Someone from my local quilt guild did not want this gorgeous, vintage Double Wedding Ring (DWR) top. Maybe it was the pink. Maybe it was the thought that it needs to be quilted. Whatever the reason, I grabbed it. Did I know what I would do with it? Of course not! Vintage DWR quilt top: 72" x 80" This was all hand pieced. It's in lovely condition (not perfect, but not smelly or with more than a small tear or two. The pink is NOT faded (as it appears in the picture above). I laid it out on my clean kitchen floor to try to take a photo. Couldn't get the whole thing in. Isn't it lovely? Then, I had a thought: I wonder if I took it apart into circles (4 sets of pieced arcs) to see if I could design a class or even a pattern? WHAT? Yes, I took out my seam ripper and set to work. (If your stomach hurts by this time, it's ok if you close this window right now.) Here is one of the two sections I removed. The maker seemed to love the lavender and green for those block c...

When I was a girl, we celebrated BOTH Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays. Now, we just give them a wink and a nod (maybe). Today I share a quilt pattern called Washington's Puzzle . Traditionally made using funky templates, I converted it using my Magic Stax© technique. I posted about this in 2017 using some Benartex fabrics. I came up with the idea in early 2000. Here is a set of 1/3 yard cuts I was sent to work with. They are truly color drenched! And if you stay with me, you can have the FREE PATTERN. Color Flow fabrics by Carol Bryer Fallert While many others have done something similar, mine is unique in that the number of patches in a block determines how many squares are in a stack. The stack gets cut ALL at the same time (make sure your rotary cutter has a new blade.) Also, my cutting is NOT RANDOM. All of my blocks in this series (15 different ones) are based on traditional blocks and a line drawing of them. 10-1/2" squares of  Color Flow I chose to update m...

No, not a Saltine! Not a Triscuit or a Graham or other crunchy bite sized snack. This is the traditional name of a block that is easy to make without templates. It's a workshop I've taught several times and I love the "aha" moments my students have. This is one of the quilts I made 20 years ago which was published in Quilt Magazine. I didn't have a decent photo of it until a few weeks ago when the person I gave it to asked me to put a rod pocket on the back so she could hang it. Doris loves red and black and didn't want to sit under it - she wanted to hang it so she could look at it! Red and Black Cracker Quilt: 51" x 60" Using my Magic Stax method, the blocks begin as 10-1/2" squares and end at 9-1/4" finished. That size doesn't matter because they are stitched one to another, tilting them back and forth. Here's an even better photo: Let's see two blocks from another quilt. These are from batiks and are very scrappy. Two Cracke...

Quilters still want to take classes - both via Zoom and in person. I have 3 classes in the next few weeks that are such fun to both teach and make quilts for. This class is for the McLean Quilters Unlimited here in Virginia and will happen next Tuesday! Twisted Hexagons class sample Twisted Hexagons is an all-time favorite and the first class I developed for the Zoom format back in 2020. I pulled my hair out trying to work with various cameras and lighting and all the bells and whistles. I finally settled on lots of videos of the steps and a few Power Point slide shows that give even more detail.  I've made the Twisted Hexagons blocks into several quilts - both fussy cutting the centers and also just letting the fabric do the talking. Here's a block using a special motif from my Kaffe Fassett stash. Twisted Hexagon block Then I'm traveling to Richmond, VA to teach my Modern Vortex class. This guild wants to concentrate on the multi-colored vortex (as opposed to my original...

We all have them - those luscious bundles of 2-1/2" strips that we often wonder - "What am I going to make with these?" I have the perfect quilt that I've made several times and I think you will have the greatest time with whatever fabric collection your jelly roll is made of. This is my most recent quilt which I call " The Birthday Party Quil t." It just looks so fun and happy because it's so scrappy! The Birthday Party Quilt: 54" x 54" There's nothing "matchey-matchey" going on here. I just cut into my stash (I didn't have a jelly roll) of Kaffe Fassett prints and set to work stripping and cutting. NO templates and NO waste. Here's the first quilt I made in 2010: Rainbow Strips from 2010 Here's one made by a student from my workshop (or maybe from my Etsy pattern). Four large blocks of Rainbow Strips I wanted to work with browns and black. This is made of 4 whole blocks and 4 half blocks (on the bottom). I sent th...

This is a repost AND a FREE Pattern! Here is a quilt I made about 20 years ago from some orphan blocks my editor gave to me. She said, "Go do something with these." And, I did! This still hangs in my house and I look at it each morning in small sitting room. Three Tulips Quilt This quilt with the peach setting triangles and borders was also a set of orphan blocks. They were appliquéd on point in the squares, so all I had to do was separate them with floral sashings and add the rest to square them up. I don't remember who I gifted this to; I hope it is hanging somewhere and being appreciated for its beauty. (Remember, I did not make these blocks!) Peach Baskets and Blooms Quilt   I came across some of the artwork I created for both of these quilts. This dates back about 25 years, too! The pattern fills are a bit dated, but the flowers and appliqué elements are timeless, right? Blooms Block #1     Here is a lovely basket block with a single bloom. Basket Block with Single B...

I am in a quilter's challenge with my local guild. We have a theme - Spirals - and the rest is up to us to interpret that. I spent a few weeks exploring some ideas I have, visiting some old quilt files and trying to figure out where I would go. This is for an AQS show in the Fall, but our local deadline is March 1. I came across a set of fabrics by Sharon Virtue (love that name!) called Bright World. Windham sent me fat quarters because our theme is "spirals" and there are spirals in the fabrics! They come to quilt shops in April. Bright World by Sharon Virtue for Windham Fabrics  Here's the main print: Bright World main print But, where are the spirals? Glad you asked! These are the 7 fabrics in the main quilt. It will be 30" square. I chose 4 spiral prints. Bright World fabrics for my Spiral quilt I used a vintage pattern called Twin Spirals and built my quilt around it: Digital rendition of Twin Spirals And, a sneak peek at a part of my spirals. These are 2...

I discovered some precut hearts for sale in the Keepsake Catalog back in early 2000. I bought a packet of them and made a few quilts. So much fun to have them both pre-cut AND have them ready to appliqué to a background. A dear friend from my Atlanta days bought a packet of hearts and didn't know what to do with them. She saw some inspiration in a quilt shop the next year and decided to play around with putting them on a single piece of fabric. It appeared in my second book, Supersize 'Em Quilts (2009). I like her super wide binding - it looks like a thin border. Jeweled Crazy Hearts by Jan Jolly: 42" x 42" I took this idea and made it into a workshop in 2009. Students received pre-cut squares with fusible webbing on the back and a heart template. Then they were to place them in one or two arrangements on a large piece of background fabric. We used raw edge machine appliqué to stitch them down. Here are a few versions. This next photo is of REAL fabric. No binding ye...

This is a repost because, well - it's almost Valentine's Day! We all made these woven hearts in school. And I believe they're still making them! I'll check with my little grandsons in school. Woven Heart This is just a quick set of pics to remind you of how fun these were to make and to show you that you can do it with fabric! Allow me. Then if I've tempted you enough, you'll go visit my Etsy store  and check it out! The 3 page pattern has a page with photos along with the full size template. I realized the other day that I had made 4 Danish Woven Hearts about 12 years ago and they have been languishing in a box all that time. At first I thought I had given them away (I was de-stashing last year). But, I found the box (because I had labeled it on the outside - what a novel idea, huh?) First woven heart almost finished I decided to make one using some Kaffe Fassett fabrics. I love pink and green! The wrong side of the fabrics are fused with fusible interfacing (n...