I came across a new book in my library that features one patch quilts. It's aptly titled: 20 To Make One-Patch Quilts by Carolyn Forste r. One Patch Quilts by Carolyn Forster This reminded me of all my own one-patch quilts I've made over the years. I asked Carolyn if I could share my journey and quilts as they relate to her book. Of course, she graciously said "yes." It seems that my enthusiasm about the book is because she also is enthusiastic about these little gems. The quilt on the cover is a quilt I've never made before. It's a Clamshell and it's always made me nervous thinking about hand stitching the curved edges. Just to let you know: I'm making one right now - I'll keep you posted. Now, let's see some of my own one-patch quilts. Carolyn has 20 lovely projects in order from simple to very challenging. The first, of course, is the simple Charm Quilt composed of squares. Here is a set of 5" charm squares from a few years ago. Any si...

I had a few blocks trickle in from my sweet Calendar Girls that didn't make it in this month. I want to feature them here before September rolls in. I FORGOT to post Kathy M's block for August 29 yesterday, so here it is. She used the Benartex collection called Find Your Way by Lisa Ruble. So sorry, Kathy!! August 29 Sawtooth Star by Kathy M. Two August 9 blocks made by Susan B and Diane C - Honey's Choice. Honey's Choice by Susan B. using the Moonlit Collection Honey's Choice by Diane C. using the Tempest Collection Then we have the August 24th block by Leslie P., using the Noteworthy Collection by Windham Fabrics. Next Door Neighbor by Leslie P. And then there's the Four Seasons block for August 18 done by Barb R. using Watermark Fabrics  Four Seasons by Barb R And the block for today was made by Kathy G. It's the Kitty Corner Star (12") using the Under the Canopy Collection by Windham Fabrics. Kitty Corner Star by Kathy G. So, we've wrapped up th...

Another day, another awesome block from one of my calendar girls. Julia R. made the Sawtooth Stars using her Dutchess Collection from Windham Fabrics. Duchess fat quarters As you can see, these have a traditional feel in their coloring. Lots of flowers in red, white and blue. Even a few fabrics with a directional print (like a stripe). Here is Julia's Sawtooth Star block: Sawtooth Star: 12" by Julia R. Her piecing is beautiful and I like that she used that medium blue for her outside triangles and squares. Isn't this such a stellar block?!

Today is August 28 and we have another star called Hit or Miss Star. I wonder where that name came from! This is a vintage inspired creation, so maybe a person was star gazing and was fantasizing about how he/she could shoot an arrow and make a bullseye contact with the star. Karen B. is one of my Calendar Girls and make the block today using her collection called Insectarium  and  Watermark fabrics . Let's take a close look at her fat quarters: Watermark and Insectarium fabrics Here is her Hit or Miss Star in the 12" size: Hit or Miss Star: 12" Karen used 6 different fabrics for this and I love it. She wasn't shy about making the star points in 2 colors and also those squares on point around the outside use 2 different prints! And the butterfly - such a sassy little thing just hovering there catching our focus! That's the fun of fussy cutting an awesome motif for such a block.

 This is a block that I've made into quilts several times. Home Circle is vintage inspired and I love it in the large 15" size. Here's how it appears in my calendar. I designed a quilt for Benartex using their Crazy Daisy Collection in 2011. It was a digital quilt and they featured it on the back cover of several magazines. You could write in and get the printed pattern! I made it using some awesome Michael Miller marbles (no, not the kind you scoot around on a table!) Michael Miller Home Circle quilt : 60" x 60" Here are the blocks scattered on my deck: Five 15" Home Circle blocks And here's the last one I made using some orange Kaffe Fassett fabrics. This was quilted by Jeanne C. of my quilt guild and donated to our charity endeavors. Home Circle: 45" x 52" And I had this in my 2007 Block a Day calendar with Patricia Bryant making this block: 15" Home Circle block made by Patricia Bryant Now I want to make some more! They are SO easy ...

Diane L. is one of my calendar girls and she is working with the Windham Collection called Grounded . Aren't these gorgeous prints?!! I love how the grays and tans mix so well with the greens, pinks and purples. These are MY colors! Grounded by Windham Fabrics Here's the block that Diane made using Grounded : Double Four Patch: 12" Simple squares and rectangles make this a fun block for fabric placement. Lots of possibilities.

 I have sewn with reproduction coverlet fabrics multiple times. Windham Fabrics created two collections. Click here  to see the one I've used for several quilts. The Coverlet Block for today (August 22) is simple, but recognizable as a coverlet design. Here is one of the fabrics from the collection . Similar colors and design. A very simple block inspired by a woven coverlet! Linda D., one of my Calendar Girls, decided to make her block using the Watermark and Insectarium Collections, also by Windham. The center is perfect for featuring a beautiful print! August 22 Coverlet Block: 12" I've been making some Christmas blocks using Windham Fabrics new line called Jolly Christmas . I chose to stitch the Coverlet Block, too! August 22 Coverlet Block in  Jolly Christmas Do you have your own copy of my new calendar? Put it on your Christmas list! And see if it's in your local quilt shop, too.

