One more quilt today to share with you. I was inspired to make this by something similar in a block magazine for standard sewing by machine. I supersized the diamond to a 3" English Paper Piecing unit and stitched my version. (3" is the measurement of the diamond's side from point to point.) 3" diamonds created with EPP You have to pay attention when you stitch your units together. Ooops! That will not become the shape I need! Here are 30 - 3" diamonds in a round. Simulates a wreath. Wreath stitched with 30 diamonds Here is what I created from the back. I first made the wreath, took out the papers and then machine appliquéd it to the background square. Removed the fabric from behind the wreath. (Now you can see my mistake regarding the red diamonds shown above). Wreath from wrong side I added sashings and borders. Quilted it. The fabric with writing on it is another Benartex collection (Seasons Greetings), this time from 2014! Festive Season and Season's Gre...

Thanks for stopping back in! I have more with that Festive Season collection. Remember that group of half hexagons? I used them to make a strippy half-hexagon braid quilt, alternating with more of those cardinal panels. Had to get creative with the borders. It works, I think. Half Hexagon Braid with Cardinal panels: 50" x 50" It is still hanging in my closet awaiting the quilting. I hope to take it out, find a backing and finish it before Christmas. Then, I will give it to a friend or relative who is looking for a seasonal lap quilt. You can find my easy Half Hexagon Braid pattern  in my Etsy store. Then I took one of those fussy cut cardinals and half hexagons and created a large table topper. The outside patches are elongated half-hexagons. I added the green 30 degree setting triangles to "square" it up and quilted it with gold metallic thread. (Hard to see here) I took some scraps and photo window cards and created some sweet cards. What do you think? Photo wind...

I really don't do much Christmas sewing in July - too hot to think about it. I typically sew when I receive a new fabric collection. This Festive Season set of fabrics is from Benartex, 2017. I made quite a few things with them and don't think I even have scraps left over! What you can't see in that photo is the awesome vertical print with cardinals! I made sure they were featured in a few quilts. Let's see one, huh? This is a 2-Block Twisted Hexagons quilt with birds on black background as center hexagons and then birds on white background as the border (well, the two side borders). Cardinals in Winter: 35" x 47"; 15" (high) blocks Yes, I had to use two different prints for the borders. I didn't want my cardinals to fly sideways! This is how I fussy-cut the centers (I used this single cardinal for another quilt). I cut a window template out of freezer paper so I could capture exactly what I needed. Fussy Cutting a cardinal motif This was put in the c...

I created a pattern and taught the Starfish workshop several times in 2022. Then I was left with 10 hardcopy patterns languishing in the box. I have retired the class and want to empty that workshop box! Pattern includes FREE postage (in USA). This is my unfinished workshop sample. I only had fat quarters so I had to get creative with my borders! The four 8" units are paper pieced, for a center block of 16". Starfish using Norma Rose fabrics: 44" x 44" These are part of my  Hanukkah Star Fish quilt . First, the Star Fish blocks (which are paper pieced). Paper Pieced  Star Fish  units I wanted to make those blocks again, but this time in Christmas fabrics. I printed and cut out my foundations. I pre-cut my fabrics and labeled them. Ready to go! That little chicken pin cushion is for Quality Control. Star Fish  parts ready to go! And here is where I went with it. Only 4 units this time. I decided to set it on point with those pieced setting triangles. No hocus-poc...

It's hard for me to improvise with fabric after decades of creating patterns for publication. I tried my hand at it, but still was able to take something that looks improvisational and "pattern" it. After all, I wanted to appeal to the very timid who are reluctant to cut up their beautiful fabric. This was from a class which I called Modern Quilt Blocks (2013). I used solid reading fabrics with a khaki/gray background. Strip piecing, slicing and trading units with classmates and we got this. (I had made kits for each student with the same fabrics for trading). Modern Quilt Blocks #1 And this . . . A single block using the same pattern as above What would they look like with a dark navy background with different piecing? I didn't like the blocks and must have given them away, because I can't find them! I did find another set made with a dark background (navy with dots) and added side borders to "square" it up. Quilted by a friend and going to the Inova Sc...

I have been designing blocks and quilts for my Quilter's Block a Day Calendar since 2006. I compiled one of my favorite Christmas projects into a pdf and I shared it here in 2016.  This is my  Merry Merry Quilt  from that very first calendar. Piecing, applique and foundation paper piecing. This project assumes you know how to do these techniques, but my own approach to appliqué is raw edge. The quilt is 48" x 48". The blocks in the quilt center are 10" square and the angels finish to 5". Isn't this sweet? The Merry Merry Quilt : 48" x 48"   This is my folk-art tree: Folk Art Tree: 10"   And some holly: Holly Block: 10"   We have to have a reindeer, right? Or Santa won't be able to get around! Reindeer: 10"  And my Winter Stars Block: Winter Star: 10" And we have to have an angel! Paper Pieced Angel: 5" Check out the  Merry Merry Quilt pattern in my Etsy shop.  I do hope you enjoy this. And if you make any or all of the...

Today is July 9 and in my Quilter's Block a Day calendar from 2007, the Chain of Squares, is our feature today. A full sized quilt appeared in Quilt Magazine #73 (2007). I had three quilts in that issue and here is one of them, Chain of Squares. Page 82: Chain of Squares is based on a vintage block called Asian Mosaic. Chain of Squares: 64" x 64" The quilt as shown was made for a fabric company (Spring Fabrics) in 2006. Here is the digital rendition: Here is the single block as shown in my calendar (and as stitched by Patricia Bryant of Australia): Chain of Squares block: 12" Such a simple block. It's always fun to sew with a pre-selected fabric collection. I don't do any thinking - the fabrics tell me what they want and I try to comply.

 I finally put those four blocks together without y-seams, though it was tempting to arrange them like this: Four 7 Sisters Variation Blocks auditioning with y-seam! But, I came to my senses and put them in a 2 by 2 arrangement using still ANOTHER collection. Four Sisters Variation : 44" x 49" This yellow and blue version is another quilt headed to the cancer unit of a local hospital to keep someone warm while they get their infusion treatment. It certainly will cheer them up, right? Here is what they look like in that red and green set above: 7 Sisters Variaion with even larger blocks! - 54" x 60" I shared some of the steps for this quilt. I easily cut the diamonds using a standard 6" x 12" ruler with those 60 degree diagonal lines. No clumsy template for me. And the bonus here is that two of the 4 sides run along the straight of grain! Then they are joined by simple 60 degree triangles: Then those bottom strips are added and then trimmed using the 60 d...

My Block a Day Calendar from 2007 (retired in 2017) has some fun quilt blocks. And, the same days align with 2024. Let me share some: Old Glory Star is a 12" block. I added 3" Yellow Ribbon blocks for an 18" x 18" wall quilt. This block is for today, Monday July 1. Old Glory Star And Chain of Squares (July 9) is a 12" block. I made a 65" x 77" quilt about 20 years ago and it was published in Quilt Magazine. Chain of Squares: 65" x 77" Here is the block that Patricia Bryant made several years ago: Chain of Squares block Here is the pic as it appeared in Quilt Magazine: Chain of Squares quilt published in Quilt Magazine Now let's see some of the other blocks that appeared in the calendar for the month of July. Remember that Patricia Bryant made all 31 of them in 2017 and they were featured here. And you can see all of them on a Pinterest Board  - yes, all 366 of them. Get a cup of coffee and sit awhile! Illinois Rose Nosegay Heart Flower ...