As I showed you on Thursday, it is fun to use stripped fabrics to make more interesting kaleidoscope blocks. Here is one I made about 10 years ago. Two fabrics for the kaleidoscope triangle Remember that very complicated looking quilt from the other day? I discovered my colored diagram from when it published 20+ years ago. Same simple block, but some amazing coloring going on!  And the quilt again . . . Yes, it's hard to believe what you can do with colors! Kaleidoscope of Illusions I made some blocks using plain black fabric and warm, Autumn prints. I turned it into a table runner. This fabric is from 2012! Autumn Leaves table runner And one more kaleidoscope quilt made using 1930s prints. It's not a very good photo, but this actually is a real quilt! This goes to show that you can make these blocks very, very scrappy and still get super looking blocks! This was made in 2007. Feedsack Kaleidoscope . 50" x 50". 10" blocks Patterns for BOTH block sizes are include...

Playing with novelty prints and the kaleidoscope shape has been fun. I used some Sockey Monkey prints and made several, as well as my friend Jeannine D. Here is one I finished in early 2022 and donated to my local quilt guild's charity efforts. Monkeys and bananas are a fun combo for little kids! Sockey Kaleidoscope Quilt : 12" blocks Here's one my friend Jeannine made using my pattern and ruler (which I no longer carry). She has the dancing monkeys in the borders! Sockey Kaleidoscope Quilt by Jeannine D. Let's see the steps to cutting and stitching kaleidoscope blocks. I first ran this in 2012 (10 years ago) and figured it might be interesting to cover it again! This is scrap friendly, too. Making these blocks I used both single fabric and stripped fabric. Here are two blocks: Don't confuse this with the 60 degree Spiderweb ruler. The kaleidoscope is a 45" ruler, and is based on the radiating lines coming out from the center of a circle. Go look it up in you...

We all have so many different rulers and sometimes what they can do - really! I love my kaleidoscope rulers because they play very nicely with my fabrics, especially strips and scraps. Let's see a kaleidoscope quilt first. This is one from about 12 years ago when I taught this workshop for the Sewing Expo. Days to Remember Kaleidoscope (2010) using 4 fabrics One of the very first ones I made was published in Quilt Magazine in 1996. This isn't a very good photo, but the coloring of the patches is much more sophisticated than what you see above. Kaleidoscope quilt from 1996 Let's see another older one made from 4 blocks and a matching single block pillow. This was made with some vintage Kaffe Fassett fabrics. Very simple use of 2 colors for the blocks. Kaleidoscope 4 Block Quilt using 2 fabrics Let's see it lying flat and you can see how the fabrics are swapped out on the patches from block to block. A kaleidoscope ruler is an elongated triangle that has a 45 degree angl...

We had a holiday party here last Sunday and I hung up most of my Christmas quilts: walls, over the banister, draped on the backs of chairs. Then there were the table runners. It was like a Christmas museum. I think I overwhelmed my guests, but they loved it (or so they said). I'll share just a few here. Old and new quilts and those in between. This little quilt is at least 30 years old. I cut out some printed circle motifs and appliquéd them to a background square. Christmas Circle Motifs Another oldie is my Rose Wreath and Oak Leaf quilt. It technically isn't a Christmas quilt but the colors are! Rose Wreath and Oak Leaf quilt I made a snowman quilt. I've lived in a state that gets snow in the Winter, so it works here! We haven't had a white Christmas in years, though! I've made several table toppers using single blocks. This was made several years ago with a cardinal in the center and Christmas ornament motifs in the surrounding logs. One more topper (quite a bit ...

I get inspiration from all places, even crochet. I saw this beautiful table topper on Pinterest about 8 years ago and saved the photo. I wish I had remembered to save the maker's name (and I'm going to try to track it down in the meantime!) This is a traditional pattern that is updated with fresh, bright colors. Crochet table topper using 60 degree diamonds I was sent a collection of these Benartex fabrics in 2016 and they said "MODERN" to me. They are from the Fabricadabra Collection by Paula Nadelstern. Fabricadabra strips I was going for a modern version of my Seven Sisters pattern , inspired by that crocheted beauty above. I wasn't sure of how I would do it, but I did start cutting the same size diamonds. But FIRST I sewed a 1-1/2" (1" finished) strip of the gray to each of the colors. Then, using my trusty acrylic ruler with the 60 degree lines, I cut my 3-1/2" diamond strips. Diamonds with gray strips I did this with all the colors I was using...

In another week and a half we will welcome 2023. Actually, it comes whether we "welcome" it or not! I discovered that my Block a Day calendars can be recycled every 7 years! If you still have my 2017 calendar, the dates and days match what is upcoming in 2023. 2017 Quilting Calendar January 1 falls on a Sunday in 2023. It also fell on a Sunday in 2017! Here is the quilt that begins on that day. I call it Winter Blues. I have made all of these blocks at one time or another, except that bird! Winter Blues Quilt: 12" blocks; 48" x 48" quilt Now, some of the holidays may not coincide with the calendar dates (ie, Easter and Passover fall on different days each year), but if you want to have a calendar in your office or sewing room and you still own this, then pull it out! I do NOT have any remaining copies. I'm not sure if it even can be found online. I'm just saying that the calendar can be recycled without confusion! And you may have it in your closet some...

I tend to play with my yarn more in the Winter. I guess because it's warm and snuggly and soft. I am not very creative with what I do - mainly squares, rectangles and circles. Here's something I crocheted in a class at my local library. The teacher is from Italy and is very creative. This little sample was the basis for some weaving we were supposed to do. I didn't want to do it her way! Crocheted basis for some weaving I don't think she was happy about that, but hey - I'm an adult and I just wanted to do something different. I took another project's supplies and used those to let my granddaughter Eva get creative. This is what she did last Saturday. She totally enjoyed this, weaving in and out using VERY fluffy yarn. She took it home and I bet it is a special blanket for one of her Barbies. Fluffy yarn (and some eyelash yarn) woven into sample Another creative thing Patrizia taught us (which I caught onto right away) was this braided headband. Here are a few of...