 Today is August 21 and the calendar block for today is Double T. I made one and so did Dora L., one of my calendar girls. My block wanted to hang out with the flowers! 18" Double T block And Dora wanted to audition some novelty fabrics in hers. Having a large 18" block gives so much space to prints! Dora's Double T Block Making just a few of these will give you a quilt in a hurry! What fun, right?

Today is August 18 and the calendar block for today is Four Seasons. I've made this block many times for several different quilts that were published. It's really a square in a square in a square in a square. Whew - that's a lot of squares! Here is a quilt I called Garden Party and it was made about 15 years ago and appeared in a Fons and Porter magazine. I used some dotty fabrics from Windham and added those Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks in the center of 9 blocks (without the extra square). The Four Seasons blocks are those in the top and bottom centers. Grandma's Garden Party The same block is used in the traditional Storm at Sea quilt. I've made this quilt several times and here's the latest, which I donated to a local kids' charity via my quilt group. Just blocks, no borders. This Four Seasons block is a great mixer in various quilts. Here's one more with the blocks set on point! Again, a quilt without borders. I was done and binding was the...

I never could win at playing cards, not even the kids' games! I just smiled as I held a zillion cards in my hand as someone banged their last card down on the table and won. Big sigh. But, I sure can sew Card Tricks. That's the name of the block today and about 20 years ago I simplified the piecing from a lot of triangles to squares and rectangles. Here is the block with those triangles from my 2007 perpetual calendar. Isn't this a fun way that Patricia Bryant staged this? Card Trick by Patricia Bryant of Australia Here is one made by someone who purchased my No Tricky Card Trick pattern. As you can see, there are not a lot of triangles. This is the way the calendar block appears. No Tricky Card Trick  block by Jocelyne Normandin Here's a quilt I made several years ago using my larger block (12-3/4") It was fun to dig into my Kaffe Fassett scrap piles. If you look at this another way, you can see several hearts, can't you? No Tricky Card Trick (12-3/4" bl...

 I love to feature beautiful motifs in the center of blocks. This fabric collection is at least 15 years old and is from Blank Quilting. It's called "Days to Remember." I had yards and yards of it for some workshops I taught over those years. Here is one block where I captured an awesome motif: Twisted Hexagon block This Twisted Hexagon block can be made in all sorts of sizes (my Etsy pattern  captures a 5-1/2" high motif; this is cut 7-1/2"). All I had to do was adjust the size of the half hexagons. Half hexagons cut with a standard 60 degree triangle ruler Here is one of the quilts I made with the leftovers. My local guild needed some longer quilts and so I added the top and bottom borders as you can see here. Days to Remember Twisted Hexagon charity quilt: 55" x 67" But I didn't chop up all the sweet motifs. I used some for the border of this quilt with leftovers from a class I taught in 2012! Winding Ways the easy way. Winding Ways quilt I...

I was reminded of this quilt I made for Quilt Magazine in 1998. Oh, I didn't make those blocks - whew! They were a set of orphan blocks that my editor asked me to put together into a quilt. She handed me some fabric to go with them and said, "Have fun!" Flower of Spring: 48" x 58" The blocks were 7". I added triangles to all 4 sides and then set them block to block.  Here is how it was described in 1936: “Let Spring bloom in a quilt.” So said the Weekly Kansas City Star for its January 11, 1936 offering of a quilt block entitled “Flower of Spring.” This old-time block was contributed by Miss Margaret L. Bosworth, Agnos, Missouri and many home sewers quickly cut out their own versions of this beautiful pieced block, sewing up several during the cold winter months in eager anticipation of the coming spring. Barbara Brackman lists this as #799 with other names of “Floral Patchwork” and “A Tulip Pattern in High Colors.”  Here is some of the artwork I did 27 ye...

I bought some fabric with bees on it (no stingers, that I can tell) and the hexagon shape is perfect for 1" papers for English Paper Piecing.  So, I cut some out and stitched up quite a few: 1" EPP bees And then I pulled some fabric that my sister gave me a few years ago and used it to make my first bee themed Grandmother's Flower Garden: Bee Grandmother's Flower Garden Not sure where I'm going. I think the bees will tell me! I have some other black/gray/yellow fabrics that go with this collection. Do you think I'll get away with an entire quilt featuring bees? Remember, our food supply will disappear if the bees disappear! Gotta love them.