe Fassett fabric prints last year. Did I have a plan in mind? Not really! (Can you believe that?)

A bundle of 6" strips that inspired me

Here are some of the diamonds:

Just some of the nearly 200 diamonds I cut

I also used my basic 6" x 12" acrylic ruler. Really? Yes, really! Have you ever wondered about those 30, 45, 60 and 90 degree diagonal lines on those? They have a great role to play in quilting. You really don't need all those extra, superfluous templates that are out there. RHOMBUS? Whoa! What's with that bad word from math class? You can cut diamonds with your regular ruler. And that's how I cut these. (And saved myself about $15 for another useless template, I'm just saying . . .)

Now, where was I going? First approach was to combine these diamonds with some 60 degree triangles. I wasn't sure if I wanted the horizontal sashing or not. I checked in with a Facebook group for some advice.

Diamonds, triangles and horizontal sashing strips

 And then with the strips removed:

Units together without the horizontal strips

Here's what I got. I have since added a border, but not quilted yet. I call it my Harlequin Diamonds quilt. These are 4" finished diamonds, btw. And, NO y-seams! More on this once I finish it.

Harlequin Diamonds quilt

I revisited my Baby Blocks pattern. I first published this in 1996 - yes, I did!

My smaller Baby Blocks quilt (uses smaller diamonds and no borders) is a very successful workshop and pattern. Love these colors, too!

Baby Blocks: 36" x 36"

Love these diamonds, fabrics by Windham.

Various prints from Windham Fabrics

And, there are no y-seams in this, either. Here it is before I quilted it. Don't you just love that awesome border print? It's called Black Lotus Stripe by Kaffe Fassett.

My Diamonds Have the Blues Baby Blocks: 60" x 60"

"My Diamonds Have the Blues" is one of my newest patterns. It finishes to 60" x 60". It is pieced in vertical rows of diamonds and triangles. And, just to repeat myself: there are NO y-seams.

My Diamonds Have the Blues: 60" x 60", quilted on my HQ Sweet 16!

So, go check it out. I know you have a stash of your favorite colors you'd love to use in something like this! My Diamonds Have the Blues