I love inspiration from vintage blocks. Home Circle is a perfect pattern for many fabrics. I like good contrast and  that's what is happening in this orange quilt. Yes! I said orange! I had this quilted last week and just put the binding on yesterday. Blocks are 15" x 15". This is going to our local guild's charity outreach (probably an adult who doesn't mind orange). Home Circle : 45" x 52" Or maybe I should view it this way: Home Circle turned 1/4 Here is another version I've made (and have given away). This uses a gorgeous "marble" group by Michael Miller. Home Circle with 7 blocks: 60" x 60" Here it is lying flat so you can see all the blocks and sashings. Notice the top and bottom vertical strips. This makes for a "square" quilt because those strips are 1/2 the width of the blocks (2 half strips per row make for another "block.") Home Circle with borders And one made digitally using some daisy themed pri...

Well, I don't have any real ones to speak of. My wedding band has a few chips. I didn't get an engagement ring (my call). But I have FABRIC jewels and they are lovely! This is my  Scrappy Diamonds to Jewels  quilt which was a workshop for a few years. Scrappy Diamonds to Jewels : 48" x 52" Here is one I made almost 30 years ago where I incorporated some vintage crochet flowers and an awesome basket into the quilt. This now lives with my oldest daughter who loves things like this. Jewels begin as diamonds. You don't need templates. They are easy to cut using your standard ruler with 60 degree lines - any size. These were cut 4-1/2" from flat side to flat side. Taking the tip off one end (there is a formula for this!) Removing small triangle to make the diamond a jewel And my stack of jewels ready to be combined with small plain triangles. Then, I added some Kona Snow triangles to two short sides of each jewel and joined them in sets of 6. Of course, no y-seams...

 Yes, that's what I said! The same shapes in larger sizes, but not pieced by hand. This is a block I wanted to make from the perpetual calendar by Katja Marek. It appears on February 10. February 10 block stitched by machine Let's look at the parts:. Oh, no! There's going to be a y-seam! This is why I always make a sample block before I commit to the fabrics chosen for my project. 3 block parts in sample fabrics I was able to rotary cut the 3 patches easily. I wanted a 6" high finished block. Looks like I managed the y-seam! Here is my set of 6 pieced hexagon blocks with added triangles so that it would make a nice center: But, I ran out of the light print fabrics and had to piece one of the triangles. Do you think it will make a difference? Here it is from the front, up close and personal. I decided to add some borders. I began with a green from a Kaffe Fassett scrap pile, but didn't like it. Rip, rip! I found a wonderful stripe that goes well with the inner fabri...

Swallows in the Window is another vintage blocks that uses 45 degree diamonds. I hope you saw my Flying Swallows post earlier this week. Swallows in the Window vintage block Then, digging WAY back in my archives I came across Hearts and Swallows. This was made in 2001. I had to do a bit of fabric manipulation to make those diamonds behave in the corners, but it worked! Yes, these are also 45 degree diamonds. Hearts and Swallows This would not be hard to make today. Those 4 corner units are really half Lone Star blocks!  I always wanted to make another one.  It would be fabulous to capture a beautiful print in that center. But the center size will be dictated by the size of those corner diamonds. Trust me. That's the way math works! Swallows in the Window Here is the current project I'm working on using those Fairy Frost diamonds and a beautiful fabric collection called Romance by Windham Fabrics (2018). Yes, it took me awhile to cut into the set of fat quarters! The diamonds ...